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Is the hobby shrinking in Houston? (1 Viewer)

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GotFrogs

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I recently set up a new tank and did a round tour of LFS in town looking for some live stock for it. I was really disappointed to see that most of the stores had very limited livestock and or had significantly reduced the number of tanks in their store that are dedicated to saltwater. ADG was really the only store with a decent selection of corals and fish. I live on the south side of town but may need to expand my range to reach some other stores.

Have others noticed this decline?
 

Erin

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I know several stores have experienced recent delays in shipping from their suppliers due to the weather, but not sure if that is still an issue.
 

Cody

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The reefing industry is changing but there are still good stores around town. You live on the southside so you don't have all the stores close to you. Online is really putting a lot of pressure on the LFSs considering the overhead for online is much less. However, there is value in the LFS. Amazon or BRS can't get it to you the same day, plus you get to see what you're purchasing on the spot with your own eyes. It's a delicate balance and I'm not sure how local brick and mortar stores fare in the future for smaller, more boutique industries, and not just our industry. I personally buy local whenever I can, but sometimes you just gotta buy online.
 

reeftopia

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BB suffered some large losses last yr due to a power failure Last time I was there he was still restocking. Its been several month
I do need to run by there soon. Personally I could see that there may be a decline going on. The ban in Hawaii and sky high shipping prices
have had to had an effect on customers not buying at all or even not going for a bigger tank.
 

Erin

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I think there's a big difference between having less retail options and the overall hobby shrinking.

As we know, this hobby is a "luxury", so financial setbacks will always have an impact (COVID, inflation, etc, etc...)

With so many local reefers (relatively speaking given the size of the greater Houston area), I doubt that Houston has seen a bigger change in the number of hobbyists than any other community. We just may need to look to each other for new purchases/trades when the retail options are insufficient, for whatever reason.
 

BigRick

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And some retired after many many hard years like Paul.... can't believe Q is a chef...
 

thangbom4321

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I'm just getting back into the hobby but I don't think it's shrinking. I think it's more robust than what I started with years and years ago. Prices for livestock such as fish and inverts are higher than the old days but coral availability and selection is a lot more available and cheaper with the ## of fellow hobbiest out there.

Fish stores are a hit and miss imo. They have a lot to compete with and cost of operation is high. Someone buying a fish that then dies in 2 days makes the store look bad or they take the loss and replace the specimen at a reduced price or free.

I think they make more fragging colonies and selling frags than they do livestock. They take less real-estate, have consistent supply, and they are more predictable (hardiness, growth, compatability, ect).
 
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