Online Fish stores.

[se7en2686]

So I've been thinking of ordering a few fish online. I'm worried as i don't know anyone thats done this and I'm not sure if its worth the 30 Dollar Shipping fee's. I've only got 3 pet stores near me Pet-smart Petco and a private little mom n pop shop that's over n hour away lol. Anyhow should i drive the hour when or more when i need fish or order online? as Pet-Smart only has normal everyday fish and I'm looking for more then that.
The Fish im looking for Possibly (i was yelled at for not useing the "Real Names" so ill also post those lol
African Butterfly (Pantodon buchholzi)
Fire Eel (Mastacembelus erthrotaenia)
Tire track Eel (Mastacembelus armatus)
Convict Cichlids (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) I know they have these at Petsmart but they never look healthy to me
and several other odds n ends. No these will not be in the same tank together. Im Pulling together a
Homemade tank. i would like to build a Wood tank with one window. thinking 6ft long 3ft tall 3ft wide..
planning on making my own Lighting system and have an open top so that i can have flowering plants above.

 

[nanu156]

Ok, well convicts are really hearty and easy to find, should also be really cheap, i would not pay to ship them, just QT the newbies for a week or so to make sure they aren't sick. They do tend to fight and murder one another... so you should be aware of that.

Honestly an hour drive is a pain but seeing the fish you are getting before you get them is the way to go. I would call the shop have them order your fish in then go down to get them instead of paying the shipping fees. Online orders are often DOA. Especially in this heat or the cold.

Live arrival guarantees are out there but they require that you get the shipment on UPS's first attempt and photograph the dead fish with in 1 hour and email the photo to the seller. If you miss UPS no more guarantee.. If they are just in bad shape no guarantee, oh and the refunds are only for the fish cost not the shipping.

I would have the shop order them in, then stall for a few days to make sure they acclimate after the shipping before you go get your fish.

 

[se7en2686]

wow i did not know that about the guarantee.. thanks alot! also seems like less chance for me to be burnt on cash.

 

[nanu156]

oh and by the way, it's likely that the reason you see the convicts at the store looking crappy is because they fight... they fight a lot... your convicts will also fight...

Yeah most sellers have a guarantee but not all. Read the ad closely. USPS also does some shipping. Depending on what you order its likely that your shipping will cost more then the fish you order unless you are ordering something really pricey...

Again i think it's a huge waste to order convicts, they aren't real likely to show up better looking then the ones you see at the LFS... They breed like rabbits too.. like think thousands of babies inside of a year... few hundred a batch, a new batch every 3-4 weeks.

You will likely be burned on the shipping fee, sellers don't refund for shipping generally unless otherwise noted. So I mean it's your call... again it's only a refund on DOA typically not died 2 hours after arrival... Given what you are looking for I would just drive the hour....

 

[KcMopar]

Use your local people if you can. Most small shops will order your fish with theirs saving you money. They also usually have good and honest advise. nanu156 is dead on with this advice as well.

 

[se7en2686]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I found a great cichlid wholesaler near me so as long as all goes well I'll be buying from him only when I get to my pc I'll put his business name n such up for those Ohio people out there.

 

[Lotus]

I've done all three methods (ordering online, driving a few hours, having an independent store get certain fish in). They all work. I much prefer to be able to see the fish I'm buying. The reputable online retailers sell high-quality stock, though. I'd avoid any site or vendor I'm not 100 percent confidant in.

If you do order online, you usually have to pay more for Saturday delivery or you must be home during the week to accept the fish. I had fish delivered to my place of work and then taken them home right away (it wasn't a strict office, so that was fine). I personally wouldn't order livestock in the summer because even if they're well packed if something goes wrong, you could end up with dead fish. Ordering in fall or spring is a safer option, IMO. I've received a shipment of fish that had some problems, and dealing with dead/dying fish in bags isn't fun.