Import your own

[Conrad Noto]

Does anyone (USA) import their own fish, coral, live rock? I've found a few exporters $200-$600 per box to LAX international includes cites, plus shipping from LAX to your local airport, plus price of livestock. Everything is repacked at LAX, Oxygenated and packed with heat/cold packs. Start in price from .30 cents...few examples: green chromis .60 cents, blue faced angel med 4-6 '' $48.00.... Asst.Acros small $18.00 2-4'', 28.00 med 4-6'' $39.00 large 6-8'
If you have imported, Were you happy with process? Happy with what you recieved? Where from? Exporter you would recommend?

 

[Doctorgori]

I haven’t but in the past I’ve been on Forums that did group bulk purchases... not to side track but evolve:
to me what you are proposing falls right in line with a group thing and viable if the scale/quantity justifies the overhead

 

[jpas]

I have looked into it but never pulled the trigger. We’re you looking at USA livestock or someone else?

 

[AcroNem]

I import consistently, and have for years. But I also am working on a business now so I don't use third party importers. There are many places that will order you in a box of stuff, and many of them all come from the same importers. I'll explain more about it, and don't mean to discourage but just to tell it how it is with importing.
First, those prices are pretty high, 600 is stupid high. These places that sell trans ship boxes to hobbyists tack on a big commission to the inbound freight and to livestock. With their bump in livestock prices and import charges once you get to 300-400+ then paying FOB freight to whatever airline you get it from at your airport, plus mortalities you're paying close to retail or more.
Now there's other questions such as,
Can you handle 20, 30, 40fish at once? Can you acclimate and quarantine that many? Can you provide enough live foods if they don't take to frozen? Not a single wild fish I've dealt with(skin scrape or internals always has something) has come in clean, and being packed into a closed system can make for a disaster, so they need special attention. I've worked very hard to get mortality rates quite low, but it isn't hard to lose half a box of newly imported specimens. Between their long shipment (well, 2 shipments back to back) ammonia exposure, and stress of collection a week ago being packed into holding systems they're incredibly touchy and risk of illness and death on arrival is high. People think getting "new" fish from the LFS or an online shipment to eat is hard sometimes, many of these fish just barely hit an actual aquarium and many will need live foods to think about eating and then will need to be weaned. It's pretty difficult.
So if you have the experience and equipment to handle a box or more of fresh imports and are able to find a place that has a fair price then the choice is up to you, but overall it's a lot more difficult than regular online orders.

 

[Conrad Noto]

I have looked into it but never pulled the trigger. We’re you looking at USA livestock or someone else?

Yes, USA livestock is one of them, few others. I just browsed. I need to read them through and get more information.

 

[Conrad Noto]

I import consistently, and have for years. But I also am working on a business now so I don't use third party importers. There are many places that will order you in a box of stuff, and many of them all come from the same importers. I'll explain more about it, and don't mean to discourage but just to tell it how it is with importing.
First, those prices are pretty high, 600 is stupid high. These places that sell trans ship boxes to hobbyists tack on a big commission to the inbound freight and to livestock. With their bump in livestock prices and import charges once you get to 300-400+ then paying FOB freight to whatever airline you get it from at your airport, plus mortalities you're paying close to retail or more.
Now there's other questions such as,
Can you handle 20, 30, 40fish at once? Can you acclimate and quarantine that many? Can you provide enough live foods if they don't take to frozen? Not a single wild fish I've dealt with(skin scrape or internals always has something) has come in clean, and being packed into a closed system can make for a disaster, so they need special attention. I've worked very hard to get mortality rates quite low, but it isn't hard to lose half a box of newly imported specimens. Between their long shipment (well, 2 shipments back to back) ammonia exposure, and stress of collection a week ago being packed into holding systems they're incredibly touchy and risk of illness and death on arrival is high. People think getting "new" fish from the LFS or an online shipment to eat is hard sometimes, many of these fish just barely hit an actual aquarium and many will need live foods to think about eating and then will need to be weaned. It's pretty difficult.
So if you have the experience and equipment to handle a box or more of fresh imports and are able to find a place that has a fair price then the choice is up to you, but overall it's a lot more difficult than regular online orders.

I was thinking more coral than fish. I certainly would set up QT Vats ahead of time. I've worked at wholesaler warehouse, marine shops and exotic animal rescues, can handle incoming, I keep full medicine cabnit of bird/reptile/fish antibiotics and meds. Some of the high end frags are 1k now, also many less commonly found corals/fish are available on import list. I'm definitely going to give it a try in near future. Will need many lights...…maybe used on ebay.

 

[AcroNem]

I was thinking more coral than fish. I certainly would set up QT Vats ahead of time. I've worked at wholesaler warehouse, marine shops and exotic animal rescues, can handle incoming, I keep full medicine cabnit of bird/reptile/fish antibiotics and meds. Some of the high end frags are 1k now, also many less commonly found corals/fish are available on import list. I'm definitely going to give it a try in near future. Will need many lights...…maybe used on ebay.

That's good you have experience, and for what corals go for now if you can get some good ones in a box it may be worth it. There is still the issue of mortality with corals and they need some TLC as they acclimate to aquariums, but go for it if you have the ability.