belive it or not the hobby hydroponic industry is way bigger than Reef aquariums(to my knowlege)
and belive it or not the other reefer addicts only make up a small % of it
from what I've heard
So.. as far as a low overhead small additional section go's to a LFS I think a HYDROPONIC/LFS would be way more profitable than just one or the other(just IMO)as I have no experiance running either type store
Import the stuff from Indo!! Buy 2,000lbs direct from Walt Smith. You buy it for $5,000 bucks and sell it for $15,000!! Buy a bunch of plastic tubs and emeror 400's and the **** be cured in no time. You can double your money in 2 months tops!!!!! Take your original $5,000 and buy more live rock and then take the other $5,000 and buy a bunch of corals and fish. Tanks cost like $3 bucks a pop. So what if you have to buy 200 of them. ANd if you lose 50 you just lost $150 and some shipping. Retail 20lbs of live rock and voila you paid for your 50 dead fish.
And you peeps may now biology and scientific terms but I KNOW bussiness. I have 3 all doing quite well. So do not take advice from other wholesalers. They are misleading you. They do not want the competion. Look at their web sites and all of their new fish rooms. How do they afford this???? The are making a killing off of us. I read how one went to Hawaii and Figi. Awww.... what a poor life. You have to have BALLS brother!!! And when you do I will be your first customer!!!