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If a LFS is not doing well, it cant be 1 stop for hobbyist, unless they are loaded, but if they are wont do lfs business. Hmm i think eventually just the few player left but other than that will be online sales.
My dear ddk08 has already started EPPA online and still doing it however, he's still work full time at gym managementOriginally Posted by David
@dkk08.....you starting one?.....
If a LFS is not doing well, it cant be 1 stop for hobbyist, unless they are loaded, but if they are wont do lfs business. Hmm i think eventually just the few player left but other than that will be online sales.
Suddenly Fishing Interest Arise !
In any business...word of mouth from satisfied customer is important. You can have fantastic products & couple with good location etc..eventually its the people that serving the customers that make the whole buying experience and keeps them coming back.
And sometimes is the pple and the shop itself is it comfy enough
i dun mind paying abit more for these factors provided I cannot get cheaper from online
in another scenario , some of the things you can get online its is just the lead time only and more often than not online buying is cheaper with promos or free shipping to SG .
so it's the livestock ,comfy and service that makes you part with your money.
But of course if you are getting a ehiem and its 30% cheaper I will go around the island for it but not for 2 dollars off a bottle of ada
I read Practical Fishkeeping magazine from England regularly and when I look at the British LFS scene,it seems that British LFS are thriving or doing well and I was wondering why our LFS close down one by one while the British LFS are doing well in business and even venturing into other aspects of fishkeeping business.
Rental here is freaking expensive,even when they say rental is down.
Reasons why fish shops are closing down? Very simple. Firstly, the reason why many fish shops were opened was due to the craze on arowannas, flowerhorns and such fortune fish. Many who saw this took the opportunity to set up shop simply to earn money, whithout care nor concern for the fishes. 90% of the NON SPECIALISED fish shops in Singapore therefore have little no proper information on the real care of their critters, chalking up death and damage due to being 'unlucky' or the fish is 'old'. I have seen this many times with various fish shops and pet fish owners who also think that due to the fact that they rear/kept fishes before gives them infinite knowledge to the hobby. This causes misinformation and trouble for many who are just to lazy to throughly read up on the pet they're keeping. Which then leads to a tank crashing and the person being put off fishes(and may tell their friends & family on the horror of fish) then they'll all go off to rear some other pet. Like a dog for example.
Rearing fishes is just like caring for any other pet, its not a 'hassle-free' job unless you all want a tank of dead fish. Don't smoke, use strong fumes/perfumes or even alcohol near fishes as they'll be affected. But not everyone know nor cares do they?
Perhaps I might also add the recent 'shrimp craze' to the list. It does appear to me that many LFSs are depending on shrimps as their main lifeblood.
I totally agree with you that keeping fish requires a lot of dedication and the commitment to do it.
LIFE IS UNBEARABLE WITHOUT A FISH TANK!!!
Some things I respect about British,US or Australian LFS is
-Not pushy in sales.
-Quite well educated about their livestock or equipment that they are selling.
-Keen to build up their r/s with their customer base.
-Shop is neat and well organized.
-They generally take care of their livestock well.
Our LFS has a long way to go compared with them.
We actually do have LFS in Singapore which can match most of those points... places like Green Chapter, Fishy Business, Aquatic Avenue, Aquarist Chamber etc. They offer good professional service, quality products and healthy livestock, but all that comes with premium price tags too.
On the other-hand, there will always still be those traditional small neighborhood LFS that have limited low-quality item selection with unhealthy livestock, run by shop keepers who have outdated knowledge and just push cheap products. Those place still exist because locals are willing to endure dodgy advice, poor service and half-dead livestock (and even spend time traveling from one end of singapore all the way to the other) just to save a few dollars.
I actually boycotted a few places when I was living in Tiong Bahru and Redhill last time.Now as a resident in the north, I only visit Y618,C328 or Seaview for livestock or supplies.We actually do have LFS in Singapore which can match most of those points... places like Green Chapter, Fishy Business, Aquatic Avenue, Aquarist Chamber etc. They offer good professional service, quality products and healthy livestock, but all that comes with premium price tags too.
On the other-hand, there will always still be those traditional small neighborhood LFS that have limited low-quality item selection with unhealthy livestock, run by shop keepers who have outdated knowledge and just push cheap products. Those place still exist because locals are willing to endure dodgy advice, poor service and half-dead livestock (and even spend time traveling from one end of singapore all the way to the other) just to save a few dollars.
One of the places I boycotted is former Yishun Aquastar cos the owner bo-chap about answering the enquiries of customers and Yishun Polyart cos the PRC guy know nuts about his products and always direct me to a local old uncle who is always busy serving customers.And their livestock is just so so.Pet peeve about Y618 and C328 is they seldom stock platies like what Seaview always does.So I do visit Seaview a lot often.
by the way is Aquastar closed permanently now? I think if their equipments and assesories are cheap and affordable and we as a hobbyist can tell a quality live stock and etc ourselves we can just treat Aquastar as a source of resources for ourselves and we can just ignore the bochap people there. think many of us has similar experiences with Aquastar before. Y618 sometimes do carry cheaper items I need. but I frequent Y618 as it's nearer to me and it's also my kids' favourite place as the owners there are friendly to customers and kids. I always see a lot of people there. I wonder who's going to take over such a nice and friendly lfs next time when they finally retire from the business
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Aquastar taken over by Polyart...I think Y618 is a family business,can see some youngsters helping out in the shop.
True, however, the shrimp craze is a recent thing compared to the fortune bringing fish like arowana, which is why Qian Hu used to make such a killing during the old days. I myself dislike rearing Asian Arowana due to the fact that they're a) endangered, b) boring. Many people who rear Arowana tend to leave it in a too small and 100% bare tank, which honestly(has got to be one of the ugliest displays) I've ever seen. I get that one dosen't have the space to put other decorations, but then again, if you can provide a fully furnished home for such large fish properly.... don't get them.
Yup, putting an adult Arowana in a limited-sized tank is no different from putting goldfish in a glass bowl, or for that matter, keeping a bird in a small cage.
True. Goldfishes kept in small bowls grow up into goldfishes with bent, 'S'-shaped spines. Also many people keep bettas in squalid conditions. I get that bettas don't need much space nor a bubbler, but really guys? Keeping a poor fish in a cup without changing its water frequently is like solitary confinment without toilets or bath.... till the day you die. I've seen many shops all over Singapore selling bettas in dirty, small tanks. A big no no for me, especially when they obviously don't care for the creature's wellbeing. Keeping a betta in a one gallon glass jar with frequent water changes and entertainment is okay. Keeping them in filthy, small plastic containers is just. No. Today I went out to a fish store. There were some bags of bettas and beside them there were smaller bags with green water in it. I was wondering whether the lady was selling 'green water' and asked her so. She told me no as "There was a fighting fish in there." Needless to say I was horrified at the fishs' living conditions. By the way, there really was a dying betta in there with plenty of mulm.
Goldfish are ideally kept in a pond or a goodly sized tub.
But when kept in an optimally-sized fish tank which is not too small, it also offers much opportunity for them to develop their 'acrobatic skills'.
In time, they would have mastered the skill of manoeuvring themselves expertly within that restrictive tank after the appropriate muscles are seasoned.
Yep, however keeping goldfish in Elmo's 'Goldfish Bowl' will cause bent spines. Also remember that more fragile varieties like the bubble eye will not be able to thrive in the restrictive tank but will do better in good sized tanks.
Goldfish bowls are absolutely a no-no for goldfish! It' s the worst thing for putting goldfish in.
Maybe it's suitable for a Betta.
you won't be surprised there are still LFS telling new hobbyist to keep them them in a goldfish bowl and some would tell you for fengshui, some geomancer would still recommend that (if u believe in fengshui)
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