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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Price Ripoff

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30 Oct 2007 11:17 #1 by pearsonross (Ross Pearson)
Was out yesterday for a drive having a look around different pet/garden centres and bought some tonic salts for my tank in Newland Cross costing €2.99 and on the way home decided to drop in to the Johnstown Garden Centre where the same product, same make, same size, was €9.99 What the hell? Any Comments?

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30 Oct 2007 11:21 #2 by Didihno (Didihno)
Replied by Didihno (Didihno) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
Shops nearly always have different prices and its up to them what they sell stuff for, but €10 for salts is a bit high.
Still you bought the right one, so huzzah!

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30 Oct 2007 11:55 #3 by pearsonross (Ross Pearson)
Where is the Cheapest place for new tanks

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30 Oct 2007 13:10 #4 by ChrisM (ChrisM)
Replied by ChrisM (ChrisM) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
I would avoid buying a new tank.The price you can get a nearly new one for is amazing,look at what some tanks are sold for on this forum.

But there are a few shops that sell tanks cheaper than the rest..

www.petshoponline.ie
Petstop Blanchardstown
Kinsealy Pet Store (tanks cost price while sale lasts!)

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30 Oct 2007 16:19 #5 by TomNolan (Tommy Nolan)
Can't beat Petshoponline. A Rio 400 in a shop near me is €1050.

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30 Oct 2007 16:33 #6 by pearsonross (Ross Pearson)
good deals in Newlands at the moment

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30 Oct 2007 16:53 #7 by Pablo (Pablo -)
Replied by Pablo (Pablo -) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
I found Acuatic Village very good value for Juwel tanks....

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30 Oct 2007 18:53 #8 by NCDub (N Curran)
Replied by NCDub (N Curran) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
Hi All,
Only started in fish keeping recently, but am amazed at some of the price variations between the shops. Think the real lesson is that everyone really needs to shop around before making any big purchses. In a way it would help everyone if this happened, if people vote with their feet and avoided the more expensive shops, it might force them to lower prices or loose all their business.

NC

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01 Feb 2008 01:04 #9 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
I dont want to get into trouble again for mentioning a shop name, but while we're on the subject for shop prices.

I know this will not be a surprise but i find Wackers Pet Shop on Parnell street to be one of the most expensive shops I know. They have good deals on fish but their tank prices and fish consumables are a complete rip off. I went in looking for some Aquaplus and a tiny tiny bottle was 5 euro!!! HUH? So i went online and bought a 3 liter bottle for 30 euro. So much for shopping in local shops.

Also I swear by Petshoponline...THEY ARE FANTASTIC!!! The best prices around for tanks (half the price of many of the shops!) and tank ornaments.

If your looking for good equipment look no further than Zooplus.ie

So my three stores are: Aquatic Village without a doubt, petshoponline and zooplus.ie

But shops are very expensive so you really have to shop around!

(I cant comment on what the situation is in the new shop that Wackers opened on the long mile road...it is probalby amazing! :))

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01 Feb 2008 02:13 - 01 Feb 2008 02:21 #10 by serratus (Drew Latimer)
Hi, scorphonic, thanks for including us in that statement, (as the other two are mailorder!!) i understand the debate about shop prices, fare enough, but you are comparing mailorder stores with retail?? They have very little overheads(most trade from a garage!), so can charge less....great??? but large stores ( few above mentioned) have MASSIVE overheads, rent, staff etc.... So it is hard to compete,however i would like to think that most customers would like to get a personal service, buying livestock/drygoods,regarding price, we do try....
Last edit: 01 Feb 2008 02:21 by serratus (Drew Latimer).

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01 Feb 2008 09:43 #11 by hh5 (hh5)
Replied by hh5 (hh5) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
Tank prices here a rip off, I agree. I bought glas for my new tank from Germany. It was about half the price to buy it there and get it shipped over than buying the glas here. It's also considerably cheaper to buy large tanks abroad and get them shipped in. And I buy them from shops that have overheads as well. We are being ripped off here. I am not going to mention the name of the shop that sells a Fluval FX5 for over 400€. I can get that shipped in for 268€ incl.p&p. And that's from an ordinary shop as well.
Don't even get me started on Eheim filters. Here are a few examples of what is available:

Eheim 2324 (Thermo) 144.95+39.95 p@p
Eheim 2224 (3 year warranty) 88.90+15 p&p
Eheim professional II including original Eheim set of filter material 179+15p&P.

I could go on. If you are looking for any particular modell let me know and I see what I can come up with

All these come from ordinary shops and not garage operations as Drew calls them. If the shops don't tip us off, somebody else does

Holger

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01 Feb 2008 10:01 #12 by serratus (Drew Latimer)
Holger, i was not comparing foreign companies, it was Irish mailorder ones who have popped up in the last few years like mushrooms!!! Germany etc. have a massive population of fishkeepers, they have a much bigger market to sell to, plus EVERYTHING in Ireland is more expensive...

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01 Feb 2008 11:41 #13 by hh5 (hh5)
Replied by hh5 (hh5) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
Drew,
'everything in Ireland is more expensive'true but only because people are putting up with it. Once people will start voting with their wallet it might not be. Granted the fishkeeping population on the continent is bigger but a manufacturer like Eheim does not produce a different filter for the Irish market than for the German one. The only difference is the plug and that surely does not explain the difference in price. So that argument is a bit dodgy to say the least. Moreover, there are considerably more petshops per capita back on the continent. The way I look at it is that the competition is bigger and not the market smaller. Rather the opposite, less customers per shop.

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01 Feb 2008 13:14 #14 by darragh (Darragh Sherwin)
Holger,

While most dry goods maybe cheaper on the continent, it also means if the equipment breaks down you have to spend it back to the continent.
If I was buying a big filter, I'd prefer to buy it locally, so if it does fail, I can always bring it back the same or next day to the place of purchase and get it replaced.
If I bought it off a mail order company or from the continent, it could be several days without a filter for tank waiting for a replacement.
The volumes Irish retailers are buying, probably doesn't compare to what continental retailers are buying and maybe irish retailers are not getting as a big a discount from the manufacturers and suppliers when it comes to bulk discounts.
We also have a 21% VAT on goods which is probably higher than sale tax in Germany or France.
Also there is the cost of transporting the goods here which probably all in all makes it for at least 50% of difference between prices in irish retailers and retailers on the continent.


Darragh

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01 Feb 2008 13:16 #15 by darragh (Darragh Sherwin)
BTW, this thread does not belong in the Product Review section.
It's been moved now

Darragh

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01 Feb 2008 14:41 #16 by ChrisM (ChrisM)
Replied by ChrisM (ChrisM) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
Good answer.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.You get these goods cheaper for a damn good reason.If you run into problems you are screwed.

It is a double edged sword here in Ireland,it feels like we are being ripped off and we are,but not by the people we think are doing it.In business terms we are a small fry really when compared to England (London,Manchester),Germany (Berlin, Munich) and America.

Retailers get stuff in such small scale they dont get cheaper rates from the manufacturers.By the time local retailers add on their fees it is freak out time!All in all it is a risk to buy online but nothing great comes without great risk?

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01 Feb 2008 14:46 #17 by hh5 (hh5)
Replied by hh5 (hh5) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
I had to replace the propeller in my powerhead once because I dropped it and had an replacement part within 4 days shipped in. I rang around in Ireland and the best offer I got was a week to get the part in.
Just goes to show. At the prices you pay in Ireland you can almost afford to order two filters from abroad and have a spare....

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01 Feb 2008 15:53 #18 by Didihno (Didihno)
Replied by Didihno (Didihno) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
It goes both ways though.
Personally I refuse to buy hardware in an LFS, by the same token I refuse to buy livestock anywhere BUT an LFS.
Sure the fish can be got cheaper online, but I prefer to see the animals I'm buying.
I reckon as long as I keep buying fish/food in LFS's I'm doing my bit to keep them going.

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01 Feb 2008 18:11 - 01 Feb 2008 18:19 #19 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton)
Absolutely right serratus, only your shop prices are way way lower than all the other retail shops i know...and thats not comparing to the online stores. i know that petshoponline are a family run business but since the thread is about price ripoff, I just felt like sharing my experiences on the matter. My point was that the only store i would now buy fish or equipment off was Aquatic Village because of the price and the staff help...which is top notch.

When i want to buy something for my motorbike, i'll go to the largest bike shop in ireland which is in dublin, try on the clothes/look at the products and then I'll buy online knowing the exact size to order. I'll do the very same when it comes to equipment. Consider this: I bought an external filter online for 80 euro, here in ireland its 160. Why on earth would i want to pay double the price??

Heaters are another thing, you buy them online at such a good price. But I'll never buy fish online, i'll only ever buy them in Aquatic Village as I've had seriously bad experiences with fish bought in other stores!
Last edit: 01 Feb 2008 18:19 by scorphonic (Kieran Crosbie Staunton).

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01 Feb 2008 20:32 #20 by nonie (leonie troy)
Replied by nonie (leonie troy) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
Hi, I have been keeping fish for years but only had small tanks I was upgrading recently and needed new equiptment and stumbled across this site. I think is very reasonable (alot cheaper then other places) www.aquatics-kingdoms.com

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02 Feb 2008 20:57 #21 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
for tanks and fish and equipment always reasonably priced in aquapaws in barna,get in contact with Gavin or Peter This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., try them their great
Seamus

Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild

currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick

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03 Feb 2008 01:50 #22 by KenS (Ken Simpson)
Replied by KenS (Ken Simpson) on topic Re:Price Ripoff
I buy some stuff online, but am always aware of the good service that the majority of our LFS give. They order in small quantities and have higher overheads so can't compete with the mainland Europe online shops. I'd hate to see a situation where we have little or no LFS in Ireland.

We're possibly being ripped in the minority of cases, but I can't agree that it's the norm.

Regards,

Ken.

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07 Jul 2008 08:28 #23 by BJHillson (Brett Hillson)
Sorry for opening this can of worms again, I just wanted to add my 2 cents into the mix. I was looking at getting a Hydor ETH 300 external heater, I had a look online at some prices but could only see uk dealers that stocked this, after contacting a few f thm and getting prices I was looking at 45 sterling plus 10 for postage. I thought I would try my LFS (45 mins away) as I know they stocked Hydor products and thought they may be able to order me on in. After looking it up in there book and playing around with a calculator he come up with 80 euro. In the end I gave up as this is just way to much to pay for a heater. I then noticed a web site that was recomended on this site (may of even been in this thread) and was having a pock around at prices and stock and low a behold i noticed the heater and it was priced at 45 euro the 15 for delivery so 60 euro. So by shopping around you do get better prices 20 euro difference could be spent on more fish or fish food, but in some cases it can be hard to find these little gems, so far I have only found 2 good prices web site that deliver to Ireland which have good stock (for dry goods).

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07 Jul 2008 08:33 #24 by BJHillson (Brett Hillson)
Sorry to add one more, the other good thing about shopping around o the net is I also found something very interesting, I purchased a internal Uv steraliser from ebay 3 months ago, altough its very good the thing is massive looks ugly and isnt the best tdesiagned thing in the world. But i found this JBJ Submariner 7w UV Internal Filter which is a UV steraliser/clarifier with a built in filter, this will deffently be put on my future shopping list and it wasnt to expensive at 85 euro.

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