Buying fish

[spongebob69]

Do your fish have a better chance of surviving stress if you ask when fish stores get shipments in and get fish soon after..or if you wait til the store has had them for a period of time?

[savga]

I think it is better to wait for them to recover from the shipping stress. Many fish die during or soon after shipping. Also if they carry disease, it is better to let the store find out. Be patient and wait a week. If you are afraid they will run out, have them hold some fish for you.

[Menagerie]

Lately, I have taken to watching the stock at the store before buying. I go in once (or twice) a week if there is something I really want before buying--at least I try. Recently I picked up 6 striped Khuli loaches, becuase I hadn't seen them in the longest time. They are in my [acronym:8c307b8075="quarantine or quart depending on context"]QT[/acronym:8c307b8075] tank doing quite well
Also, know what the "stay alive" policy is at the [acronym:8c307b8075="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:8c307b8075]. My fav [acronym:8c307b8075="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:8c307b8075] just requires the bodies to be brought in within a month. Another [acronym:8c307b8075="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:8c307b8075] requires the bodies, separate water sample, and receipt within 15 days for full credit, until 30 days for half credit.

[Ramrebel]

what about fish by mail? how does that work?
it doesn't seem as if it should be successful

Ed

[grimlock3000]

what about fish by mail? how does that work?
it doesn't seem as if it should be successful

How do you think fish get to the pet stores? They swim in plastic bags, inside boxes that ride on trucks to get to the shops :P

[Ramrebel]

How do you think fish get to the pet stores? They swim in plastic bags, inside boxes that ride on trucks to get to the shops :P[/quote]


BUT I've always heard that they last about an hour in those little bags you get at the [acronym:080f967706="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:080f967706]

[Andydg]

Depends on the bags, and the kind of fish. I'm not a sure on ammonia but I do know that some bags are "breathable" letting in fresh oxygen and letting out C02. Our fish at work only travel about 30 mins to us, but I don't know how long they're in the bags.

[TankGirl]

I have had success receiving fish shipped in the mail. I don't know how they live that long like that, but I have had successful shipments from retail shippers as well as from the home hobbyist, and the only problem I had was when the hobbyist shipped them to me with too many tiny fish in one bag. She shipped replacements and separated them, and there were no losses.

As for the original question, I also like to watch fish at the [acronym:e676cc952e="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:e676cc952e] for a littel bit before I buy them. I definitely think there is something to be gained by letting the shop hold onto them so any problems will become evident before I buy them. This is even more of a recommendation when it comes to otocinclus, because there will often be a rather dramatic die-off at the [acronym:e676cc952e="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:e676cc952e] in the first 5 days after they receive them, so I wait and get the ones that have survived the initial week or so. Great question!