Why do prices on things range so much?

I am brand new to this and have spent more money than I really want to say the last few weeks getting my tank ready. While I love to support a small business I am also a huge bargain shopper so I have been researching where to buy the many things I need. Prices seem to be as much as double at some places for the same exact same thing. Even with as much research as I have done I just found out I over spent on several things. Petco has at least 3 different prices for each item (in store, online, and purchased online picked up in store).

I am not talking live items, I don’t care how much less those are some places I want healthy ones. But why was my water test kit $45 in store and when I show the store their own website it is suddenly $27? Overpaid like $30 for my tiny 9 gallon aquarium (since I did get it from a big box store I am kind of debating seeing if they will price match without me having to bring it back).

Seems like new people are really being taken advantage of in this hobby. I am sure it will get easier with time, but super frustrating.

 

Yeah that does kind of suck. That happens with just about everything. Just like the API test kit. Its 22ish on Amazon, and 30 some at the smart/cos, and 49 at Pet Supplies. You definitely learn to check all prices before buying thats for sure!

Petsmart has a game on the app. If you play the hard level you can get a 25% off coupon. Also they do price match the websites. I think they all do unless it says online only.

 

The API test kit costs $89 here….

 

Would it be super shady of me to go rebuy the tank at Petco for $30 less and take the new unopened tank and return it as the one I bought at petsmart? It probably isn't even worth the time it would like lol. I just don't like not getting the best price.

 

Would it be super shady of me to go rebuy the tank at Petco for $30 less and take the new unopened tank and return it as the one I bought at petsmart? It probably isn't even worth the time it would like lol. I just don't like not getting the best price.

Yes.

 

Would it be super shady of me to go rebuy the tank at Petco for $30 less and take the new unopened tank and return it as the one I bought at petsmart? It probably isn't even worth the time it would like lol. I just don't like not getting the best price.

I mean if nothing is wrong with the tank, I'd get my money back lol. Maybe throw that to something like a plant or lol. That's so dumb though. Really does deter newbies and makes it feel shady.

It is frustrating though, how the prices can be that far apart. Especially depending on your location...glass can be very, VERY expensive!

 

I am brand new to this and have spent more money than I really want to say the last few weeks getting my tank ready. While I love to support a small business I am also a huge bargain shopper so I have been researching where to buy the many things I need. Prices seem to be as much as double at some places for the same exact same thing. Even with as much research as I have done I just found out I over spent on several things. Petco has at least 3 different prices for each item (in store, online, and purchased online picked up in store).

I am not talking live items, I don’t care how much less those are some places I want healthy ones. But why was my water test kit $45 in store and when I show the store their own website it is suddenly $27? Overpaid like $30 for my tiny 9 gallon aquarium (since I did get it from a big box store I am kind of debating seeing if they will price match without me having to bring it back).

Seems like new people are really being taken advantage of in this hobby. I am sure it will get easier with time, but super frustrating.

Often times Peto.com and Petco B&M store will have different prices. Sometimes it will be cheaper on Petco.com or sometimes they will have local store deals that are not available online. It's really more about moving inventory for them. Sometimes its just easier/faster to go to the physical store if you have one near you or convenient. The good thing is that you can always price match at the register if the online price is cheaper. This way if they have the item you want in stock, you can just get it right then and there instead of ordering it online to get the cheaper price.

 

It's just the way things are everything is getting more expensive these days even things outside of the aquarium hobby.

 

The best defense is an informed consumer.

 

The hobby becomes a lot less expensive with experience. Not necessarily through bargains, but by understanding you hardly need anything in this hobby.

Not even test kits, as I can find the parameters of my tap water online and I kind of have an idea of the parameters of RO water. A heater? A lot of fish can do without a heater in a (well-isolated) room. Lights? Dim the lights (good for tank and wallet). Etc. etc.

A quality glass tank is the exception perhaps. I would not cut costs on the purchase of a quality tank, and needless to say, value the costs on basis of the number of years you expect the tank to have.

 

Prices can be crazy here in australia a test kit the biggest big box store costs 97.99 $AUD, but then online a lot of other stores sell it for 50$AUD...

another includes the 5gal/20litre tank you can buy at a home improvement store and it comes with a filter, lid, gravel and plastic plant for 29 $AUD while big box stores can charge well over 100$AUD some don't come with a filter or anything!!!

seachem prime 500mL can cost up to 70$AUD at big box stores but if you go online its only around 25$AUD..

i find it best to shop around and check online to price match

 

I am glad I don't have to use prime, its pretty expensive here too I think! I should perhaps have said in my previous post that I have never bought the API test kit (for $89). I use the much cheaper Azoo ones and use them sparingly.

Here the cheapest place to buy ready made fish tanks complete with filter and lights is in a big hypermarket type store, a 40 litre (10 gallon) will cost about $90 and a 240 liter (the biggest they sell) about $280. It is much cheaper to make your own tanks though and I think most serious hobbyists do that. In the same store I have bought my "cheap" Chinese canister filters for $83 (really $118 but I bought them when they were on offer). They work perfectly well. A dedicated aquarium store has Fluval fx4 canister filters (smaller capacity and flow rate than mine) for over $400.

 

The API test kit costs $89 here….

What are the fish prices like for you? I'm wondering if SA and CA fish are cheaper for you because of your location.

Hi LilyPad5,
I try to support local businesses too, but I have to pick and choose how I do it for the reasons you mentioned. At the local Petco a 50ml of Prime is almost the same price as 500ml from Amazon. I can't justify buying Prime locally.

I do buy all my frozen food from them as well as some dry food. I've also gotten aquariums from them when on sale. Shipping aquariums has not ended well for me or the aquariums in the past (tried twice. Both arrived destroyed). Also, Petco and Petsmart do not sell much of what I need anyway, so I have to go online.

Also, fish stores reccomend and sell a lot of unnecessary products. Avoiding those products can save some money. New fish keepers are often told they need a lot of stuff that they don't.

This is not a cheap hobby.

 

What are the fish prices like for you? I'm wondering if SA and CA fish are cheaper for you because of yuor location.

I think they are probably similar or rather less, but it does depend on the species. To be honest the majority of aquarium fish in the shops are imported from Asia, but yes, we do get some importations from Colombia and Peru. No fish from Ecuador are sold as apparently the costs and difficulty to obtain permits for commercial collecting here are prohibitive. We don't actually see many species from Central America except a few common ones that are bred locally. To give you few examples:
Altum angelfish are quite often available here - small ones are about $15, bigger (subadult) ones $30 (probably cheaper than in Europe or the US?)
My Mesonauta (very small) were $5 each. Wild type severum 2-3" $12-15.
Neon tetras about 3 for $5, Cardinals and some other tetras 12 for $20. But one shop recently got some black phantom tetras (first time I had seen them here) for $10 each, pretty expensive for a shoal of them! And diamond tetras were $3.50 each. My Laetacara araguaiae were new here and cost me $15 each but I have bred them, no one else wants to buy them, they are now being offered at $10 per pair. My small Uarus were $20 each. Some of the most expensive fish I have seen here are fowerhorns at over $100.

 

Thanks y'all I think I am just going to eat it on the money I lost out on where I have over paid so far but just try and be more careful in the future. I wish I could find a small fish store I liked near me, I have only checked out 2 so far but one was kind of gross and the other one was pretentious (although I did get a lovely dragon stone there). I am in a pretty populated area so there are at least 3-4 more mom and pop fish stores for me to check out in additional to the countless big box stores so I guess I am lucky like that.

 

Would it be super shady of me to go rebuy the tank at Petco for $30 less and take the new unopened tank and return it as the one I bought at petsmart? It probably isn't even worth the time it would like lol. I just don't like not getting the best price.

About this. Petsmart does price matching.
Go to petsmart with your receipt and your price proof from petco for $30 less and they should credit you back or refund for the difference. No returning or shady business, just "look I bought this here and petco sells it for $30 cheaper, rather than me return it, and go shop there, will you price match and make me a happy customer?"

And heck even store credit and use it for something else. But also check and price match.

I find on petsmart what they have for prices on the website are much cheaper than what's marked on the shelf, but if you just go in and buy off the shelf, they are charging the shelf marked price, not the website.

This is the same as everything else. You have to do the homework to save money. If you don't look around you will overpay.

 

Thanks y'all I think I am just going to eat it on the money I lost out on where I have over paid so far but just try and be more careful in the future. I wish I could find a small fish store I liked near me, I have only checked out 2 so far but one was kind of gross and the other one was pretentious (although I did get a lovely dragon stone there). I am in a pretty populated area so there are at least 3-4 more mom and pop fish stores for me to check out in additional to the countless big box stores so I guess I am lucky like that.

One thing I'll caution about re: the "kinda gross" comment. 2 of the best LFS in my area are not much to look at. But they take good care of the fish and are pretty knowledgeable. They don't spend any money making the place look nice. My wife thinks they are "run down and sketchy" but she's looking at the wrong things haha.

Now maybe your place is gross all the way around, but don't let appearances make your opinion. Focus on what's inside the tanks when it comes to LFS.

And dry goods are basically always going to be cheaper online. The only time I'll buy something like that locally is when I want to help out the local place and am willing to throw them the extra money I know I'm losing.