Fall
2001
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Fall 2001 |
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IN THIS
ISSUE ARTICLES FEATURES AMDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible marine aquarium keeping as an entertaining, educational, and worthwhile leisure time activity. All submissions for quarterly
newsletter are welcome - please contact the Mary Middlebrook, Editor as follows: _________________________ Incoming
Tide Artistic Aquatics - Lawrence,
KS
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MACNA XIII MACNA XIII has come and gone and with its passing comes a time for reflection. One of our board members recently told me he was disappointed that there was not more on fish husbandry at the conference, and that all of the talks were focused on reefs and reef organisms. That made me reflect all the more, and the conclusion I came away with, is that is exactly where the conference should have been focused. In no other area of our pet industry is there such a shifting of conditions of natural environments, and we are beginning to hear with an alarming frequency that more and more reefs are going down or are being compromised. It doesn't take a genius to know who the culprit is, or to grasp what some of the major reasons are: global warming, overgrazing or misuse of lands near reefs causing over-siltation, overfishing on some reefs (sometimes with very inappropriate methods) and so on. So where does that leave us? Are we part of the pollution or part of the solution? Are our stores helping to bring awareness to this growing crisis, or are we simply people who want to make a living and don't want to think of our actions and their consequences. The answer was at the conference...in the opening speech by Dr. J.E.N. (Charles) Veron, chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the one scientist who can literally claim to have studied all of the major and most of the minor reef systems worldwide. I was so excited when I heard him go over the same premise that we as an organization spoke about in February, in a letter given to the US Coral Reef Task Force. He spoke of diving on all sorts of reefs and seeing a wide range of differences in regard to the health of these reefs. He saw reefs that were remote and yet decimated. He saw reefs that were being destroyed by unscrupulous fishermen (using dynamite). He also saw reefs that were in good to excellent shape. What he came away with in these visits is that the single most important thing that we as humanity can do for these reefs is to give the natives living on or near them a reason to want to protect and nurture them. He said that we in the audience have a tremendous chance to help foster this type of native conservation by giving those natives a reason to want to make a living off the reefs and in doing so, to protect them. Sustainable harvesting by our industry is and will be one of the single most important factors in helping the natives to conserve or manage their reefs. Above and beyond this, there is also the need to make sure that these enterprises that do exist or may be formed really help the natives, not exploit them. We are not talking about big businesses coming in and hiring local natives and paying them a fraction of what their time is worth so that the corporation can make all of the profit. No, we are talking about natives forming their own co-ops and companies, and finding ways to have their products reach us -- the consumers in the U.S. -- so that the reefs, the natives and we with our hobby all profit and share in the joy of conserving these unique environments. To give you an example, Mary Middlebrook, one of our board members, announced at our board meeting that she is setting up just such a co-op with native Fijians and her company (Marine Specialties Intl) and that she will be offering discounts to AMDA members for these reef organisms once they are available and coming into the U.S. Although some may worry that this sounds like Mary may be using AMDA to further her own business' bottom line, I know this to be absolutely false. Mary is very concerned about the ethics of this entire program, and she has and continues to work to ensure that the profits from this enterprise will mainly benefit the Fijians. They will make the most per pound on the rock and other items that are to be imported and that is very important to Mary and to us at AMDA. It is the only way to insure that the natives living on these reefs will be motivated to want to preserve these reefs for their children and grandchildren, for they make an honest living on them (not the same small percentage that others make on other reefs, leaving them feeling disenfranchised and not in control). Mary will be telling us more about this program, both in upcoming newsletters and via our members board and our website. For now, she is actively working on a pilot program to work out any shipping and handling bugs. Mary's operation is somewhat rare, but with the help of the MAC and IMA and other concerned organizations, these types of programs will become more common. So please follow these leads and help support these types of commercial operations. We can all be part of the solution if we are careful in choosing where we buy our live goods. ~ |
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Western Marine Conference Highlights II My favorite workshop at the WMC was led by Eric Borneman, complete with a Julia Childs cooking apron. Eric led us in a discussion and demonstration of how to prepare one's own fish food diet, complete with a variety of foods he had purchased locally and with his trusty traveling blender. Initially we shared what we each use for ingredients for our own food diet preparations, and I was surprised to learn that I may not need to add my gel base to my own concoctions. Once we had tabulated a rather lengthy list of ingredients, Eric began to add his local purchases to a bowl and then blended it up to a thick, pasty puree that will freeze rather nicely (in any size allotment one would need to use for daily feedings). He shared that he really only has to do this task once every two to three months. Some stores might want to try this out, for they would have a ready market with some of their customers. Some of the items Eric added to make his fish meal were as follows: fresh fish (including heads - remember the Bass-o-Matic?), roe or fish eggs (he used flying fish roe), oysters (loaded with a wide variety of antibacterial chemicals due to their lives in brackish waters), squid, shrimp (with heads and shell), brine shrimp, Super Selco, Vibragro (lots of pigments), beta meal (high in pigment complexes) DT's Phytoplankton (variety of algaes to give different sizes for food capture), marine flake for bulk, algae (dulse from Asian market, high in iodine and arami and nori), Tahitian Blend (various sizes), golden pearls (high in nutritional content so only use a little) and golden pearls larval diet for artemia (or brine shrimp). Eric started with the whole foods, blended them down to a chunky texture, added his sea weeds, and then the processed fish foods, flake foods and dulce. This was all blended together into a thick soupy mixture which was ready for feeding or freezing. He did give us two final precautions and one was not to mix in any tank water with the concoction before freezing and feeding, or one may well encounter bacterial blooms in his or her tank once the diet is fed to the tank. The second was to wash your hands real well when touching live corals, as they are loaded with lots of very bad bacteria. ~ |
Promote AMDA... There was a letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal on July 6, 2001 from Mary Jo Brooks of Ridgeland, Miss. An excerpt of which read as follows: "...Enough with the aquariums. Keeping sea animals in tanks is just cruel. It is staggering to read of the aquarium visitors who complained of claustrophobia while never making the connection to how the animals confined in those tiny, horrid tanks must feel. Not only are the spaces cramped, the chemicals required to keep such small, confined tanks of water "clear" for better viewing are noxious and often deadly to the marine life..." Wow, talk about bad press for our industry! How many other people out there share Ms. Brooks' view? It's easy to be a sensationalist and get attention. It's a little harder to dispel false rumors, but this can be done through education, which is a responsibility of all AMDA members. I know we are extremely busy plying our trade, but fortunately, there are some easy ways that YOU, the AMDA member, can help spread the word about what a pleasurable hobby we promote and what great pains we take to ensure the health and well-being of the animals involved. Here's the short list of how you can easily encourage public awareness:
It is up to us to determine the fate of our industry. You have already concluded that becoming an AMDA member was in your best interest. Help spread the word to the rest of the world as to why your decision was so important. Use the four easy steps listed above to help people like Mary Jo Brooks become enlightened. I'm sure you will find it well worth the effort. ~ DID YOU KNOW??? Many hobbyists
are propagating corals in their tanks and need an outlet for their frags.
Take advantage of this! You’ll have aquacultured corals and show support
for your customers. Put a sign up in your shop stating what kind of frags
you’re interested in -- you’ll be amazed at the response! |
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GONIOPORA Written for AMDA by Dana Riddle |
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Recent articles by noted aquarists such as Julian Sprung and Rob Toonen prompted me to reexamine my collection of research papers and personal research notes and experiences for clues in successful captive maintenance of Goniopora corals. Many Goniopora species are easily identified by hobbyists - hundreds of stalked polyps arise from a rounded skeleton and the common name “Flower Pot” coral is quite apt. Their rather unique appearance attracts beginning hobbyists but their dismal survival rate in captivity makes most advanced aquarists shy away from keeping them. This short article will examine data gathered by researchers and suggest strategies for those interested in keeping these corals. Healthy Goniopora specimens contain symbiotic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae. Many writers have attributed zooxanthellae with some amazing properties. Chief among these is the erroneous assumption that zooxanthellae (or their translocated by-products) fulfill corals’ nutritional requirements. In truth, this is not the case, however, zooxanthellae do provide some nutritional products to the host coral. Before exploring these specific nutritive substances, we should examine the role of zooxanthellae and their role in providing carbon to the coral animal. The Carbon Budget Organic carbon is the key substance of all life on earth. To this end, photosynthesis is the single most important biochemical process - photosynthesis converts inorganic carbon (carbon dioxide) to organic carbon. The misconception that zooxanthellae and their byproducts meet the nutritional needs of corals arises from something called the carbon budget. Carbon Budgets are much like a monetary budget - if zooxanthellae “deposit” more carbon into the coral than is utilized, there will be a positive carbon budget. By the same token, a coral using more carbon than supplied by zooxanthellae will show a carbon deficit and will have to feed. |
Photosynthesis - Coral Metabolism Sorokin (1981) calculated Carbon Budgets for many corals. Let’s look at his calculation for a stony coral generally considered as “easy” to maintain in captivity - Pocillopora damicornis. Photosynthesis by this coral’s zooxanthellae produces 220 micrograms of carbon per day. The metabolic requirement of this Pocillopora required 160 micrograms/carbon/day. Growth required another 86 micrograms. Thus, we subtract the sum of metabolic and growth requirements (246) from that produced by zooxanthellae photosynthesis (220) - we have a deficit of 26 micrograms carbon. This Pocillopora obtains 253 micrograms of carbon through feeding. There is a surplus of carbon (227 micrograms) - this carbon is shed as mucus, or may go into a “carbon account” for reproduction. Sorokin also examined a Goniopora specimen and found: Photosynthesis (110 micrograms/carbon/day) - Metabolism (92 micrograms) - Growth (50 micrograms) + Feeding (66 micrograms) = 34 microgram carbon surplus (compare this to the 227 microgram surplus seem in the Pocillopora coral). Obviously, there is a very small surplus of carbon in this Goniopora. Any interruption of photosynthesis will likely cause a carbon imbalance, resulting in no growth. In extreme cases (unfortunately, the general rule with Goniopora corals) the animal slowly digests its own tissues in order to survive and negative growth is seen as it wastes away. |
The question begs asking - “What did Sorokin feed the corals used in the experiments?" Easy enough to answer - dissolved organic matter (DOM), bacteria and brine shrimp (Artemia) nauplii. Interestingly, the Goniopora specimen assimilated very little of these foods as opposed to the Pocillopora. This strongly suggests Sorokin used the wrong food for the Goniopora. Fatty Acids as Dietary Tracers While various authors have speculated about Goniopora specimens dietary requirements, relatively little research has been conducted. Fortunately, there are a couple of papers of interest. Meyers (1979) sought an explanation for anomalous fatty acids (FAs) found in coral tissues and speculated certain fatty acids could act as indicators of dietary intake. Specifically, he believed long-chain fatty acids (such as unsaturated 22 carbon-chain lengths) would indicate assimilation of crustacean (copepod) fatty acids. Patton et al. (198) analyzed FAs in a Goniopora specimen. Pocillopora contains 5 milligrams FA per gram of dry coral tissue weight, while the Goniopora contains over 8 times that amount - 43 mg/g/dry tissue. Also note the difference in the unsaturated long-chain 22 carbon fatty (denoted as “22:U”). This suggests that the Pocillopora actively ingests and digests copepods or other zooplankton and the Goniopora specimen does not. So, where would the Goniopora obtain these high amounts of FAs? Recall that Sorokin demonstrated that Goniopora needed to feed to keep a positive carbon budget. The fatty acid profile obtained by Patton et al. suggests algae as the food source. This is not a particularly new concept, however, the results of these two studies make us realize the quantity of food required by Goniopora specimens. (For brevity sake, I’ll not delve further into peripheral research, but will be happy to discuss these via email with those interested. Some research has been conducted on fatty acid contributions from zooxanthellae to corals, etc. and is the basis for the following hypothesis). |
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Animals can not make certain fatty acids, thus these FAs are considered essential - a prime example are the unsaturated FAs 18:2 and 18:3. Note that in a comparison of the Goniopora and Pocillopora specimens’ FAs that Goniopora contain 10 times the amount of the essential FAs 18:2 and 18:3. Veron (1986) suggests Goniopora feeds on detrital particles; Faust and Gulledge (1996) report detritus contains, among other life forms, algal cells. Since Goniopora specimens are often found in turbid waters, it seems detritus and its algae would be a perfect food source. Protein skimming effectively removes microalgae and detritus. | |
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GONIOPORA
by Dana Riddle (CONT'D)
Recommendations It seems that the typical “Berlin” reef tank offers an unsuitable environment for Goniopora corals. Efficient protein skimming likely removes naturally occurring food particles. However, certain components of the “Berlin Method” are probably essential. Lighting should be sufficient to promote photosynthesis, of course (VHOs or metal halide lamps are recommended). Bicarbonates are known to supply inorganic carbon to photosynthesis and Patton et al. demonstrated bicarbonates are quickly incorporated into zooxanthellae- and coral-produced lipid. Maintain elevated alkalinity (~10 dKH). The tightly branched tentacles obstruct water motion and strong water movement should periodically flush stagnant water from the coral’s interstitial spaces - this will also supply “fresh” water containing bicarbonates. Situate Goniopora corals on a sand bed. This will accomplish two things - the coral rests on a soft substrate and the risk of potentially injurious falls is greatly reduced; the sand bed will also as a refugium for detrital growths. Occasional stirring of the sand bed may introduce beneficial foods - therefore avoid “over-skimming.” If the aquarist wishes to add microalgae as a food source to the aquarium, consider varying the algae species. Dunstan et al. (1992) found algae of the Class Prasinophyceae (which includes Tetraselmis species) are potentially more nutritious than some genera of Class Chlorophyceae. Use either prepared “paste” algae or green water cultures. An occasional feeding of brine shrimp may also be appreciated (especially if the nauplii are fed “green water” prior to being fed to Goniopora specimens). Artemia nauplii are most nutritious just hours after hatching. They quickly lose certain amino acids. Those successful with Goniopora specimens will likely be hobbyists willing to dedicate an aquarium to them. Keep good notes and share your experiences - either good or bad. The more knowledge we have, the sooner the successful maintenance of these corals will become a routine reality. ~ |
References: Dunstan, G., J. Volkman, S. Jeffrey and S. Barrett, 1992. Biochemical composition from the green algal classes Chlorophyceae and Prasinophyceae. II. Lipid classes and fatty acids. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 161(1):115-134. (Abstract). Faust, M.A. and R.A. Gulledge. 1996. Associations of microalgae and meiofauna in floating detritus at a mangrove island, Twin Cays, Belize. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 197: 159-175. Meyers, P.A., 1979. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in coral: indicators of nutritional sources. Mar. Biol. Letters, 1:69-75. Patton, J.S., J.F. Battey, M.W. Rigler, J.W. Porter, C.C. Black and J.E. Burris, 1983. A comparison of the metabolism of bicarbonate 14C and acetate 1-14C and the variability of species lipid compositions in reef corals. Mar. Biol., 75:121-130. Sorokin, Y., 1981. Aspects of the biomass, feeding and metabolism of common corals of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Proc. 4th Int. Coral Reef Symp., Manila. 2: 27-31. Veron, J., 1986. Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 664 pp. DID YOU KNOW??? Certain Mushrooms, especially Ricordea sp. can be deadly to other corals that they come into contact with- even Hydnophora! Make sure you leave some space between them and your other corals. |
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Backer's 35th Annual Pet
Industry October
12-14 See www.hhbacker.com for more info |
November 26-December 1 |
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Copper: The
Sure Cure for Saltwater "Ich" -- Part 1 by Jim Kostich |
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It seems that new wonder cures for saltwater "ich" appear at least annually, to mixed reviews from both experts and hobbyists alike. While it is certainly hoped that one or more of these modern treatments will prove to be safe and effective, and simple to use as well, for now the treatment of choice appears to continue to be one that's been with us since the hobby's infancy: copper. To better appreciate why this is so, it's necessary to understand a bit about the disease itself. The life cycle of the parasite Cryptocaryon irritans could almost be compared to that of the creatures in the "Alien" movies, in that there are three stages of development: a rather vulnerable infant stage whose only purpose in life is to find some poor sap to glom on to; a larger, more resilient and aggressive feeder stage; and an even larger and almost invulnerable breeder stage. Add a flamethrower-totin' heroine and some pyrotechnics, and you've got yourself a blockbuster movie. OK, so maybe real-life "ich" isn't quite as dramatic as all that, but it's life cycle does contain three, very distinct, stages of development. Tiny infant "swarmers" ("tomites", if you really want to get technical about it) swim furiously around the aquarium, looking for a fish to call home. Those that succeed in finding a host burrow into its skin, feeding and growing to the point where they are visible as tiny white spots to the aquarist. These "feeders" (a.k.a. "trophonts") then fall off the fish and settle to the tank bottom, where they attach to some more-or-less inanimate object and begin cell division. After numerous cell divisions, the "breeder" ("tomont") cyst ruptures, releasing hundreds of new swarmers, and the cycle begins anew. |
Plainly, a longer term treatment is necessary - a treatment that assures us that there will be a potent dose of medication in the water until every last parasite in the aquarium has gone through all stages of development and finally killed as a swarmer. But that presents the aquarist with a major problem: how to be confident that such a dosage is maintained, 24 hours per day, for up to the 14 or more days it might take for the last parasite to go through all its changes - and without risking overdosing the fish themselves. Drugs are absorbed, broken down, or otherwise neutralized at different rates in different tanks, and while adding x number of drops to y number of gallons every z number of days might result in a cure for one aquarium, it could easily result in an ineffective under-dose in another and a fatal overdose in yet another. That's where copper treatments come in. Copper salts have long been the treatment of choice among many professionals, in spite of several drawbacks, specifically because the level of residual copper in the aquarium can be tested, and the daily dosage adjusted accordingly. The treatment level can then be kept quite constant in a range that is fatal to the parasite but not to the fish. Despite its flaws, copper is very nearly a "sure cure" - the one we want to use when we need to have the highest assurance of success. Next issue, Jim will discuss how to effectively use copper. Future issues will discuss alternative treatments. |
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Phone: 561-468-7008
Fax: 561-468-7353 |
MARINE
SPECIALTIES INTERNATIONAL October- Receive 3 free corals with your order.November- Fiji Vatu Totoka Live Rock- up to 3 boxes at $1.59 per lb! December- Receive a 10% discount on your total order (Rock and specials excluded). Use each coupon once per month! |
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DID YOU KNOW??? The Marine Aquarium
Council will be testing its new program with a series of test cases during
this quarter. Retailers are needed! You can get your certification at cost
if you participate in the test program. Visit www.aquariumcouncil.org
for more information! |
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Phytoplankton and Sponge Growth Let me preface this article by saying that I’m just an obsessed hobbyist and therefore this experiment is neither scientific nor is it controlled, it is only my observations of the possible benefits of phytoplankton additions to sponges in reef aquaria. Over the next several months I will be experimenting with the addition of phytoplankton and its effect on sponge growth in my reef aquarium. I will be updating this page at least monthly with photos and my observations. Let me start out by giving you a little background on why I’m doing this. On 6/11/99 I set up yet another reef aquarium, actually I moved into a house so I was forced to tear down the tank and set it up at my new home. The tank was 40 gallons and was set up using the same rock and inhabitants that were in it before the move. Most of the live rock was Florida rock that I’d had for approximately 4 years. For the substrate I used 1 inch of fine aragonite sand seeded with some sand from the old tank. For lighting I used 2 110 watt VHO 50/50 bulbs and 2 NO actinic bulbs. The photoperiod was 12 hours total. I used a Bak Pak skimmer by CPR and 2 Aquaclear 402 powerheads on timers for circulation.The tank housed 4 fish 2 ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), a small Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus), and a Rainford's Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi). The pair of clowns were eventually moved to a separate tank. There were also many soft and hard corals in the tank including a whole lot of Xenia elongata. There was also quite a bit of Caulerpa prolifera. I fed the tank daily and alternated between different types of frozen and flake foods. Maintenance consisted of replenishing all evaporated water with kalkwasser, daily 0.3mL doses of a 1% iodide solution, and monthly 10% water changes. On 7/1/99 I started using DT’s phytoplankton (Nannochloropsis sp./Isochrysis sp.) at a rate of 35ml every other day. This tank was running very smoothly, and in August of 1999 I noticed an increase of several different species of sponges in different areas of the tank. Most were common encrusting types that I had seen before. In late September one of the sponges began to take on a more upright growth form. Over the next couple of months I continued with my 35 mL phytoplankton additions and the sponge kept growing. In the first part of February 2000 I decided to cut back on the phytoplankton additions and went to 20 mL every third day (I really have no good reason why I did this). Everything seemed fine for about a week, but then I noticed that the sponge had started deteriorating at the base. |
What was going on? Was it the decrease in phytoplankton? Was it the C. prolifera that was growing near the base of the sponge? Was something eating it? Did this whole event even have anything to do with the phytoplankton? I increased the dose back to 35 mL every other day but it was too late -- by the end of February the sponge was gone… or was it? On 10/20/00 I set up a 38 gallon grow out tank for cuttings and frags from my other 2 reef tanks. This tank is set up with 4 inches of aragonite over a 1 inch plenum ( I know, I know). The lighting is 2 95 watt VHO 50/50 bulbs and 2 NO actinic bulbs. There are 2 maxijet powerheads for circulation as well as a powerfilter on the back for additional circulation and ½ cup of carbon (used passively) which I change every 2 months. Currently there is just 1 peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) in the tank which I feed 3 times a week. There is no protein skimmer on this tank. The tank only has about 15 pounds of rock most of which was originally dry aragonite rock. On 1/25/01 I noticed some sponge growth very similar looking to what was growing in the 40 gallon reef in early 2000. I haven’t used any type of phytoplankton in any of my tanks for some time but have now started adding 5 mL of phytoplankton per day. So what effects if any will phytoplankton additions have on this sponge? That's what I want to find out. I’m currently using DT’s concentrated live phytoplankton (Nanochloropsis sp.), but I was recently given a sample of a mix of Tahitian Blend and Instant Algae (Nannochloropsis sp. Isochrysis sp. Pavlova sp. Tetraselmis sp. thanks Steve). The main difference between the two is that DT's is a live phytoplankon and Tahitian Blend/Instant Algae is cyro-preserved algae paste (dead). I'm a little apprehensive about using the Tahitian Blend/Instant Algae because from what I've read it is easier to overdose it and possibly foul the aquarium. There are many types of phytoplankton available (live, cryo-preserved, spray dried, etc.) and I suggest you read Rob Toonen's articles on reefs.org for more information. If you have any questions or comments for me please email me at percula@voyager.net.
DID YOU KNOW??? When
thawing out frozen foods it is a good idea to use the same container
(preferably glass or ceramic) every time and take care that it doesn't
go through the dishwasher or get cleaned with soap very often. This
will minimize possible contamination of the aquarium. |
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the
modern marine retailer By Rick Oellers This is the third in a series of articles focusing on helping marine retailers survive in the ever changing landscape of the aquarium industry. In past articles I have written about how the independent retailer can hold his or her own in a business world of superstores, mail order and Internet "low ballers". In this article I hope to share ideas on how you can make service your number one tool in this competitive industry. There are two types of service I wish to cover. They are "Customer relations" and "Retail services provided". Customer relations start the first day a new customer walks into your store. As soon as you or your salespeople notice the prospective client, approach them. Introduce yourself and ask them if they need assistance. Nine out of ten times a new customer will reply "just looking". Let the customer know that if they need anything, please feel free to ask. Then let them browse. Quite a few people do not like to have salespeople hovering over them, so it is important to give the customer space, while still being nearby enough to answer any questions. Once a dialog begins between you and your customer, get their name write it down and find some way not to forget it. The next time this person comes in your store and you know their name, you have just earned "brownie points" toward regular clientele. Learn as much as you can about the them and let the customer know that you are there to help them become a successful aquarist. In fact that is our primary goal as responsible marine retailers. If our customers are not successful, we can simply go out of business. A good idea learned from the Inland Reef retailers in New Hampshire is to have a point of sale database at the cash register. Besides storing useful information for store operations, Inland Reef can store a customer profile. This can keep track everything from your customer's tank size to problems they have had with water chemistry. You can even keep track of the customers' "wish list." It may cost some money, but the effort to make your customer feel special is worth it. Another tool used to help both your customer and increase sales is to hold marine aquarium classes at your store at no extra charge. In my store we held both a beginner and basic reef keeping class at least once per month. Although these classes were free, the sales generated from these classes more than paid for the extra effort. I use the words Retail Services to describe services provided by my store that both help the customer, and generate income as well. The following are some services that you may or may not be already using. 1. Auto feeder rentals -
We rented the Rainbow Plastics Auto feeder on a weekly basis. This
feeder had no problem dispensing sinking pellets into a customers
aquarium, should they be on vacation and did not trust Uncle Bob not
to over feed their tank. * * * * * * * * * * * * AMDA
WISHES YOU AND Copyright © 2001 All rights reserved - AMDA FALL 2001 |
3. Equipment repair - Set up a small shop out back and
stock it with replacement parts of the filters and equipment you sell.
Learn how to repair acrylic filters and protein skimmers. It is not
all that difficult. A customer that broke their $600.00 downdraft
protein skimmer will get down on all fours and worship you, if you can
repair it, rather than charge them for a new one. (Chances are they
bought it mail order anyway, hee hee.) 4. Selling of Reverse Osmosis water both mixed and unmixed with a quality marine salt. This also could lead to sales of R/O units as well. 5. Home/Office maintenance: In Maine the winter is long and when warm weather comes the customer will lose interest in their aquariums. Sales drop off drastically. Our service department brought in much need cash flow when times got tough. The average charge nationwide for a professional aquarist is $45.00 per hour. Some of our AMDA members receive up to $100.00 per hour for service. Do the math, folks. You can have a salesperson, which is an outstanding employee and is knowledgeable, and you are paying him or her $15.00 per hour. The profit margin is very good. Plus, you can send an employee to a customer's home to help them on site. This also can be followed through with extra sales as well. There are many more services that our members are providing. If you have an idea, please share it with the rest of us through Mary's "Did you know" tips. Until next time, have a prosperous and responsible winter. DID YOU KNOW??? To
determine the number of gallons in a tank, multiply the length in
inches times width in inches times height in inches divided by 231. GET ACTIVE! These are the things that
AMDA members
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