Aquarium Co-Op a new store in the making.....

So some of you have noticed the new sponsor store. Aquarium Co-Op. That would be and my old name on here was Cory. I managed Conway Tropical Fish for the last 5 years and am now in the process of setting up my own store. I plan to share lots of information and pics about starting a local fish store. As many people have the dream, but don't realize all the elements that go into it.

The Goal: To open a fish store that utilizes local fish breeders and provides an eco friendly product to customers. This includes but is not limited too, locally bred fish, bulk foods, fish breeding supplies, refillable containers of meds, water conditioners etc.

Target Grand Opening: April 1st. To make sure I am open and ready for pond season.
Soft Open date: Mid Febuary to March 1st. This means open but not finished.

What I've done so far: Is a running cost total helpful?
Bought some fish tanks and racks from an Angel Breeder: $700
Bought Ez Aquarium. Contained over 50 tanks, security system, small air blower, sponge filters. $800
Renting 2 storage units and a cargo container. $130 a month
Filed for an LLC in the name of Aquarium Co-Op. $225
Filed for a resellers permit.
Made a facebook and got at least 30 likes to ensure I have [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Free
Bought the domain [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] $10
Started communication with a branding and design firm. Website waits until colors and logos established. Pro bono! Thanks!
Bought and configured a point of sale system. $500
Had Business Cards Made. $50
Location scouting - Still ongoing. 2 Potential locations so far. Both in Everett. Lots of time.
Bought a label maker on sale $25
Bought a scanner for documents: $50
Sponsored WaFishBox: $30
Bought a rolling cart to catch fish on: $60
Bought an impulse sealer for sealing breather bags: $40
Label printer for shipping labels: $100
Got test samples from Ecoxotic LED lighting. Free
Bought t5 lighting to test PAR reading also $40
Bought shop light fixture to read PAR also $20

Here you can see some of the tanks in storage. Some were bought at a petco $1 a gallon sale(this is cheaper than wholesale). If you look closely you can see some custom painted backgrounds done by an artist I'm testing out. Might have custom backgrounds on every tank.
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I'm sure theres 200 things I've forgotten to post about what has been done so far. But I'll update as I think of them and hopefully grab more pictures for you guys.

I really like your idea! Best of luck getting up and running. I will have to drive north this summer to check it out!

Couple months ago we talked on the phone. I ran up to Conway to check out some Half beaks only to find out YOU took them all home to nurse (they were sick or under fed or something).
Interesting LFS. I found an Asian leaf fish and brought it home.

I'd be interested in your grand opening and looking for a decent LFS that's close. I hope you start a location in the Everett area!

Chad

Not a whole lot done today. Setup a wholesale account for Plecocaves.com and will be doing my first order soon.

I also have catappa leaves in stock now for all your tannin/shrimp needs

this sounds so awesome!!!!
cant wait^_^ will this be run just out of the storage units or are you going to have a location?

Oh no, it'll have a location Hundreds of tanks plumbed for automatic water changes etc I'm just bringing in some products early to start developing a relationship with many of you.

..awesome..I have some things we have been working on breeding ^_^ if your interested

will it be a GSAS sponsor?

So let me ask the people this. What do you think is a fair price for Assassin Snails and Amano shrimp?

What prices do you pay now and what prices do you think are fair for them? I am likely visiting a wholesaler next week and bringing some back. I'm interested to see where the sweet spot is for most people.

Obviously everyone always wants to pay the least for any item. However there comes a point where theres not enough profit on the table to keep someone in business to provide said item.

I'm hoping to keep in stock some of the bread and butter helpers for freshwater while setting up the store, like assassins, amano shrimp, nerite snails etc.

I will definitely be a GSAS sponsor store. I just can't apply until I have a physical location.

The store will offer a 10% discount to members.

Good luck to you Cory, so are you still at Conway fish or done? Would also be curious to know who will take your place there as I see you there more than the owner?

I will have some 15 plus Tropheus Bembas available once I get my 240 going. Feb/March or so. Will you be interested at all?

I no longer work at Conway. I'm Full time Aquarium Co-Op now I'm not suer who will be replacing me as I gave 3 months notice and when I had left he still hadn't attempted to find a replacement yet.

As for the Bembas, possibly, just depends on the price and tank space available etc. Hard to predict

Very cool! I know some of the poeple in the area have very high quality fish that they are breeding. When you can buy local and eliminate the long shipping time and cost, you can offer a lot nicer fish that was less stressed for a much better price.

DMD123 wrote:Very cool! I know some of the poeple in the area have very high quality fish that they are breeding. When you can buy local and eliminate the long shipping time and cost, you can offer a lot nicer fish that was less stressed for a much better price.

Actually locally bred fish tend to be more expensive. Labor + shipping is usually cheaper for every fish than American Labor . For instance wholesale, male bettas are 22 cents each... The amount of work that goes into making that betta, costs a lot more than 22 cents in the USA.

But you're absolutely right. I'll be able to offer my customer a better fish that is healthier. It will on average cost a bit more.

10 Gallon tanks with Economy tops look as good as I expected lined up on end. What do you guys think? On end being able to house twice as many different species of fish? Or long ways so you can see the fish better?

Pic with the garage door open.
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This pic is with the door closed. Much closer to how they'd look in store.
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Last pic is the normal way of viewing the 10 gallon for comparison.
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Im super excited will you take trade ins for store credit?

Yeah assuming it's something I want to sell in my store. Large plecos, most large south americans etc won't be able to be traded in. But I do plan on giving credit/cash for fish.

I like the idea of them being on end, as long as the stock in the tanks aren't of several species. If you carry just a couple species in each tank, that would make shopping for them much easier.

What are your intentions as to stocking quantities in each tank?

Each tank is poised to be single species only. With automatic water changes going on, the stocking density can be relatively high in a small footprint. I'm guessing like up to 50 neons per 10 gallons etc.

But when you run a fish store what you'll find is the problem is. What do you do with 2 pairs of apistos and 3 different strains of them? They each need their own tank. 10g, 20g, 55g, would all house the 4 fish... But you're paying for square footage every month.

The goal of this store is to be different. Most stores don't carry a ton of apistos, killifish, bettas, etc. Cause these are all species that need to be seperated in general.

To use an example, a 40 gallon that houses angelfish, corydoras, and tetras, could be housed in 3 10 gallons all seperate and it would take up the same floor space. Also when it comes time to bring in new fish cause you sold out of the tetras, you don't chance getting the angel fish and corydoras sick by putting them into the 40g... etc.

On top of that, if you need 100 neon tetras to get the store through the week. You are better off putting 50 in each 10 gallon, than putting 100 into a 20 gallon. As if they get sick a lot of times you can save 1 half while not the other etc . Depends where the sickest fish went that started the domino effect etc.

Also with the same neon tetras. You could sell out of one tank one week. The other tank is quarantine. So that your fish would alwyas be in for at least a week on bread and butter stuff etc.

That is exactly what I was thinking and wanted to hear.

So whats taking so long?

Cant wait Cory.

I think what's taking so long is doing EVERYTHING different than a normal store. We're redesigning about every aspect. Planning to this point has been over a year. I could literally slap a store together tomorrow.

You'd walk in and just say yep, it's another fish store. I want you to come in, and realize this is the only fish store you'll ever need to come back too. Now for you Madness that might not happen, as your line of fish is about the oposite of what makes sense for a store. However I would hope I can take care of your dry good needs without having to shop online to get a good price.

As well as tracking stuff down for you. It's not hard to order in a random fish and have it sit in a 10 gallon. It is a pain for most store to order in a fish and mix it in with something else... Always the possibility of illness, fighting etc.

Sometimes it's hard to sleep thinking about the options I have.. A bank of 20 tanks. Each one has a different type of pleco in it.. etc.

Current layout with 10 gallons lets me have tanks stacked 4 high.. which most stores can only do 3 since they're using 20gs. So with tanks on end. I can fit TWENTY 10 gallon tanks. Where they put 6 20 gallon tanks.

No saltwater I'm guessing.

Nope, sorry it will be a freshwater specialty store.

Aquarium Co-Op wrote:It is a pain for most store to order in a fish and mix it in with something else... Always the possibility of illness, fighting etc.

I really like your idea of more tanks, and being able to separate out the different fish.

Thats the type of store most of us on here want and can never find! awesome

Just ordered pleco and apisto caves. Should be here in a couple of days. Once they're here I'll take pictures and post them to the sponsor forum.

While talking to a breeder yesterday, I came up with a statement I think will be true to my store almost always.

"I'm only interested in aquarium fish that can potentially live in a planted tank." I think that will hold true, as most of the things I'm avoiding from the store will be big, aggressive, excessive plant eaters etc.

My first fish shipment came in yesterday.

Can be viewed here. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Pleco and cichlid cave order is in!

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so cory i hear you may have some bread and butter species up for sale soon. just curious as im after some cories (not sure which species yet) and some glass catfish. perhaps even a neat pleco idk tho. anyways get back to me if this is doable for ya. thanks and have a great day

I've got glass cats in stock and panda and sterbai corydoras. Just let me know what you're looking for and I can probably track it down. Check out my sponsor forum for what else I have in stock.

I just jumped on after a being gone for over a year and I see Cory moving on from Conway. Good luck to you sir. Once you have your storefront I will be sure to pay a visit.

Thanks Spent most of the day in emails and searching retail locations.

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I live in north Everett can't wait. If you need a helping hand I haves a full size truck with full size bed. Your living my dream can't wait to have a store close.

Checked out a location in Edmonds yesterday. Looked VERY good. With luck I will sign a lease there. But I continue looking at other spots as well as you never know what opens up all the time.

Also on Friday, I'll be at the grand opening of Oceans by Design in Tukwila. Come check out this new store. It's saltwater only, but they make custom aquariums! You can also say hi to me as I'll be hanging out meeting people while I'm down there.

Found a new location that is absolutely perfect. Tomorrow we will see if we can work out the terms and sign something.

As for costs. Spent another $8 today printing my own credit score to have on file forlease negotiations.

Awesome!!!!

Hope you get it!

Any chance of carrying ADA products. Seems like its kind of tough getting aquasoil around here...

Got another walk through and now the meeting is rescheduled to Tuesday. Was sitting outside counting cars in the parking lot etc today.

Got the insurance quote today. About $50 a month. Not bad.

I've got the keys to the new Aquarium Co-Op space.

9661 Firdale Avenue
Edmonds, WA 98020

WOOT!!!!!!

Congrats!

YAY!

Does this mean I'll be buying shrimps and guppies from you in January at your new store?

Most like be buying them Feb 1st. Depends on if I can get my plumber and electrician in there during the holidays...

NeatO. I make deliveries in that area every Tuesday. There is a mini mart right there with small stores on the back side. Are you in there?

Yep. Next to the tattoo shop.

Sweet! Looks like I'll have a new lunch stop place on my Edmonds route.

Ssooooo when is opening day ^_^