mFrame Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Yeah, but he moves all around the aquarium all the time, and his red is so bright you can't miss him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texmexbigspring Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 They have great stuff everytime I go but in my opinion it is way to small the place really smells bad down stairs and I hate the stairs cuz we have a baby and its really a pain to shop upstairs were they keep the good stuff. Just my.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manhorsedog Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 i really wish one of the LFS's would step up and do a really nice online site and have some great grow out tanks. Austin aqua farm is the only place really like that but they are set up more for bulk. also i was driving home today and noticed a new lfs around the corner of i-35 and 51st it was called amazing aquariums. To be honest it didnt look like it would be anything good just from driving by but you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 That was Amazonia. I too would like to see the locals, aside from AAF, have some really sweet goodies. I see 1 or 2 here and there but nothing consistent. I just wish AAF wasn't so expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 Well today I went to the dome and got some salt and food for the fish. I asked if they were going to set up a web site and they sayed yes their in the proses of setting it up but there is only the 3 of them so it's taking some time to set it up. But I'm shure it going to be good exspeciuly for any one that is not in that area. I look at their fish and they tones of clowns (pares) but no pink skunk clowns:( that I want to get. they had some anemones but none that I just had to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 That is the problem with stores having websites directed towards their fish and corals. Everybody is on the floor bagging up items, talking to you about how to clear up your algae problem, testing water, and doing maintenance on their systems. WHO is going to keep the site updated daily? Heck weekly? At that rate we are lucky our sponsors even alert us to stuff here at ARC. Basically what I'm saying is that they are busy selling stuff and taking care of the business. Unless they hired one individual to walk around all day keeping tabs and updating the site, it just becomes stagnant and outdated. But then the prices would have to be raised on everything to cover the cost of the extra employee. I'll compare it to this, all of the sites you love to browse and get sweet deals on fish, corals, and/or dry goods have one thing in common- no brick and mortar store with annoying customers to get in the way. All of your favorite shops to visit have no websites or bad ones. Big Al's has a couple of huge mega stores, yet Big Al's online is a totally separate deal not tied directly to the store. I have yet to see Marine Depot open a local shop, heck even one in Texas. I feel it could be considered an extra pressure on a shop to have to maintain an accurate listing of live goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 You bring up valid points Mike. One way around some of the problems you point out is with barcodes/scanning. I realize this would add cost, complexity, and time to the LFS busy lives but it could work. It would also be better applied to drygoods, but could work for livestock too. All that said, I do like just dropping in to see whats available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I could care less if a fish store, or any hobby store for that matter, has a "real" website. So is the nature of hobbies, the stock will constantly change. This isn't Home Depot listing the price of tools, tolls that they will always have in stock. These are real live animals. Not to mention I'd be super pissed if I wanted that "one specific thing", only to find out it was sold a few hours ago or days ago. Big whupteedo if they update that shipments are coming in. Come on folks this is an ever changing hobby, shipments come in EVERY WEEK. It's not rocket science that the best part of a hobby is the search part. Who in the world would ever want a hobby that is instant gratification? Then it would be a "hobby" it would be "stuff I bought". The only website I feel that any of the shops need are ones that state phone numbers, any services beside selling items, and hours of operation. I guess what I'm saying here is, I love getting off my *** and going to the stores themselves when I'm cash positive, coral negative. On the other side of this question, it has been answered many times that the Dome are great people. Gary, Terry and Hunter all care about the charges they keep custody of and they also keep track of most of us hobbyists. They've been around for many years, one of the 2 longest running shops in town. I'm getting this vibe that something happened and you are looking for a way to bring it up? That is the problem with stores having websites directed towards their fish and corals. Everybody is on the floor bagging up items, talking to you about how to clear up your algae problem, testing water, and doing maintenance on their systems. WHO is going to keep the site updated daily? Heck weekly? At that rate we are lucky our sponsors even alert us to stuff here at ARC. Basically what I'm saying is that they are busy selling stuff and taking care of the business. Unless they hired one individual to walk around all day keeping tabs and updating the site, it just becomes stagnant and outdated. But then the prices would have to be raised on everything to cover the cost of the extra employee. I'll compare it to this, all of the sites you love to browse and get sweet deals on fish, corals, and/or dry goods have one thing in common- no brick and mortar store with annoying customers to get in the way. All of your favorite shops to visit have no websites or bad ones. Big Al's has a couple of huge mega stores, yet Big Al's online is a totally separate deal not tied directly to the store. I have yet to see Marine Depot open a local shop, heck even one in Texas. I feel it could be considered an extra pressure on a shop to have to maintain an accurate listing of live goods. I disagree. I always judge a store by their website. Regarding LFS, I don't care too much about a full inventory system, but stocking lists are very useful. A store that has a professionally designed site is more likely to get my bucks over the store that doesn't. Simple enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Just my .02. Mike don't fall off your chair but I agree with you. There is no way a store could keep an updated site without a specific person that does nothing but that. I have been at stores when shipments come in. Sometimes a third of it is gone before they even get everything unbagged. I also enjoy the hunt. If I am looking for something specific I ask them to order it. You usually get a better specimen that way since they ask the wholesaler specifically instead of just getting whatever he sends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Problem solved: And I agree with all-of-yall Keeping an up-to-the-minute inventory on a web site would be near impossible, short of some uber technology (I have some ideas, but will save them for when I open a LFS in my old age ). But doing something like what RCA does, posting the order manifest, does help a lot. And a clean looking web site where I can easily find hours of operation, directions, etc does drive my desire to visit a store. I was hesitant to visit the Dome at first, because the only hours of operation I could find where from Yahoo maps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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