Local or online

[Calebb8133]

Hi fellow Floridians I am pretty new to the hobby and I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to get fish? I like marine warehouse but have had several bad experiences with them and others like Coral Reef Aquariums and Corals and Fins. I have not tried Coral Corral, or creative aquariums and would be open to try them if I hear good things about them. I am leaning more towards ordering online through live aquaria and have heard some good thing about them from this site but someone I met in key west who takes care of the aquarium there didn’t suggest them to strongly. Any preferences? What has been your experiences with these various places.

 

[jt17]

Try Fish and another Ichthy Stuff on Oldsmar. He quarantines most of his fish before they go into the main system for sale. You may pay a little more for the fish but to me it’s worth it to get healthy fish.

 

[Calebb8133]

Try Fish and another Ichthy Stuff on Oldsmar. He quarantines all his fish before they go into the main system for sale. You may pay a little more for the fish but to me it’s worth it to get healthy fish.

Ok so I won’t have to QT them when I get them from him?

 

[jt17]

Ok so I won’t have to QT them when I get them from him?

You should still QT. Even if it’s just for observation with no meds. I like to expose the new fish to my display tank water in qt for a few weeks to ensure they’re immune to any pathogens that may be in my system.

Coral Coral is really close to there too so you can check out 2 LFS in one trip.

 

[Calebb8133]

You should still QT. Even if it’s just for observation with no meds. I like to expose the new fish to my display tank water in qt for a few weeks to ensure they’re immune to any pathogens that may be in my system.

Coral Coral is really close to there too so you can check out 2 LFS in one trip.

Ok have u tried online?

 

[jt17]

I haven’t ordered fish online. Corals I have bought many but fish I like to see eat before I buy and that can only be done in person. I also want to see the animals behavior. I don’t want a bully nor a wimp. I want a fish that can get along with others.
I also like to support the brick and mortar shops who do things the right way. If you get a sick fish in the mail then you either have to qt and buy meds to treat or ship it back which is very stressful on an already sick animal.
That’s just my opinion. There are many who have had good results buying online, this is just the way I prefer to buy fish.

 

[dbjonesjr]

I'm not in your area but I will say that personally I have had better luck ordering from LiveAquaria than one of my LFS. However it is dependent on the LFS so you may want to keep trying. Plus their free shipping threshold is fairly low compared to many other sites.

 

[Mark.red]

+1 live aquaria and coral corral. They both have great customer service and warranty

 

[Hyde2406]

I've been to creative aquariums multiple times. They are very nice, have good prices, and the young kid was always helpful. That was over a year ago since I stopped working in Tampa... I'm in Sarasota now frag freaks is my go to store for this area. I've ordered online many times usually it works out but keep your expectations low. I've had very good luck with kp aquatics, most other places online have just been ok... Good luck

 

[Gator777]

WWC in Orlando has excellent coral and is the real deal