MaxM Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 I notice in most stores they do not use substrates in their tanks. Does anyone know if that is a financial decision or if there are ulterior reasons for not doing so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefConfit Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 You don't make a mess when moving decor or netting out fish. You don't have to gravel vac or worry about uneaten food getting lost in the substrate so maintenance is faster/easier. Also yes even cheap gravel adds up when you have that many tanks to fill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxM Posted December 23, 2020 Author Share Posted December 23, 2020 @ChefConfit I hear you. I'm just wondering if there is a way to make the aquariums more aesthetic. 😐 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GardenStateGoldfish Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 My LFS does use substrate in 95% of the tanks, it could be a cost decision or a time, substrate takes longer to clean then a bare bottom, I supposed you'd have to ask a store owner why. If I had an lfs I would have substrate in the tanks though just because I like it better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxM Posted December 23, 2020 Author Share Posted December 23, 2020 @GardenStateGoldfish "If I had an lfs I would have substrate in the tanks though just because I like it better" That's exactly my point. I think it looks nicer and subconsciously affects the way people view the LFS and also affects their purchasing habits. I can't prove that, but I believe it to be true. I thought about added plants to encourage purchasing plants, whether real or fake, but ruled that out being that it makes it more difficult to pull fish out. Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefConfit Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 I'd say it really comes down to efficiency. They could do painted, slate, tile or universal rocks style bottoms and still avoid the above drawbacks of substrate. But some stores elect to set up display tanks to look nice then set up the tanks they sell fish out off to move fish in and out as efficiently as possible. Think of a grocery store. They have a few nice displays to showcase some products but most stuff is just stacked on shelves. They could only do nice displays, but they wouldn't fit as much product in their store and the labor cost to keep everything looking nice would be way higher. Fish stores can do the same thing. Set up a nice display tank for product they want to move, but actually sell it out of a bare tank that's less work to get the fish out of. If I were to open a fish store (which will probably never happen) I'd consider doing painted bottoms and sides (maybe use one of those spray paints that comes out with a rock texture) then doing a planter or two painted to match. That way you can remove the only obstacle if the fish are difficult to catch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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