How often do you go to LFS???

[Nanook]

Just curious

[breutus]

my wife has thought about banning me from them! but I can't help it it's like going to the park for me. I just like to look

[breutus]

Dave,

I can't believe we live so close and have never gotten together, I am going to try and make it out to the wing ding fling and meet some more people but we should get together and see each others tanks!

Lucas

[Nanook]

I need to get down to Andy's Animals....been a while!

[Nanook]

Originally posted by breutus
Dave,

I can't believe we live so close and have never gotten together, I am going to try and make it out to the wing ding fling and meet some more people but we should get together and see each others tanks!

Lucas

I'm off this week if you want to meet up?

[breutus]

yea definitly I do the stay at home dad thing during the week so give me a call I'll PM you my number

[icepick96]

What do you call local? If less than 50 miles......once every 6 months and that is generous.

[Nanook]

Originally posted by icepick96
What do you call loco?

I call Icepick loco

[icepick96]

That is vato loco.......

[paulamrein]

There wasn't a 4-6 option?!! I guess I'd have to say 2-3 just so I don't look like an addict. But, looking like an addict among addicts I guess I'd blend in. My wife asks me all the time how I can walk into a restaurant or store with salt water marks all over my clothes. I simply tell her that I may look like an idiot but it's how us addicts announce to each other of our presence.

[DrBDC]

Originally posted by Nanook
I need to get down to Andy's Animals....been a while!

If you do that close to the end of the day, give me a call (office # forwarded to cell see my home page above) and come by the house. Sometimes mid day is good too but not as sure of being able to be home.

[Markk96]

Originally posted by Nanook
I call Icepick loco

[dphins]

I heard that the lfs aren't as busy as usual. I wonder if there are less hobbyist in the area since you always see tanks for sale? Plus, with the price of gas and everything else, are people spending less on their tanks?

[Jarob]

If you meet at andys let me know! I need to meet more people local. I also live in fenton so andys is a weekly visit when im in town

[scbadiver]

Originally posted by dphins
I heard that the lfs aren't as busy as usual. I wonder if there are less hobbyist in the area since you always see tanks for sale? Plus, with the price of gas and everything else, are people spending less on their tanks?

I think certainly gas prices have an impact to some degree but, I think there are way more folks with salt tanks now than there ever has been. The amount of tanks for sale to me is evidence more folks have them. I worked a a LFS for about 7 years, 15-20 years ago. Back then we were always very busy because we were the "go-to" for any and all tank needs. All equipment, livestock and info was through LFS'. Some days it was like a meeting or a how-to class at the store with several customers all standing around discussing things. On our days off we went to other lfs' in the area and picked their brains. Now days we all have the internet. Answer are a few key strokes away. livestock is a few credit card numbers away, delivered to my door. That is my take on it. Anybody else have an opinion? (can you tell I'm bored?? )

[paulamrein]

I would agree with that. If it wasn't for the risk of loosing fish in shipping I think we would use the internet for everything. It's simple and easy and wouldn't have to leave the house at all. There will, however always be a need for lfs. First off, when I started SW a little less than a year ago. I didn't know about RC, or any of the other websites. And there will always be the factor of purchasing a 100$ fish unseen. So therefore, you see the drop in the lfs because more reefers are meeting other reefers and not having to go to the lfs every other day picking up trivial items, filter pads and the like.
Just my take, I too am bored and found myself just typing away sorry for that.

[Chelsey]

I tend not to order fish online, but I do get frags from other reefers, but these days shipping is soooo expensive! I'm sure I'll do more with fellow reefers once the weather warms up a bit and USPS express is a viable method of shipping. If I'm buying fish or a cleanup crew or something I'll go to a LFS, which are usually not so local because the one that I go to here doesn't have all that much in stock at any given point and they sell out quickly. To me visiting LFS is fun because you get to BS with friends (employees) and since they get new stuff in a lot you might see stuff there that you don't see elsewhere (I notice this with zoanthids especially) because they only have one colony in.

[scbadiver]

I agree with you Chelsey. I like to go andlook around and stuff. I'm the hobbiest that buys it because "it looks cool" or "it was just so cheap I had to buy it". I vey seldom go for a particular thing. I hope the LFS' never go away.

[Nanook]

I will go a lot more frequently once I get water in the tanks

It is nice having a store so close to my house, now I just got to get Chad to get some nice acropora

[Nanook]

Hmmm, now that we have the poll information, I would like to know how many people buy something each time they visit....if possible?

[paulamrein]

I would say 70-80% of the time I pick-up something, or there for a service. Most of my trips lead to me buying something bigger to justify the frequent questions and visits. ie. skimmer, tank, fish etc. When I buy a fish, I try to see them a few times in the tank on different days before buying them. Sometimes that doesn't work out though.

[DrBDC]

I probably buy something about 50% of the time. Half of that is just some misc. drygood though.

[scbadiver]

I buy stuff about half the time. Usually food or chemical stuff drygoods. Once in a while I spring for livestock. I really hate acclimation so I have to be in the right mood and at the right time, like after work as opposed to lunch break.