online livestock sources

[crazyred]

I'm trying to compile tons of online livestock resources so that I have many to choose from. I don't have a lot available to me through my LFS (they said they can order stuff that I want, but there's too much red-tape involved ). So, having said all that, please share your online resources for livestock good and bad experiences. It will help me, and hopefully other hobbyists, a lot when looking to purchase something for our tanks. Thanks!

 

[Tiffi]

If you order online you don't see the actual specimen you pay for. You don't see if they are actually healthy, nicely colored, if the fins are intact etc. Further, it can be quite expensive (shipping costs).

On the other hand, they will not be transported to the fishstore and then to you but straight to you.

I would always prefer to get some that I can see and judge before buying.

 

[Snuffleupagus]

I have so far had good experiences buying directly from other aquarists/small companies using aquabid.com. The site could use some work, but it does its job. This has several advantages, including that in many cases you can at least see a picture of the item/critter actually in question, so that Tiffi's concern isn't always a problem. You also have to worry less about strange diseases and the like piggybacking in, though of course that's still always a possibility.

 

[crazyred]

Well, unless I want platies, mollies, common plecos, or goldfish for the rest of my life I have no choice. The 2 (yes, only two) LFS around here keep only the most common of the commons because that's what the 'majority' want, and that's what they sell. The one LFS that offered to order fish for me says that they can't sell interesting, little known fish because they just sit in the tanks. If they order something for me then it's the same thing, I can't pick it out myself, so I would be in the same boat. I thought this thread would be a great way for those of us that are VERY limited on what's available to us to get informed by others on where they have successfully bought livestock.

I would always prefer to see what I'm buying too, but in some parts of the country, that's just not possible.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I know exactly where you are coming from CrazyRed. The lfs (only three) in our area only sell the common fish. If you want a BN pleco you need to drive quite a distance. I was shocked when I saw that one had a Killifish. Apparently it had been sent by mistake and they only received one. They say that they will special order, but it never pans out. When we purchased the 150 gal tank we were planning on stocking it with very colorful African Cichlids. We picked out 15 from the book and they said they would have them by Tuesday and they would order 4 at a time for us as we requested. Tuesday came and went and finally 12 weeks later I received a call and was informed that they had 1 of my fish in stock. Of course by then the tank was fully stocked. We had to drive 4 hours to a fish store to find one that was decent. It can be very frustrating unless you live in a large city. The lfs in our area doesn't even sell African Cichlids!

I have heard good things about aquabid. I personally have never purchased livestock online just because of the cost of shipping. But like you said, sometimes you don't have the option of purchasing locally. Best of luck!

 

[Guest]

http://www.fish2u.com/

i have ordered from that site with wonderful results. And they have good customer service as well.

 

[crazyred]

Thanks FishyFanatic, it is very frustrating to have such limited stock available; I share your pain. I'm getting ready to set up a 55 and it is going to be quite costly, I fear, to stock it the way I want to. I'm going to have "special" order everything. I want to live where some of these other people live that just stroll into the LFS a lo and behold there are german blue rams for sale......the world would end before that would ever happen down here. LOL....I do like aquabid, that's where I got my 2 hillstream loaches. I shop there a lot.

AshleyNicole, thank you for letting me know about your experience with that site!! I have seen it and have been eyeballing some blue acaras on there. That's why I set this thread up, I need to know where people have ordered fish and had a good experience. I appreciate it very much.