Purchasing fish

[harryggumb]

Hi so I'm all set up with my 75g tank. I'm going to have a reef tank going and I'm about to begin stocking.... The only problem is the options for purchasing any kind of saltwater fish is extremely limited where I am. There are no marine oriented stores around me. I know that it is almost always better to buy in person and stay away from purchasing online. What should I do? Is purchasing online really not a way to go?

 

[Cecibella123]

I don't do saltwater, but I've purchased hard-to-find freshwater fish online a couple times, and had them arrive safe and healthy. I don't do it often however, as I'm sure it stresses the fish.

 

[Barliman]

Lots of people order online and have a fine experience. That said, it always pays to research the seller and also learn how to acclimate the fish on arrival; they'll have been through a lot.

Two suggestions: there are dedicated marine fish forums that will probably have seller reviews. You should check those as well as here.

Second, check out YouTube. Lots of salties post "unboxing" videos sharing their new arrivals with the viewer, as well as their experience with the seller. You can learn a lot from these.

I'm a freshwater guy, but I'm thinking of ordering online, too. One thing I've decided: if I do, I'm not skimping on the shipping cost. The less time the fish are in a bag in a box on a plane or truck, the better.

Good luck!

 

[harryggumb]

Thanks! I'm definitely going to look into purchasing online especially if many people have been successful. It is definitely easier but my only concern was the stress to the fish. I'll have to research the seller

 

[54seaweed]

when buying online you need to be sure you find a reputable vendor , I buy online quite often I had a lot of hit and misses over the years ,
I never had problems with fish coral from most vendors, I would be sure to ask others experiences as some online vendors sell garbage ,
another thing you need to do is find out how and who your stock is being shipped with,
some shippers have a bad rep on handling livestock,
always be sure your order has a 10day doa guarantee for anything that may not make it .
I bought this guy online with no complaints , he looks nicer than ones I seen locally ,
vendors need to earn your trust before ordering high dollar fish .

good online communication can be the factor if you buy from that vendor or not

 

[harryggumb]

Wou you're right he looks incredible. Definitely makes me feel better about ordering online for sure

 

[Jasonrusso]

I've bought online several times and I've bought in store several times. All the fish (and snails, nudibranches, crabs, etc)I have bought online have arrived healthy and active. The only fish I bought that died immediately was store bought. I bought a melanarus wrasse who after acclimation buried himself and I never saw him again. A store bought Harlequin tusk ($200) ended up being blind and swam into my lionfish which cost me that tusk.

My point is that it is the quality of the shipping practice and the fish itself. I have a lot of trust in live Aquaria. I feel they care and do a great job of making sure the fish is healthy and has a safe trip.

Remember, the store doesn't catch the fish. They all get shipped to the store. You are cutting out one more acclimation. Also, the LFS doesn't quarantine. Their QT is the DT. It also isn't practical for them to acclimate fish the way you do at home. The float the bags and then dump them in. Have you ever seen a store on shipping day with 50 buckets on the floor all on a drip? Maybe on big money fish they do.

Sent from my XT1585 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[harryggumb]

Thank you everyone. I purchased from pet solutions and am very happy with the 2 baby clowns that I purchased

 

[Jasonrusso]

Any Pics?

 

[harryggumb]

Any Pics?

This is all I have right now

 

[Jasonrusso]

Very nice! Little guys!

 

[harryggumb]

View attachment 285967

A little before and after just added about 50 more pounds of live rock so the fish have more areas of refuge and in my opinion will make for a better reef tank and I will have more places for my corals eventually. Few free to give opinions and suggest certain corals!!

 

[54seaweed]

my only suggestions is making bigger caves for fish to hide in
also bigger openings in rocks will help improve circulation otherwise looking good

 

[harryggumb]

Thanks for the feedback!