I want a place to shop!

[captexas]

I agree with everything above. Thanks for the info on Alamo's worm problem. I hadn't noticed them there, but that probably explains where I got mine. The only living thing I have gotten there was 3 or 4 pieces of live rock. I had the red planarian problem until I nuked mine with the quinsulex. Now Alamo has expanded and are carrying all kinds of pet stuff. Now the fish will probably get fleas! :-D

I am like you, I like to browse and see what I am going to buy first. San Antonio needs to have at least one decent store to shop at. I would even volunteer one day on the weekend to help out as long as I could get in on deals from time to time. I think it would be great for S.A. and a great way to learn more. It wouldn't have to be big or fancy.

Any thoughts Tim or Ray? Anyone know Roger at Aquatek very well? Maybe we could talk him into opening a small saltwater fish store here. Would have been nice if Aquarium Sales and Service just downsided to a smaller store with less overhead instead of closing completely. I think now that we have this great website, more people are becoming active and would help support them.

[captexas]

LOL :-D I like that idea. How about big posters of a tank with flatworms, bad algae problems, dying fish, apstasia, and such that say "This is your tank, This is your tank after shopping at other stores." Then show a nice healthy tank with happy fish and beautiful corals - "This is your tank after shopping with us!" LOL :-D

[TexasState]

>>Maybe we could talk him into opening a small saltwater fish store here.

Last I heard, Roger pay about $10 an hour. Coupled that with discounts, and other benefits, I wouldn't mind working there if I had lived close by.

[captexas]

Vihn - I actually know a guy that works there. I used to work with him back in 1990-92 and hadn't seen him since 1994. I went by the store on a Sunday at the beginning of this year and happened to run into him. He works there one or two days a week. Of course it's just to support his hobby! I think he has like 7 tanks! Working there you get dibs on the best stuff as soon as it arrives.

I'm with you, I wouldn't mind working there. With those kind of benefits, I'll even volunteer to clean the bathrooms! LOL :-D

[TexasState]

You mind telling me his name? Bryan? Bruce? I could be wrong, but I think there's a guy working there for store credits.

[captexas]

The guy I know is Bruce.

[Tim Marvin]

These stores are expensive to run. Unless you are moving a lot of livestock monthly it would not be worth our time doing it. I am not interested in rapeing our reefs for the average aquarist to kill. I am, however, very interested in doing propagation tanks. If the club is interested in doing that you need to get a group of people that are serious and they need to fund it monthly. A 600 gallon system will run you, a modest, $400 a month in maintenance cost. Then coral sales can make up about $200-$300 so you can still see a negative for about a year until you get enough brood stock to sell higher dollar, rare, corals. Then after a couple years, your earning potential could be sky high. For instance a dark blue acro frag can go for as high as $100 for a one inch frag. Orange ricordia is going for $20 per mushroom. You get the picture, and it will only get more expensive. If the market gets an over supply we can always contact the government about a reintroduction to devastated reefs, for repopulation in the wild.

[Tim Marvin]

I am actually in the process of propagating orange ricordia. I just made 5 more out of one the other day.

[savoy6]

how about a place to list what we have. What we can frag. And who to give it to for sale.

[DeletedAccount]

And we could all bring frags to the next meeting and do some swapping! :)

[Tim Marvin]

Frag swaps are a touchy thing. One guys treasure is anothers garbage. Joe Blow may bring in some really cool rare piece and there may not be a good trade for it. So what happens is someone will feel shorted, or end up going home with their own frag because nobody wanted it.
You could set value limits or parameters on the swap put everything in a box and draw numbers. Then each person can swap with someone else if they care to after the frags, or corals have been re-dispersed.

[DeletedAccount]

Maybe a swap is the wrong way to put it. We were talking about bringing things that we wanted to trade or sell to others in the group. Lots of us would like variety in our tanks and cannot afford to go buy more stuff, but we have lots of something we'd like to share. We also have lots of impulse buyers in the group that seem like they would take anything neat. Heck, better to get something neat from a friend than a LFS! It always seems more fun to see and then buy.

I know that at the last meeting some people wanted to start doing this. Is anyone still interested?

[Chris]

If we ever did a frag fest or something I like what the Austin group had for their propagation tank....


Propagation/Frag Tank Point Values

http://www.ausreefkeepers.com/PointChart.gif

[Tim Marvin]

I'm Game.

[swedige]

When I was in DFWMAS, people used to bring in frags for the a monthly raffle at the meetings. Money was used for club expenses(newsletters, etc.).

Alternatively, until we get a treasurer and complicate things, we could give raffle numbers to anyone who brought a frag, then drew for first pick, etc.

[Texreefer]

STOP IT!!!! :( i already want my tank back up an you guys are making it worse :-D count me i for whatever you do.. since i can't seem to stay away from here even though i don't have a tank

[TexasState]

Captexas,
Are you talking about Bruce Kelly?
If you have access privilege, here's his old reef tank picture here:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/austinreefkeepers/lst?.dir=/B.K.+photos&.src=gr&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/

Stuff you tend to accumulate from working at a fish store for a long time. :lol:

[captexas]

Vihn - yeppers, that's the Bruce I know. I figured you might know him as he was going to SWT also. Like I said earlier, I used to work with him years ago and ran into him by chance one Sunday at Aquatek. I hadn't seen him in a long time. I haven't been to his place to see his tanks, but he showed me the pics he keeps there at the store. I just talk to him on email every once in awhile, usually when I have a question about my saltwater tank! :-D That 140 is an awesome looking tank! :shock:

[Derek B]

What is everyone's take on Texas Tropical on Vance Jackson? :? I have been to Alamo once or twice in the past, but for good reason never returned. TX Tropical staff is somewhat knowledgeable and they sell healthy animals, although there are some unhealthy ones too. My experience with them has been good so far, but I don't buy a bunch of stuff from them. They have a good selection of frozen foods. Aquarium Sales had the most healthy livestock and knowledgeable staff, but prices were sky high. As you probably know, they are no longer in business.

Unfortunately, I think the problem is that the demand for this hobby in a city like SA is too low to support these LFS, which is why the pickings are slim and most go out of business. Honestly, of all of the people I have talked too who have been in the business, all have said that the margins are low, and thus, so is profitability.

[Derek B]

Josh, I have never bought equipment from them, so I can't relate to the problems you have had, but if you pick the livestock wisely, just as you would anywhere else, and don't impulse buy (like I do a lot of the time) they have some cool stuff. Anyways, I will have to go back to AS&S to compare once again.

[Derek B]

Man, Sorry to hear of all the bad luck. :( I bought a Clarki from them, but he got a swim bladder infection and died about 6 months after purchase. If you haven't been in awhile, it might be worth a try again. I need to go to AS&S sometime as it has been about 5 years since I last stepped foot in there. I have had decent luck with mail order, but it makes me nervous since it is such a PITA to send a DOA back and get a replacement.

Off the subject, you should see the Acro I got from you, it is really getting some purple tips. I think it is going to color up totally. Also, have you heard of Jim Norris? He is a clam guy in Austin (Roundrock actually/just North of Austin) with really nice stuff. Anyways, I was thinking about going up there next Saturday to get some DT's and maybe a clam :-D if you want to go? Maybe we could check out Tim's place on the way back?