In practical considerations, could you folks please shed some light on your experience's with buying drygoods/livestock via retail vs buying drygoods/livestock from an online vendor? How was your experince online? How well stocked and equipped is your lfs? which do you prefer for purchasing etc.....Please just let us know how you prefer buying your reef goodies?
The LFS's must be supported or they wouldn't be around. They are very important to have. When your tank breaks at 2am- is the online e-tailer coming to the rescue? Many LFSs will also support the local reef clubs.
Prices are higher at the LFS for a reason. They really aren't just out to get you. They have far more overhead costs, and usually are ordering far fewer items than the e-tailer. Wal-mart is a great example of buying in bulk and driving the price down. Many times the LFS pays the same price we pay online for an item. Add overhead to that, and the result is a higher priced product.
But yet competition is competition. I do order lots of dry goods online. When it comes to livestock, I'd rather buy local. I wanna SEE the rock, smell the rock, look at the shape. I wanna see the fish swim, watch it eat, etc. I know when I buy a fish from Jen at Imagine Ocean that she has had the fish a few weeks and it's healthy and it's eating. Very important! I can say, "I want that fish," and she will say, "no not yet, it's not eating, but I'll hold it for you."
Those of us in Atlanta are very lucky when it comes to this hobby and LFS's.
__________________ Gwen - 2008 Atlanta Reef Club Board MACNA XX Committee 125g RR AGA "The Simple Reef Tank"
I'm kind of split in my opinions on this. I buy my bulk items and one timers online.... base rock, uncured rock, heaters, RO/DI unit, pumps and so on. My recuring stuff and things I MUST see before I buy I get at LFS's... salt, my fishes, replacement filters, bulbs, cured or show piece LR, my tanks I'd NEVER trust them to the oops truck, things of that nature.
Basically I prefer to go local but for things I can't find I snag online.
I find the LFS to be invaluable, I need them for many various reasons, I fell in love with saltwater fish for the first time at 9 years old in my LFS, it was a clownfish and from that instance I knew what i wanted to do with my life...hehehehe but seriously, I find many handy/needy things online but the backbone to the hobby is my lfs!
Gwen and Raggamuffin make good recommendations. I have to concur with them.
This is an expensive hobby if you intend to do it right and you should make every effort to find the right way. You can save money on-line if you compare prices and look for free shipping. It dose take time and effort to do that. We seem to love surfing the Internet looking for the best deal.
When it comes to livestock, I too, want to see it before I buy it. I want to see the fish swimming, observe it's behavior, see it eat and make my own decision to pick an individual specimen from a group. I don't want some hired hand making that choice for me because mostly they don't care. They just have to fill the order.
If you have a good LFS in you area patronize it as often as possible. They deserve your business and deserve to make a living. Become a regular customer, engage in conversation with the owner, allow him/her to get to know you so that when you walk in the door they recognize you. Be congenial, greet them with a hello, be interested in them and their business. Why am I telling you to do these very common courtesies? Because, if you do them regularly, sincerely, with honesty, the day will come when they have something you really want, something you can't live with out and you can ask this question, "Can you do any thing for me on this fish/coral/invert or widget?" Most of the time, if they recognize you as a regular, you will get a discount. Once it starts and you remain a regular, you will begin getting discounts on a regular basis often without asking. It has worked for me countless times. But don't abuse the previledge. I'll bet others can verify this from their favorite LFS.
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
oh yeah- I smell my live rock!! Only because the less odor, the more cured it is. And when I was stocking my LR (only took 2 years- maybe it was 3?) I bought one rock at a time... and cured is everything in an established tank
__________________ Gwen - 2008 Atlanta Reef Club Board MACNA XX Committee 125g RR AGA "The Simple Reef Tank"
oh yeah- I smell my live rock!! Only because the less odor, the more cured it is. And when I was stocking my LR (only took 2 years- maybe it was 3?) I bought one rock at a time... and cured is everything in an established tank
Smelling live rock will slowly kill your taste for fine wine and peanut butter.
Most of the time, if they recognize you as a regular, you will get a discount. Once it starts and you remain a regular, you will begin getting discounts on a regular basis often without asking.
You wouldn't guess how often this happens, have an example from 10 hours ago. I went to my LFS to poke around and get salt, the guy ahead of me gets the same brand of salt...same bucket size and everything. he paid $40 I paid $35. I didn't and don't ask for it but if you go back time and time again they figure and are correct that the 2 dollars profit every couple days is better then the 7 once a month or two.
So Gwen is a smeller....... 
and cured is everything in an established tank 
USA 
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