TheCzarista Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 I am 100% sure there are others that don't have a LFS handy. All we have is Petco, Petsmart, and what we can get off the internet. I really wish we had a place that we could go to just fish gaze. Oh, and our Petco is one of the bad ones. The tanks are dirty, they often have dead fish floating in them, with other fish eating them, and the bettas in their cups act almost comatose, barely moving at all. Here's hoping we can get a LFS soon! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBOzzie59 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 My LFS is over an hour drive! Fortunately it's the Coop!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCzarista Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 You are SO lucky. Ours would be in Houston, about 2 hours away, I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 I have three local box stores. One has an okay plant selection, another has a good tank selection, and the third is probably understaffed. I also have two small LPS (local pet stores), who take good care of smaller selections. I haven't visited an aquarium-specific store for more than a decade. I think in smaller markets like Vermont, you have to sell cat food and dog food to stay open. I am grateful to have my LPS, even with just a few racks of fish and plants. Somebody cares enough to make that happen. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GameCzar Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 The struggle is real in rural Southeast Texas! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 I started with aquariums when I was 12 or 13 years old. I also did not have access to much money to fuel my new hobby. Given my age, I was not able to go very far to find a pet store given that I could not drive. I had a Petco about 10 minutes away and a Petsmart about 15 minutes away. I also had access to a really good local reef store which was 15 minutes away as well. But a local pet store opened up about 10 minutes away and they gave away a 10 gallon aquarium kit to the first customers (not sure how many). And to my delight, my aunt gave it to me not knowing what she had just started haha I may not have had access to stores with great freshwater fish or plants selection, but the one act of giving away aquariums started my hobby that has stuck with me the longest (over half my life now). Like @Streetwise said, I am forever grateful that my LPS cared enough to make it happen. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 i am very fortunate, have petco's and petsmarts all over, and a few good fish stores. also twin cities guppies has just opened up a store not too far away, will have to go have a look at their stuff pretty soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 (edited) I have to pay ~$25 for a ferry to get off the Island but the greater Seattle area is lucky to have Aquarium Coop, an ADA store and a handful of old school fish stores. We also seem to have a thriving hobbyist breeding scene. I’m not sure if it’s the Cory effect or if Western Washingtonians just like aquariums. Edited June 4, 2021 by Patrick_G 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 I’m on the rural Eastern Shore in Maryland. I’ve got one LFS 1.25 hours away to the north, and if I go across the bay there’s one I haven’t checked out yet that would only be an hour (with no bridge traffic). With my health though, I rarely make it out that far, and I almost always need someone to drive me. We have an okay Petco about 45 minutes away. That said, there’s someone in my neighborhood starting a small saltwater business out of his or her home! I have no desire for anything saltwater, but it makes me happy just knowing there’s another fishkeeper nearby. I kind of doubt they’ll have much success though unless they sell online. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmiller2001 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 My LFS are filthy. I too have to deal with big box stores. After that, I use aquabid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ellsworth Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 My local fish stores are 2.5 hours in one direction and 3 hours away in another. And that is for a petmart or petco. I order almost all my stuff online, apart from tanks, at least the larger ones. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Over the past 5 years, I've averaged 1-2 non-medical outings per year. One was to a Petco to get my angelfish. Other than that, everything's online. I don't even know if I have a decent LFS around here since I can't leave. So though urban, I'm effectively rural. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.K.Luterman Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 My favorite LFS closed down before Covid, and I'm still sad about it. They were an old-school type of place, in business for something like 20+ years. Now I'm left with an iffy place that focuses mostly on saltwater - their freshwater selection is always sparse and sickly (at least it was last I went in pre-Covid days, I really should peek in and see how they are now). So I mostly shop at big box stores. We have 2 Petcos, a Petsmart and a Pet Supplies Plus. One Petco actually gets in a nice variety of live stock, which is kind of cool. I do still mostly order online if I need something specific. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ellsworth Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 5 minutes ago, H.K.Luterman said: My favorite LFS closed down before Covid, and I'm still sad about it. They were an old-school type of place, in business for something like 20+ years. Now I'm left with an iffy place that focuses mostly on saltwater - their freshwater selection is always sparse and sickly (at least it was last I went in pre-Covid days, I really should peek in and see how they are now). So I mostly shop at big box stores. We have 2 Petcos, a Petsmart and a Pet Supplies Plus. One Petco actually gets in a nice variety of live stock, which is kind of cool. I do still mostly order online if I need something specific. That sucks! There was a pet store in my home town since I was a child. They were around for 40 years or more. They had dogs, cats, rodents, birds, and a large fish room. Was great. They closed a few years ago and turned into a dog grooming place. Not sure if the owners were retiring or had issues with the business. They supplied to the whole central and northeast corner of my state. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gestaltgal Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Our LFS is about an hour away. We have a local pet store closer than that, but their business practices are really sketchy. We have a PetSmart in town, and we're very lucky that they have a very knowledgeable small animal / aquatic manager. She's done an excellent job for us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy K Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 17 hours ago, TheCzarista said: You are SO lucky. Ours would be in Houston, about 2 hours away, I think Are you North or West of greater Houston? I live 10 minutes from two fab LFS I frequent and we could coordinate if you want something specific. Their stock is always super healthy and rotates often. I have seen a gold nugget pleco, arowanas (sp?), lots of varieties of tetra and cichlids, super red bristle nose, and lots of shrimp varieties 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCzarista Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 East actually, near Louisiana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiclid addict Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 (edited) 19 hours ago, TheCzarista said: I am 100% sure there are others that don't have a LFS handy. All we have is Petco, Petsmart, and what we can get off the internet. I really wish we had a place that we could go to just fish gaze. Oh, and our Petco is one of the bad ones. The tanks are dirty, they often have dead fish floating in them, with other fish eating them, and the bettas in their cups act almost comatose, barely moving at all. Here's hoping we can get a LFS soon! My lfs is a 2hr drive I do have a good family owned pet store that takes great care of and only hires experts for there fish and reptiles but I have a petco I believe is worse than yours too basically what you said but x10 and add rude employees and they charge about double the prices on the petco website so I always price match witch makes them extra mad at me Edited June 4, 2021 by Angelfishlover 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nordlys Fish Room Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Yeah all I’ve got is a Petco unless I want to drive 7 hours down to Anchorage. I’m lucky that the Petco has (2) A+ employees and a branch manager that at least supports the aquatic section. I try to buy things there every couple weeks, talk it up and support it because if that branch closes, I can’t get tanks or frozen food locally. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 With all the box stores, it is all about whether they have employees and managers who care. Actually, this is true for most small businesses too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 I think it all depends on what you are after. I have a number of what seem to be quite good LFS around, but I don't really frequent them. I plan setups for very specific fish, and then I am patient and track them down. Like when I wanted Endler's, I wanted N-class Endler's with a known lineage I could track back to a collection point. So, I waited until a specialty breeder had them available and bought online. Even if I lived across the street from the Co-Op, I prob ably wouldn't get fish there because the next ones I am after are African cichlids, and FWIK they don't do African cichlids. Great store. Great focus. Just don't carry what I am after. The things I am grateful for are the local parts suppliers. I'm driving distance to Midwest Custom Aquariums, and I'm 20 min to Bulk Reef Supply. When I order from BRS stuff gets here faster than if I got it with Amazon Prime! All that, but I don't think I'll be a regular at a local place. I just have eclectic interests I suppose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Oh I forgot that the farm store down the street sells fish meds. That definitely counts for something! @OnlyGenusCaps I don’t want to buy fish at the LFS... I want to sell them fish!! 😆 Just kidding... mostly. I do buy fish from time to time. I almost never impulse buy though. Lots of research and planning, and if I’m breeding I’m very picky. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaitieG Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 My LFS (an hour away) is closing down in less than a month. Next closest is 3 hours away. There are a couple big box stores a little over an hour away. I rely mostly on club auctions and trying to find local breeders as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeniseT Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 9 hours ago, Nancy K said: Are you North or West of greater Houston? I live 10 minutes from two fab LFS I frequent and we could coordinate if you want something specific. Their stock is always super healthy and rotates often. I have seen a gold nugget pleco, arowanas (sp?), lots of varieties of tetra and cichlids, super red bristle nose, and lots of shrimp varieties I’m going to be visiting Houston in a few weeks. Which stores do you recommend, Nancy K? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy K Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 54 minutes ago, DeniseT said: I’m going to be visiting Houston in a few weeks. Which stores do you recommend, Nancy K? Thanks in advance! B and B Fish and Pets, That Aquarium Place, and Fish Gallery. Those are the ones I know and love but I haven’t been to Fish Gallery in a few years because the others are way closer to me. Enjoy your trip to H-town 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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