# Confusion regarding Big Al's Pricing



## WateraDrop (Nov 16, 2008)

Hello thar' 

I'm a bit confused with Big Al's livestock pricing (I haven't bought any equipment and whatnot from them in a while nor have I checked so I'll just be addressing livestock). I went to BA's in Vaughan today after a trip to SeaUMarine and Lucky's and was honestly flabbergasted (Who says that lol) by the dramatic price differences. At both SeaUMarine and Lucky's, I saw hippo tangs for $35-40, small to medium sizes. At BA's, hippo tangs for the same size were $90. 

Most, if not all, of the other livestock were also priced exponentially higher than the other stores. I understand that this might be because BA's is a big chain store and thus for some reason has higher prices, but shouldn't they at least try to reflect local market prices?


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## buffalo (Mar 6, 2010)

You should have an idea of prices, let the buyer beware.
hang around in the aquarium section if someone is going to buy a aquarium for a reef tank and listen to the dollars add up.
Anyone buying a reef tank should do some equipment and pricing research.


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

also the prices have to do with the fact that BA's feeds and lives on people just coming in and asking what to buy, they are told you need a tank, CANISTER FILTER, HOB filter, and various other things for a reef tank..... including that clown puke gravel I've seen them tell people to get for the reef tank....


they hope people just dont know any better than to buy from them because they are the only company I know that advertises on the radio, if SUM was on the radio, Ken would make a fortune - problem is it costs a fortune to do that!


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

I noticed the bargain on their livestock weekly sales has decreased substantially. I really don't know how it's priced but just looking at the Oakville flyer, I bought 4 Balloon Mollies for $2.99 and 3 Cory Cats for $1.99. Last week I saw they had zebra danios which were 3 for $2.99. A month ago I bought 6 for $1.99. Maybe it's the time of season?. Not too sure but if someone can chime in that would be great

http://www.bigalscanada.com/Stores/Specials/Fish/Fishspecials_Oakville.html?reloaded=true


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Maybe it has to do with the cold spells in Florida over the winter that some said may affect livestock quantities. Only the fish wholesalers and maybe LFS owners would know for sure.
http://cbs4.com/local/winter.record.cold.2.1528964.html


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

good to know.... so BA is over price on their live stock...


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Big Ray said:


> this is not good, but I used to sell freshwater stingrays to them at BA,
> 
> years ago they were selling motoro stingray pups at 150, I used to sell them the pups at 50 (they say 1/3), the same stingray could be purchased from other stores like lucky or gold ocean for like 30-40 bucks.


It's almost like how Dragon Aquarium lied to me to try and have me sell them guppies or red cherries for less. They told me that they sell them for $1.50 each (for both) while they stock them at $2.99 each (for both). They also never even asked what type of guppy it was.


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

Fish_Man said:


> good to know.... so BA is over price on their live stock...


Their regular price for livestock is over-priced but their weekly sales is where it's at, you won't really find sales like this anywhere else. Mind you, there are TONS of people who don't buy the weekly sale stuff.



Joeee said:


> It's almost like how Dragon Aquarium lied to me to try and have me sell them guppies or red cherries for less. They told me that they sell them for $1.50 each (for both) while they stock them at $2.99 each (for both). They also never even asked what type of guppy it was.


They also lied to me when I didn't know any better at the beginning. They sold me dead java moss and I said why is it brownish-yellow?. He said it's normal but till this day, I still see them selling dead java moss, what a shame. They also used be really good at trades. The other day I brought in some java moss to trade, about $15 worth if I sold it on the forums. He said I could only get one $4.99 plant for it, LOL!!. I understand they have to make money but c'mon.


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

less profit more volume.


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## Flazky (Jan 9, 2010)

lol well I dont know about other big als but the one in scar I must say have a very good survival rate for me. Haha im not sure whether it was my inexperience but all livestock I bought at other locations have died....sept for livestock I got from jlaquatics and big al scar. I have had 1 yellow tang, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 pairs of clownfish, 1 hammer coral, and one chromis die on me and were from local stores. Right now I have a yellow tang, 4 chromis, 2 cleaner shrimp, mandarin goby, several corals, fire shrimp, emerald crab and a naso tang that are thriving. All purchased from bigals scar. I dont know maybe it was just that I was unlucky...but in my oppinion, a higher survival rate > cheaper livestock. Ive learned from other reefers that you honestly get what you pay for. As for the equipment, I agree that big als is complete rip.


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Flazky said:


> Ive learned from other reefers that you honestly get what you pay for. As for the equipment, I agree that big als is complete rip.


not all items are expensive!


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Big als is (to be fair) the only place with a thorough dry goods selection in stock in the GTA. Who else carries as many different models of Eheim, and other cannisters? Who else carries every size of HOB filter AquaClear makes? Who else carries more than six brands of heaters? Who stocks an Eheim 2217 at a lower retail price, and has that price on the product, with a sticker? (Lucky's might be a dollar cheaper if you ask them, but chances are, it's not priced, and you have to ask about it.)

Saltwater livestock is already expensive. When I buy freshwater livestock, and I compare prices, I find that Big Als is a bit over-priced, but their quality is at least better, and their prices the same, as their big-box competition (PetSmart) where the only thing actually growing in their tanks is black hair algae and ich. 

Big Als keeps their tanks clean, and has a huge selection of livestock. If some of it is over-priced, well, control your righteous indignation and just buy from someone else who has a better deal. 

When I go into Luckys I am unimpressed. The place is dull and dirty, and the fish tanks do not look as clean and well maintained as BAs. Most of their huge dry-good selection is not priced. You have to ask "how much is this?". It makes me uneasy when someone just pulls a price out of the back of his head. Like he knows how much every little accessory sells for. It's more like at Luckys, they look at me, and go "he looks stupid, charge him more money". Now, if you want to see how it's really done well, look to Menagerie, Franks, and Finatics. They are a class above big als for livestock, but none of them does enough volume to compete on dry goods pricing. Nevertheless, when I needed a new lid for my aquaclear, it was Menagerie to the rescue. They are small, but MIGHTY. 

Yesterday I heard from someone that a guy at petsmart told her to buy a $500 filter to go with her $500 75gal tank (the fluval G series). I told her to just buy a classic eheim cannister, and not worry about the G series, and its cool (but unecessary) TDS sensor. So one guy at PetSmart gives you bad advice today, and another guy at BAs gives you bad advice tomorrow. Get your advice from more than one place. If you don't, you deserve the results. All the advice I've gotten from BAs staff, I have checked against other sources, and I have never once gotten wildly wrong advice from anybody there. 



W


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> Get your advice from more than one place. If you don't, you deserve the results.
> 
> 
> W


Totally agree with you. I was one of those suckers that bought a lot of stuff from big als/petsmart at the beginning when I started this hobby.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I don't find Big Al's necessarliy pricey. In addition, you can dicker on livestock, especially if you are buying more than one.
The real money at BA's is not in fish but in dry goods. if everything were bought on line (dry goods) where would you get your fish?


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

It's a walmart effect. To get the favorable wholesale discounts you have to buy a lot. The Big-Als chain's total buying power is considerably higher than anybody else's. 

W


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

If someone see's something in my aquarium they like, the first thing they ask is "Which Big Al's did you buy this from?". It really is the Wal-Mart of aquarium stores. I've never bought fish from any other stores except big al's. My other invertebrates have been from local breeders. I buy all my food and equipment online. The only mom and pop store I go to is Dragon Aquarium to trade plants. 

I met a couple the other day who bought some stuff off me. They have been in the aquarium hobby for 10 years and own 6 tanks at the moment. They live in Mississauga so I thought I could talk about the local fish stores with them. Can you believe in the 10 years, they have only bought supplies and taken advice from big al's??. I mentioned all the stores on Dundas and they couldn't believe we had all these other stores here. 

I really do hate big al's but if I don't go there, I'm forced to pay up the wahzoo at mom and pop's for fish, depending on your selection.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I don't hate BigAls, but I don't buy ALL my fish from them either. Those two contradictory facts are hard for me to hold in my head at the same time. 

The cheapest place to get fish is pricenetwork.ca (you have to wait, and avoid the F1-uber-price snobs) or from aquatic auctions. Big Als is instant gratification though. And lots of people like that. Go. See fish. Buy. Take home. Instant pretty colors in my tank. 

W


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## Holidays (Apr 18, 2010)

why hate Big Als? I got into this hobby after visiting them. Don't get those points card, you'll be shocked how much you spent.


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## mr_brixs (Jun 18, 2009)

i drop by at big als in saugga today to canvas for a hippo tang and holy crap its 90bucks it used to be 79bucks.. and i drop by aquatic kingdom and mid size is 59.99. but i always go to Vaughans BA and i get deals ( hehehe i know the manager ) but only on LS.. but since i start this hobby they never sell me some mombo jumbo crap... they give me the basic stuff.. and now the i learn more n more about this hobby now i start bugging them about prices heheheh.. over all they are pricey but if you go there everyweek u will find some deals on LS...


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## shadow_cruiser (Jan 26, 2010)

Holidays said:


> why hate Big Als? I got into this hobby after visiting them. Don't get those points card, you'll be shocked how much you spent.


I guess it's more of their business practice rather than prices
http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showpost.php?p=99051&postcount=66


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Well, I have had bad service from lots of places, but Big Als scarboro has never treated me badly. The London Aquarium Services place, that's another story.

Give the Mississauga and Brampton guys a year or two, and try them again. Maybe you'll have better luck with staff. You never know when someone's mom died, or their life is upside down. Meanwhile, someone keeps asking them a question, and they really do not understand. I'm not making excuses for bad behavior. I'm just saying, remember that anybody could be having a bad day, at any time.

W


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