A real customer story from a family fishmonger

After replacing a simple DIY lobster tank with a Todd Fish Tech Lobster Pod in 2021, The Net Shop in Hastings reduced mortality rates to around 0.5%, increased the amount of shellfish they could hold in the same space and significantly reduced maintenance time.

Customer feedback is incredibly important to us. It helps us improve our systems and it also gives new customers confidence that they are making the right investment. This case study comes from Daniel Swann at The Net Shop in Hastings who has kindly shared his experience of using a Lobster Pod.

What are the challenges with a DIY lobster tank?

Before buying their Lobster Pod, Daniel and his family were using a homemade holding system in their fishmonger’s shop. It consisted of simple tanks with a pond pump, aquarium filter and air supply.

Although it worked it presented a number of challenges. Like many DIY systems it required more maintenance, offered limited holding capacity and wasn’t providing the reliable results they were looking for.

Why Choose a Lobster Pod?

Daniel purchased a Lobster Pod from Todd Fish Tech in the summer of 2021.

From our first conversations he was an ideal customer to work with. He asked lots of questions and wanted to understand the best way to care for his shellfish. We are always happy to share our knowledge and advice whether someone has placed an order or not.

Daniel later said:

“Errin was very personable, knowledgeable and helpful and was even willing to provide advice on holding livestock before we had even placed our order.”

The results after installation

The difference was immediate.

Daniel told us:

“The system has been working perfectly for us. Our mortality rates have dropped through the floor to around 0.5%. The vertical stacking solution has meant that we are able to keep larger volumes of stock in the same area that we previously had before, and the tray system means that we are able to grade the livestock when loading them into the system and the days of fishing around with a net are long gone!”

Today they hold lobsters, a small quantity of brown crab and are also trialling live langoustines. Being able to keep shellfish alive for longer means they can supply customers with smaller quantities over an extended period rather than having to sell everything immediately.

Saving time and improving product quality

One of the biggest benefits for Daniel has been the amount of time saved.

He explained:

“The Lobster Pod system helped free up a lot of time, not only in getting the stock out of the system, but in maintenance as well, as we are not having to undertake water changes as often as we had to before, nor in as large volumes. The lobsters are also cooking up much better now because they are getting the opportunity to rest in optimal conditions for a while before being cooked, which has resulted in a much better end product.”

For many of our customers, saving time is just as valuable as improving survival rates. Better filtration, efficient system design and easy access to the shellfish all help make day-to-day operation much simpler.

Why feedback like this matters

Receiving feedback like Daniel’s is always rewarding. We take great pride in designing systems that genuinely make life easier for our customers and help them protect the value of their live shellfish.

Daniel summed up his experience by saying:

“If anyone is thinking of getting a lobster tank I would advise they talk to Errin and Keith. They are both so knowledgeable. If you need a system and are on the fence about what system to buy, this is the best turnkey system in the UK market. Todd Fish Tech’s customer service and advice was absolutely amazing. The advice was top notch and Errin is such a pleasure to talk to. We would buy again from Todd Fish Tech 100%. Ten out of ten. We would definitely recommend them.”

Comments like these mean a great deal to our family business. We have been designing and manufacturing shellfish holding systems since 1998 and our aim has always been the same. We want to build reliable systems, offer honest advice and help our customers keep their shellfish healthy while making their businesses easier to run.