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Keep in mind authmal sells RCS to the LFS at a whooping $2 a piece!! (which is twice the normal buying price! His LFS sells them for $5-7 so he gets more for them) So he gets his overpriced watered down ferts for free making it some what of a non issue. But if it was me I would be spending that store credit on other things (like plants or more supplies for even rarer shrimp! :)) and using a cheaper dosing method but hey that's me. :D Heck, I'd be thrilled if ANY of my LFSs took ANY trade ins though.
 
I'm just amazed that ya'll back east get RCS for a buck apiece. If you can find them at *any* LFS out here, you're looking at $5-7 each. They like when I bring RCS in, because mine are so much redder than their wholesaler's. That said, I haven't done it for a while, the tank I put most of them in crashed because I was dumb, and while the cycle has been reestablished, the population is still declining. Once I stop finding multiple dead RCS in a week, I'll start restocking that tank with the RCS that refused to be captured in my 55. In fact, I haven't seen a dead shrimp in that 10 since Saturday, so when I clean out my canister, I'll relocate the RCS (I know there will be, even if I'm not sure how they get past the prefilter sponge) that are in there to the new tank, and see what happens.

They'll take just about anything back, as long as they like the water quality and apparent health of the fish/plant. They quarantine everything, it seems. I've seen maybe as many as a dozen dead fish in their tanks in the past year and a half, and they only had one outbreak of ich, and the manager was *livid* and said he wasn't going to order from that particular wholesaler again. Granted, it was while quarantined, but still, it's a pain to have to treat for it.

I think I've spent $7 actually buying something at the LFS this year. I've gotten fish, plants, driftwood, substrate, heaters, and plants. Next project? I found some awesome LED lighting that's about $150. After that, it'll be stocking up store credit (which means I'll probably invest in some dry ferts at that time) for some red plants (they should show up nicely against my black background in the 55) to go along with bacopa (I forget which kind), java fern and peacock moss.
 
Sounds like you have a good LFS, we are not all so lucky. I would rather not be able to find something like RCS (easily breed and purchased online) in my LFS, gives me an opportunity to make money and build a relationship with my LFSs. But they are all pretty well stocked (except harder to breed and obtain species) even if most of them are sick, dead or diseased in some way.

Good lucky with your RCS issue and I promise to try not to call you too many mean names, jk. Very jealous of your LFS/trade in situation if you couldn't tell. :)
 
I don't blame you. I think I'm very fortunate in that. And they've already agreed to buy some clowns or banggai cardinals if I end up successfully breeding some after I get my saltwater tank set up. If my EBRs ever breed (I should try to get another opinion as to their genders, but one is noticeably more plump than the other), they'll take the juvies off my hands, too.
 
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