mellowyellow
Aquarium Advice Freak
If I were to buy fish off the internet can someone recommend a reputable fish supplier? 
buying fish off the internet?
- Thread starter mellowyellow
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
maxima423
Aquarium Advice Addict
liveaquaria is pretty good from what i hear
capj64
Aquarium Advice FINatic
logansmomma1228
Aquarium Advice Addict
Severum Mama and HN1 have good rep going around for buying fish from as well. If you check out the classifieds they have stuff for sale in there
FastFly67
Aquarium Advice FINatic
really depends on what you're looking for? Quite a lot of sellers on aquabid do this for a living. Some of the rest of hobbyists who do shipping very very often. Feedback is a wonderful tool.
johnmaloney
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 258
if this is your first shipped fish, keeping them in a tank by themselves will be pretty important. shipped fish need some time to recover from stress, that fish purchased locally would not have undergone, at least not so recently.
boxfishlover
Aquarium Advice Regular
I am sure there are some decent internet suppliers out there. But everyone who responds to this post and the author ponder this.........Internet aquarium sales is slowly putting our local fresh and saltwater shops out of business. They cannot compete with the prices. Wouldnt you rather establish a good relationship with your local specialist and know the fish you are buying have been eating and are not carrying some disease that could wipe your tank out? I realize money is tight for all of us but you will NEVER catch me buying live stock that I cannot see before buying, it is worth the extra money to me! Support your local business! Just a thought...................
JustOneMore20
Algae Fighter
I second bluezooaquatics.com. I have ordered from them once and everything was packaged really well. The fish and corals were very healthy. They have a flat $40 shipping fee which is cheaper than other sites. I will be ordering from them again this week.
Just like everyone else, the "Mom and Pop" fish shop has to adapt. Trust me.
warning.Plus the highlighted statement is completely misguided. Your local shop can't even attempt to really QT anything except the grievously sick fish. If you go in and want to buy a fish that was just tanked the day before, they will sell it. They have to because they have been forced to lower prices and increase volumes. Not by internet companies, but by big box stores that have massive purchasing (and there for pricing) power. I'm all for saving the Mom n pops, but they can't remain in the past either. The successful shops will be the ones that use the internet as a tool for their own business rather than simply sitting back and ranting about the good ole days.
mrg02d
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Another problem with LFS are that many dont guarantee their fish and corals. Most the time everything is great, but ive had a few bumps like my neon goby that had some fungus on him while still in the bag and an acropora that had redbugs. I was able to treat them back to full health, but jeeze ya know? They werent thrilled when I told them, they just told me which meds are waste of money. I was expecting them to offer to swap them out or something, let them do the treatment since the critters came from their tanks...
Online places like saltwaterfish.com guarantee their items for 15 days! Others are joining in with the guarantees and STILL keeping prices low. A while ago I complained about reefs2go, but they made things right eventually, and now ALSO offer a 2 week guarantee after what happened to me.
A lot of online stores also offer free shipping (or greatly reduced) to people in their state. Thats going to really change things for LFS if they dont join in. Why pay $20.00 for a fish at a LFS with no guarantee when I can get the same for $10.00 online with free shipping and a 2 week guarantee? A lot of us cannot afford to support the LFS all the time.
LFS will really have to adjust now with 2 week guarantees, free shipping, and reward programs...
Matt
I was expecting them to offer to swap them out or something, let them do the treatment since the critters came from their tanks...Online places like saltwaterfish.com guarantee their items for 15 days! Others are joining in with the guarantees and STILL keeping prices low. A while ago I complained about reefs2go, but they made things right eventually, and now ALSO offer a 2 week guarantee after what happened to me.
A lot of online stores also offer free shipping (or greatly reduced) to people in their state. Thats going to really change things for LFS if they dont join in. Why pay $20.00 for a fish at a LFS with no guarantee when I can get the same for $10.00 online with free shipping and a 2 week guarantee? A lot of us cannot afford to support the LFS all the time.
LFS will really have to adjust now with 2 week guarantees, free shipping, and reward programs...
Matt
FastFly67
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Some of us don't HAVE locally owned and operated stores. Only thing close to me at those of the petco petsmart variety and i refuse to buy from them due to past experiences. The others even in a local vacinity are 45 minutes to an hour away. I don't always have that kind of time and they sometimes can't get what I want. I'm all for supporting mom and pop stores...when I have one to support.
Guarantees are tough and I've actually been struggling with deciding what to do in that arena. I wish I could quiz everyone and tailor their guarantee to their experience level and attitude. I'd have no problem offering a 30 day guarantee to someone that I could be confident in keeping the fish correctly (Like the members here. ), but should I be responsible when someone else's bad husbandry practices kill fish that I've invested money, time, and caring into?
Large companies can afford the losses on livestock because they profit well on the dry goods and carry (for the most part) cheap fish. See rant above. lol
Not trying to be argumentative at all. It's a very interesting topic to me and we're honestly stumped on what we should do.
), but should I be responsible when someone else's bad husbandry practices kill fish that I've invested money, time, and caring into? Large companies can afford the losses on livestock because they profit well on the dry goods and carry (for the most part) cheap fish. See rant above. lol
Not trying to be argumentative at all. It's a very interesting topic to me and we're honestly stumped on what we should do.
How do you know they have a lfs? I think the closest one to me is about 60 miles. Thats 120 mile round trip. I go when i can but its not very convienant. And alot of there stuff is almost twice the cost of online or even other fish stores ive been to at my old place. Double price + 120 miles of gas = shop online most of the time
mrg02d
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I think having the competition is good. It keeps lousy LFS from screwing people over. All it takes is a few bad experiences to make someone 100% online only.
My first ever experience with a LFS was terrible. Despite a 2 hour acclimation, and completely cycled tank, I watched my first two clowns ($40.00 total) die within the first week! The LFS would not return calls or emails about it. Later I find out they were getting fish from a crappy local breeder and had stopped doing business with them. Me? Still out $40.00!!!!!!!
I was heartbroken to watch those cute things die! I then found a much better place, but stick to corals with them. I get my fish online from places with guarantees. I did get a strawberry baslet from the LFS that is doing great! But after my neon goby died, and had to deal with problems before he even went into his tank, thats the last fish I buy locally. That was A LOT of money down the drain as he was $20.00 and then I had to go out and buy meds and everything to treat him. Gosh what a waste of money. They dont guarantee anything, just offer low prices and know that 90% of the time things are better than anywhere else. Oh well...Corals only...
It IS hard to know if someone knew what they were doing or just tossed the fish into an uncycled tank. Id stick to selling on forums where you know you can trust, for the most part, the customers. Like you said, you cant absorb the hit when an idiot kills the fish.
LFS will have to figure out something to stay competitive! I have gotten my nicest stuff from online! MUCH cheaper too...
MAtt
My first ever experience with a LFS was terrible. Despite a 2 hour acclimation, and completely cycled tank, I watched my first two clowns ($40.00 total) die within the first week! The LFS would not return calls or emails about it. Later I find out they were getting fish from a crappy local breeder and had stopped doing business with them. Me? Still out $40.00!!!!!!!
I was heartbroken to watch those cute things die! I then found a much better place, but stick to corals with them. I get my fish online from places with guarantees. I did get a strawberry baslet from the LFS that is doing great! But after my neon goby died, and had to deal with problems before he even went into his tank, thats the last fish I buy locally. That was A LOT of money down the drain as he was $20.00 and then I had to go out and buy meds and everything to treat him. Gosh what a waste of money. They dont guarantee anything, just offer low prices and know that 90% of the time things are better than anywhere else. Oh well...Corals only...
It IS hard to know if someone knew what they were doing or just tossed the fish into an uncycled tank. Id stick to selling on forums where you know you can trust, for the most part, the customers. Like you said, you cant absorb the hit when an idiot kills the fish.
LFS will have to figure out something to stay competitive! I have gotten my nicest stuff from online! MUCH cheaper too...
MAtt
mellowyellow
Aquarium Advice Freak
Dear Boxfish. I agree with you but never thought of it that way. I have a nice LFS in Dover, De that I've been buying from and I'll keep buying from her. It's a small store and of coursee she can't carry everyfish available but I'm thinking perhaps she could order me something if I don't see it in the store. Thanks.
MartinBlank
Aquarium Advice Freak
If I believed that any of my local fish stores cared about anything other than making the sale, believe me I would buy from them.
Actually that's not true. There is a LFS near where I work that I will buy fish from. Unfortunately he is a very tiny shop with very limited selection. I buy what I can from him, but the rest I plan on ordering from liveaquaria.
Actually that's not true. There is a LFS near where I work that I will buy fish from. Unfortunately he is a very tiny shop with very limited selection. I buy what I can from him, but the rest I plan on ordering from liveaquaria.
eric faatz
Aquarium Advice Freak
lfs
I've benn doing business with one local lfs for seven months now and had no problems.I call him and tell him what i want to order or i just stop in tell him and he will get it for me.he will hold the fish for me 2 weeks and then i go and check it out. i been with him and his wife since i got into sw.I'm not a big fan of buying fish online,i like to see what i'm getting upfront.JUST MY OPINION.
I've benn doing business with one local lfs for seven months now and had no problems.I call him and tell him what i want to order or i just stop in tell him and he will get it for me.he will hold the fish for me 2 weeks and then i go and check it out. i been with him and his wife since i got into sw.I'm not a big fan of buying fish online,i like to see what i'm getting upfront.JUST MY OPINION.
DragonFish71
Great white snark
This is a great post.
I'm a freshie, but even freshies might order online for some types of fish. I haven't yet, as I'm a bit nervous about it for one. Secondly the shipping is a bit steep for me. But I'm lucky enough to have 2 good LFS that will order a specific fish as long as it's something their many different suppliers have. These two stores are also good enough that if they get 2 bad batches, they find a new supplier.
I'm a freshie, but even freshies might order online for some types of fish. I haven't yet, as I'm a bit nervous about it for one. Secondly the shipping is a bit steep for me. But I'm lucky enough to have 2 good LFS that will order a specific fish as long as it's something their many different suppliers have. These two stores are also good enough that if they get 2 bad batches, they find a new supplier.
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
Shipping costs generally equal out to buying locally IF you can find a reputable local store. I have one when I started my tank, but when they went out of business the only lfs's I trust are an hour drive away. They don't offer any guarntee, though even those aren't worth much as shipping is not part of the guarantee.
boxfishlover
Aquarium Advice Regular
So how many of you that buy off the internet have read the fine print on your gaurentee? From what I can tell shipping is not covered for any replacement and in some cases shipping goes up on a replacement. Most of these internet sellers dont even have the fish when they sell them they wait for the order and then order it from a wholesaler. (IMO) it is only a matter of time until many of these places are exposed. I just got word today that my lfs is going out of business rather than try to compete online because they know the type of gaurentees out there are B.S. and they wont conduct business that way. I will now have to drive an hour to get live stock but will do that before trusting an unseen face or some guy in his basement reselling something he doesnt even have.
