What's your Opinion about charging extra..for Qt fish? ....

[piranhapat]

I never deleted your posts if you notice they were deleted by a moderator because evidently you were repping another LFS. Like stated we certainly welcome all feedback and suggestions as we strive to grow and improve.

Their was a few post to my friend themeat that was deleted. I'm done with this I think I'll qt myself before Themeat has something nice to say...besides MR been very dull of late. It was good to see some trend talk.

 

[theMeat]

nm

 

[piranhapat]

nm

It's been fun not taken anything serious newbie have a good night. Now Qt your fish:meow: why did you delete your statement you were a newbie. You said it.

 

[theMeat]

 

[piranhapat]

https://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=200014&stc=1&d=1462952534

 

[WTBClownfish]

What i can tell you is there weren't any shortcuts when i put together my systems.. I dont believe in hypo salinity.. keep salinity 22.. reason being most hobbies dont have the aclimating experience that i do.. so to expect the normal hobbiest to acclimate a fish from a salinity of 15 is a disaster waiting to happen.. And i dont sell fish out of the box.. i might make an exception for an advanced hobbiest only.. i dont pay attention to the price wars between LFS!... Im not looking to have lines out side my doors because i have the lowest price... im looking to sell clean helthy fish that my customers will see eat from my hand before they purchase them..

Sounds like you do next to nothing. From what you said all you do is not sell them out of the bag which is contradictory to what you said earlier in your thread. Why don't you take all precautions? Do you copper treat fish? Treat with prazi? Who about metro?

I think it is a great idea.

Every LFS who loves this hobby should take all precautions in having helthy livestock. It shouldn't be an optional.. we are dealing with live animals.. so charging extra for QT is ridiculous just as ridiculous as selling fish right out of the box. A lot of places have lost reapect for the hobby or never had it to begin with.. my advice is invest in your systems.. make sure they are equipped to hold and keep livestock alive and helthy.. if that means marking up your product so be it.. at least customer will be buying healthy fish.. (whats cheap cost more)

 

[Z06-Hec]

My .02
Considering the store's actual price for fish, for example....
these black tangs that go for $1000.00 are bought for $399. I have wholesale lists...
So to pay more than double the price they paid i would expect it to be healthy and eating...
To go and charge me more than the $1000 you already charge for it to guarantee me its eating and healthy is not something I am willing to do...
Same example... Store pays $100 for a red/Blue/Purple carpet nem and charge me $600-$800 for it, i would hope it was already QT for at least a week to ensure its ok...

Just my .02

 

[AXsignaturecorals]

Sounds like you do next to nothing. From what you said all you do is not sell them out of the bag which is contradictory to what you said earlier in your thread. Why don't you take all precautions? Do you copper treat fish? Treat with prazi? Who about metro?

I think it is a great idea.

The process that i use i wish not to disclose.. but it's a trifector of medications that i keep in my system...

 

[AXsignaturecorals]

My .02
Considering the store's actual price for fish, for example....
these black tangs that go for $1000.00 are bought for $399. I have wholesale lists...
So to pay more than double the price they paid i would expect it to be healthy and eating...
To go and charge me more than the $1000 you already charge for it to guarantee me its eating and healthy is not something I am willing to do...
Same example... Store pays $100 for a red/Blue/Purple carpet nem and charge me $600-$800 for it, i would hope it was already QT for at least a week to ensure its ok...

Just my .02

There is more to marking up fish than just what you see on the wholesale list.. you have to factor in shipping cost and DOA as well

 

[piranhapat]

My .02
Considering the store's actual price for fish, for example....
these black tangs that go for $1000.00 are bought for $399. I have wholesale lists...
So to pay more than double the price they paid i would expect it to be healthy and eating...
To go and charge me more than the $1000 you already charge for it to guarantee me its eating and healthy is not something I am willing to do...
Same example... Store pays $100 for a red/Blue/Purple carpet nem and charge me $600-$800 for it, i would hope it was already QT for at least a week to ensure its ok...

Just my .02

+1 now here's someone that knows the business......

 

[Z06-Hec]

I understand that, but consider that all stores buy in bulk...
So just for that 1 tang that is marked up 3-5 times you pay for the shipping and more in that 1 sale.
I know other factors come into play like DOA and stuff but the profit is huge if all survives and everything in that 1 shipment is marked up 3-5 times...
Like Clams... they pay from $20 for a 2 inch clam or $55 for a 8inch clam and then turn and sell them for $100 for the 2 inch and $300 or more for the 8 inch...
another example on how just selling 1 of that boxes item pays the shipping for the entire box.

 

[marrone]

Actually no, as what was already posted, you need to factor in things shipping, which can be very expensive, & DOA not to mention all the costs of the store, from water, to electric, to paying for workers, and in the end they need to make a profit, after all they're not in business just to sell you things for their cost.

And just because a fish maybe healthy doesn't mean that it's not carry parasites or other diseases, which in the ocean isn't a problem but can be a major problem in your tank, if not to that fish but to other fish in your tank.

 

[AXsignaturecorals]

Actually no, as what was already posted, you need to factor in things shipping, which can be very expensive, & DOA not to mention all the costs of the store, from water, to electric, to paying for workers, and in the end they need to make a profit, after all they're not in business just to sell you things for their cost.

And just because a fish maybe healthy doesn't mean that it's not carry parasites or other diseases, which in the ocean isn't a problem but can be a major problem in your tank, if not to that fish but to other fish in your tank.

Bingo! Just like any other business its not considered profit till the bills are paid

 

[theMeat]

That's the reality of how retail works. Comparatively speaking, live fish are not as hi a mark up as most other retail settings. Then add into the equation that it could die and become completely worthless and it's not even close.
Running a store costs money. How many tanks and losses would a store have to absorb to have every fish quarantined before offered for sale? Tanks in close proximity to other tanks, and hands and nets that can easily, or by accident go from one tank to another can easily cross contaminate. How many tanks set up and ready for fish would be needed. Different fish need dif meds, for dif lengths of time, with dif diets, coming in at dif times etc. Then to ask a retail store that needs to put money in the register to not sell a paying customer a fish that they want when they want it is crazy. I would expect a store to be honest about how long the fish has been in the store, or of any problems that fish might have had, as well as reasonable actions against combating in their tanks, but that's it. It's a free country, and a free market. Supply and demand dictate the cost of things. If less ppl were willing to pay $150 for a pair of sneakers that cost $3 to make, the price would go down. If we as hobbyists expect full quarantine on all, then the market will dictate that the prices will go up. That's called math and reality. Another reality is we can't expect to give more and more of our money to online sources and wonder why the lfs have gone away.

 

[clasystems]

I buy a lot of fish and Ive found over the years I gravitate to the places with the healthiest tanks and best prices. I know enough now to not really care about employees that dont know anything. Its not impossible or even that hard to keep nice looking stock tanks and sell healthy fish out of them and make money. I know what places give me the most trouble an I just wont shop there. I also know the highest priced places and wont shop there either. I think its a good idea to offer a QT service for a fee but dont force me to use it and dont build the fee into the price.

 

[AXsignaturecorals]

Absolutely... example: lsf rent 1000$ 2 employees 1000$
Light 1000$ insurance 500$ internet phone 200$ taxes 2000$
Maintenance to keep tanks upto par and other miss 2000
This is an average overhead established store.. so to start the month its already in the whole 8k... as any business the objective goal is to turn a profit of 2.5 time investment.. what should be the appropriate mark up in order to be successful.. (note there is a 10% garenteed live stock loss)

 

[theMeat]

I buy a lot of fish and Ive found over the years I gravitate to the places with the healthiest tanks and best prices. I know enough now to not really care about employees that dont know anything. Its not impossible or even that hard to keep nice looking stock tanks and sell healthy fish out of them and make money. I know what places give me the most trouble an I just wont shop there. I also know the highest priced places and wont shop there either. I think its a good idea to offer a QT service for a fee but dont force me to use it and dont build the fee into the price.

Well said, smart man.
Also don't care much about the personality or salesmanship of the person selling me livestock. Just be honest. Or whether or not i can get it a few dollars more or less somewhere else. Just make n effort, within reason, to offer me the healthiest livestock you can.

 

[AXsignaturecorals]

Well said, smart man.
Also don't care much about the personality or salesmanship of the person selling me livestock. Just be honest. Or whether or not i can get it a few dollars more or less somewhere else. Just make n effort, within reason, to offer me the healthiest livestock you can.

 

[Z06-Hec]

Again.... My opinion...
You go into business accepting risk.. What business these days do not know there is a risk in making money or not?
If I am purchasing something from you and I am already paying a mark up of 3-5 times i expect it to live and not be told, well it was living in my store so its your fault...
You are not paying me in any way to accept the risk you took on when you started your business right?

 

[theMeat]

Get what you're saying....by the same note...you should know that you'r buying a natural living thing, and that risk is then accepted by you. If i buy something and it dies i don't look to the store i bought it from. I took that risk. If when i buy from one store more things die than from another store. Then i learn where to shop and where not too.