I may be getting a job doing the freshwater section at my lfs. It isn't set up yet, but it will be much smaller than his saltwater section. I don't know how much space I'll have to work with, but I would make an uneducated guess of around 10 smaller tanks (10-20 gal, plus sumps) plus 2 or 3 large tanks. He plans to do one of the large tanks as discus, and one already has cichlids.
He likes to have stuff that big box stores don't have. We have both a Walmart and Petco nearby, so he can't really compete with them too much.
I want to help him stock the tanks with fish you can't buy at a big box, unusual species, you know. He doesn't want stuff like guppies and neon tetras.
I do have a few ideas, but I'd like input. I know a lot of you have experience in the business.
Okay, for my ideas first.
Something that seems to be popular right now are inverts. I want to have a nice selection of odd colored brigs (not just gold and brown), a variety of caridina and neocaridina shrimps, maybe some microcrabs when they are available, nerites....anything else?
Nano fish are also getting popular. Some microrasboras, microdanias and microtetras would be fun, as well as Scarlet Badis, pygmy cories, mini moth cats, and other small fish.
Brackish could be fun. Knight gobies, bumblebee gobies or mudskippers might be doable.
Some wild bettas would be cool, but those can be hard to get.
I know there are a lot of types of cories. What kind do big boxes usually not have?
White clouds are nice, and I never see those at big boxes, although I dont know why.
Some of the less common gouramis would be nice, like pearls and honey.
I NEVER see killifish at big boxes, so I'd LOVE to get some nice killis! I don't know why stores never have them. Are they really prone to dying or something?
Loaches are sweet. I'd love to get some banded kuhlis and yoyos. Any other loaches?
Bristleose Plecos!!!! NOT COMMON! Maybe bulldogs too. Also, a couple of the brightly colored guys.
Rainbowfish. He has bosemanis and threadfins, but I want some blue eyes.
Farowellas and Loricaria are unusual looking.
True rummynose tetras. Nothing looks nicer in a planted tank.
Emperor tetras, splash tetra, pencilfish.
I've heard Badis badis are fun.
I'd love to get an African Butterfly fish.
Celebes halfbeak looks neat.
Gotta have a few 'monster' fish of course. How about needlenose gars, ropefish, and fire eels?
Anyway, these are just my thoughts. Obviously, we'll want a nice variety. Some top, middle and bottom dwellers, a large range of sizes, schoolers and loners, etc.
He likes to have stuff that big box stores don't have. We have both a Walmart and Petco nearby, so he can't really compete with them too much.
I want to help him stock the tanks with fish you can't buy at a big box, unusual species, you know. He doesn't want stuff like guppies and neon tetras.
I do have a few ideas, but I'd like input. I know a lot of you have experience in the business.
Okay, for my ideas first.
Something that seems to be popular right now are inverts. I want to have a nice selection of odd colored brigs (not just gold and brown), a variety of caridina and neocaridina shrimps, maybe some microcrabs when they are available, nerites....anything else?
Nano fish are also getting popular. Some microrasboras, microdanias and microtetras would be fun, as well as Scarlet Badis, pygmy cories, mini moth cats, and other small fish.
Brackish could be fun. Knight gobies, bumblebee gobies or mudskippers might be doable.
Some wild bettas would be cool, but those can be hard to get.
I know there are a lot of types of cories. What kind do big boxes usually not have?
White clouds are nice, and I never see those at big boxes, although I dont know why.
Some of the less common gouramis would be nice, like pearls and honey.
I NEVER see killifish at big boxes, so I'd LOVE to get some nice killis! I don't know why stores never have them. Are they really prone to dying or something?
Loaches are sweet. I'd love to get some banded kuhlis and yoyos. Any other loaches?
Bristleose Plecos!!!! NOT COMMON! Maybe bulldogs too. Also, a couple of the brightly colored guys.
Rainbowfish. He has bosemanis and threadfins, but I want some blue eyes.
Farowellas and Loricaria are unusual looking.
True rummynose tetras. Nothing looks nicer in a planted tank.
Emperor tetras, splash tetra, pencilfish.
I've heard Badis badis are fun.
I'd love to get an African Butterfly fish.
Celebes halfbeak looks neat.
Gotta have a few 'monster' fish of course. How about needlenose gars, ropefish, and fire eels?
Anyway, these are just my thoughts. Obviously, we'll want a nice variety. Some top, middle and bottom dwellers, a large range of sizes, schoolers and loners, etc.
