Online Buying discussion

[Qasimja]

So ive been on the hunt for a pyramid butterfly fish, i think i found a source but it got me to looking around at most of the big name retail fish sites and most of them they have such a large minimum order and most even have a 10-15 dollar box charge included in the price do you find yourself not wanting to buy fish online anymore because of all this? i prefer buying locally but who can justify having to spend 150 dollars for a fish you would normally spend 50-60 on locally to get free shipping

 

[jordan10]

I have never done the online thing because of the shipping. I can get the same corals at swaps and my LFS will order me fish if I am looking for one. I just can't see spending that much on shipping then something goes wrong then u got deal with all of that headache.

 

[fish farmer]

I would be lucky to find a good selection of fish/corals locally.

I once drove 500 miles round trip for a selection of regal tangs to pick from. The price of gas for me would be around $50. That regal tang was $60 a long time ago, locally I've seen them around $150 recently...when they have them.

Coral selection is pretty meager for me, I buy most of my better corals online. I buy several items at a time to justify the shipping cost.

 

[jsvand5]

What sites are you shopping at that has a large minimum order? I can’t really think of any that do that I shop at.

 

[ZoWhat]

I once drove 500 miles round trip for a selection of regal tangs to pick from. The price of gas for me would be around $50.

How in the world did you get 500miles out of $50 worth of gas? Doesnt seem possible

 

[Qasimja]

What sites are you shopping at that has a large minimum order? I can’t really think of any that do that I shop at.

Liveaquaria for one they raised the minimum from 99 to 149 then they added a box fee of 10 dollars on top of that

 

[Qasimja]

Also blue zoo has a 140 minimum

 

[EMeyer]

Those aren't minimum orders, that's amount to hit free shipping

 

[S2G]

I try to avoid it but some fish like the one your wanting it's just unavoidable. So the question now is how bad do you want it? Lol

 

[Qasimja]

Those aren't minimum orders, that's amount to hit free shipping

Yea maybe I miswrote but that's what I meant the minimum order to get free shipping.

 

[S2G]

It might as well be a minimum by the time you buy your fish and get overnight shipping you'll be so close to it you might as well just add something to get free shipping.

 

[fish farmer]

How in the world did you get 500miles out of $50 worth of gas? Doesnt seem possible

500 miles at 20 miles to the gallon equals 25 gallons of gas. $2.60 local gas price times 25 equals $65.

I get better milage with my wifes car.

 

[dmh41532]

I've ordered online many times, when I lived in Pennsylvania, the closest stores were 2-3 hours away. by the time i paid for gas, which is expensive there, and then the tolls which could be $20, then the time there for a fish that they may not even have, it was far cheaper just to order online, even with the cost of shipping. i rarely order enough to get free shipping, but it was much more easier than wasting a day driving. all the times i ordered online, i had two clownfish doa. the store shipped them out to me the same day they came in. they refunded my money for the fish, and i never ordered from then again.

 

[JP Reef]

How in the world did you get 500miles out of $50 worth of gas? Doesnt seem possible

When I had my TDI VW Sportwagen I could get that easily. 50+ mpg made for very few trips to the gas station.