Tony
Norman Edelen wrote:
> Hello Dave,
>
> That is a sad tale. In my area there are about a dozen shops, and I only
> patronize one regularly, and two infrequently. The fish that surprised you
> are always available at my favorite store. Every week the owner brings in
> fish that I have never seen before. His idea is that he wants to sell fish
> that maintain HIS interest in the hobby. He has 4 or 5 pencils in right
> now, even one undescribed species called Nanostomus sp. "red arch". It is
> an incredible red fish. He also has espei pencils in all the time! It is
> an amazing store!
>
> Norm
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
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> The Greater Portland Aquarium Society
> www.gpas.org
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> The North American Native Fishes Association: over
> 20 years of conservation efforts, public education, and
> aquarium study of our native fishes. Check it out at
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>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dave Littlehale <littled_at_cris.com>
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 7:36 AM
> Subject: LFS WAS Re: NANFA--thatpetplace.com
>
> Moontanman_at_aol.com wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 12/1/00 9:55:27 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> > normane_at_edelendoors.com writes:
> >
> > << I tend to disagree with you. The area I live in has seen an amazing
> amount
> > >>
> > You may be right, I want to start my own shop but I see all privately
> owned
> > shops going the way of the dinosaur and it scares me. I can't even
> remember
> > the last time I saw something really interesting in a fish store.
>
> I think variety is the key as has been stated previously. The stores that
> seem to
> do the best are those that have a selection of fw fish above and beyond your
> "bread and butter" fish, a selection of marine fish, corals and a good dry
> goods
> area. In these stores the fish are correctly named and will order just
> about
> anything for you.
>
> Here in the NJ suburbs of Philly there are 5 fish stores. In 4 of those I
> could
> probably name about 85% of the fish they have in stock right from home. The
> 5th
> one, my favorite, has a much better selection of fish which are correctly
> ID'd.
> I went to all 5 stores in one day searching for the flying fox for my
> planted
> tank. I left my favorite for last hoping they would be able to save the
> day. The
> other 4 had the chinese algae eaters which left me scouring those tanks
> hoping
> that maybe some were mixed in accidentally and for the most part the people
> working in these stores are "fish catchers". I purchased two that looked
> promising. The last store had them and they were actually labeled as such.
> Imagine that.
>
> I went back a couple of weeks later looking for some fish for my planted
> tank. I
> didn't know what I wanted; all I knew is that I didn't want any of the usual
> fish
> that every store has. I was pleasantly surprised. I came away with 6
> Threadfin
> Rainbowfish, Iriatherina werneri; they are in this month, Jan 2001, TFH, and
> 6
> Celebes Rainbowfish, Telmatherina ladigesi. Unless I need something in an
> emergency, this is the store I will patronize from now on. I will
> occasionally
> check the others just to see if I can be surprised. I've already inquired
> about
> ordering pencilfish which I've only seen in one store in DE about 4 years
> ago.
>
> If I were a shop owner I would approach it differently. Since I've never
> been in
> this position I don't know how feasible it is, but I would invest time in
> educating my customers by giving seminars on a variety of topics e.g.
> beginning
> fw, planted aquaria, salt water aquaria, corals, breeding fish. The store
> would
> have display tanks on all these topics as to entice people to enjoy other
> aspects
> of the hobby. The necessary equipment and associated dry goods would be on
> hand
> to further encourage participation. Just a thought.
>
> Dave
>
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> / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
> / Association"
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> / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
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/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org