Buying fish online

[JohnMzreef]

I have only tried it once and it was a bad experience.
Last black friday I purchased a supposedly aquacultured rainford goby from pacific east aquaculture. The fish would never take to prepared food, ate up all the pods in my tank, and slowly withered away over the course of 3 months. When I complained to this seller I was only met with defensiveness.
Moral of the story - buy fish at your lfs. They have a real interest in making you into a happy, returning customer. You can go there and actually see the fish, not just how it looks but how it swims and acts. You can ask to see it fed. You can watch it over the course of weeks (as long as someone else doesn't buy it!)

 

[ahiggins]

We don’t have an lfs around here though so I get your sentiment but some do t have the option right now I’m searching for an online fish place too.

 

[Steve Blum]

I HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO ADD. I HAVE LOST A HETEROXENIA POLYP WHICH WAS SENT BY DD, AND A ROCK ANEMONE, EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT A LEATHER IS DYING. THE HETEROXENIA WAS A REAL JOKE OF A SPECIMEN. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN YOU BUY SALE ITEMS FROM LA AND DD YOU GET CORALS THAT ARE DYING AND ALL THE CRAP THAT IS BAD.

 

[Steve Blum]

I have only tried it once and it was a bad experience.
Last black friday I purchased a supposedly aquacultured rainford goby from pacific east aquaculture. The fish would never take to prepared food, ate up all the pods in my tank, and slowly withered away over the course of 3 months. When I complained to this seller I was only met with defensiveness.
Moral of the story - buy fish at your lfs. They have a real interest in making you into a happy, returning customer. You can go there and actually see the fish, not just how it looks but how it swims and acts. You can ask to see it fed. You can watch it over the course of weeks (as long as someone else doesn't buy it!)

YOU ARE SO CORRECT

 

[paphater]

I HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO ADD. I HAVE LOST A HETEROXENIA POLYP WHICH WAS SENT BY DD, AND A ROCK ANEMONE, EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT A LEATHER IS DYING. THE HETEROXENIA WAS A REAL JOKE OF A SPECIMEN. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN YOU BUY SALE ITEMS FROM LA AND DD YOU GET CORALS THAT ARE DYING AND ALL THE CRAP THAT IS BAD.

Steve this about fish, you bought coral.

 

[Steve Blum]

He’s got some beautiful fish thanks for the recommendation

Yes The Owner is Elliott Lam; I have not bought yet no reviews and the business is small. He has no policy on Dead Fish or guarantee. He personally told me he has never sold a fish that died in transit. He was very pleasant and I have conversed with him several times on messenger

 

[Steve Blum]

Steve this about fish, you bought coral.

Sorry it came to my site and I thought it was for me

 

[Tamberav]

I have good luck with Divers Den and LA. Sometimes there is a loss but not too often. I mostly buy fish and inverts there. I bought a sun coral off Divers Den and they were excellent specimens that fit the WYSIWYG. It started opening immediately.

I would only buy coral from the DD side, the LA side has some small frags for certain corals, they were small before Petco bought them. The ORA stuff is probably fine since it ships from ORA.

These are just some of my fish from them. Three from DD and three from LA.

MVIMG_20190621_025630 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-20_01-09-41 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-18_12-19-59 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
MVIMG_20190620_213439 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
MVIMG_20190620_212339 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-20_01-10-26 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-20_01-10-56 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr

 

[w2inc]

I only buy online when I am making bulk purchases. I have used Live Aquaria, Blue Zoo, and KP aquatics.

I now only buy through Live Aquaria and KP. Live Aquaria is some times as expensive as the LFS, but their guarantee is pretty incredible. No shipping cost if over $100 (I think). Your shipment comes with a discount coupon that has to be used in a months time. I have gotten weak or dying fish from them and they always credit the money back with no issues as long as I follow the rules. I have never brought in a pathogen from them.

I like KP because it is just two people who dive and collect. You have to pay shipping, but their prices are pretty amazing. I don't know the guarantee they offer and have never received sick, or unhealthy stock from them.

For special order large purchases, (20+ animals) I recently have used a LFS. One shop cut the price significantly if I pre order and take the fish home straight out of the box. That saves them money and risk. The other LFS won't do it.

There is a vendor review section on this forum. Check that out and see who has good feedback for online stuff.

 

[tbare89]

I've bought from Live Aquaria probably 6 times in the past year and have had good luck.

 

[Silver14SS]

My personal preference is to keep all captive bred animals. I've ordered ORA fish through Live Aquaria and Sustainable Aquatics fish from Coral Reef Tn with great results.

 

[Bill Hogan]

good morning ! Just sitting having my coffee break and working up a stock list for a tank that’s in the works. How many of you buy your fish online ? I don’t know if your allowed to recommend places on the forum. The divers den has some very nice fish. And pre quarantine?! I have a QT set up anyways. I have plenty experience on buying fish online (freshwater) and had some awesome luck and some very bad luck. I fortunately I have no lfs in my area that I know of as reputable.

I have 2 great LFSs near me, (sorry you do not) however I have purchased several times from Live Aquaria and their Diver's Den and have had no problems. Blue Zoo has also been great, my only problem with them is my FedEx driver is a real jerk!! Carrying the box upside-down etc. I'm sure he tosses them around all trip as well. I tend to pick LA over them for that reason alone. My UPS driver is terrific. He understands these are living things that need to be treated gently. Fish from both LA and BZA have lived for years for me.

 

[Bill Hogan]

I have good luck with Divers Den and LA. Sometimes there is a loss but not too often. I mostly buy fish and inverts there. I bought a sun coral off Divers Den and they were excellent specimens that fit the WYSIWYG. It started opening immediately.

I would only buy coral from the DD side, the LA side has some small frags for certain corals, they were small before Petco bought them. The ORA stuff is probably fine since it ships from ORA.

These are just some of my fish from them. Three from DD and three from LA.

MVIMG_20190621_025630 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-20_01-09-41 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-18_12-19-59 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
MVIMG_20190620_213439 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
MVIMG_20190620_212339 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-20_01-10-26 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr
2019-05-20_01-10-56 by Tana Jahangier, on Flickr

Great pics! And that's a beautiful Starki.

 

[dwest]

I buy online mostly for LA. My success rate went up dramatically after I started matching my QT specific gravity to theirs. ( it’s very low compared to mine)

 

[Julie kerley]

I use live aquaria, fishy business aquati s, and saltwater fish.com. all have been great. In 2 yearsof ordering thousands of dollars of fish and corals, I only lost a couple fish and they were replaced

 

[brad shawn]

@Julie kerley Good to know thank you. Again it’s always a gamble I’ve lost whole orders of fish at times. It happens. I’d much rather give my money to a LFS but the nearest one to me is an hour away I’ll be going there but I know for a fact they aren’t cheap I’ve been there many times. It’s located in a ritzy town. I have blue collar money lol.