Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Pet Shops and Product Reviews => Buying Tropical Fish Online => Topic started by: Rustle on August 02, 2017, 06:34:55 PM

Title: Buying fish online - Best Place to Buy tropical fish online
Post by: Rustle on August 02, 2017, 06:34:55 PM
Hi all i am just wondering if anyone actually buy tropical fish online and where. I would not usually go down this route but the place i use dont do albino cherry barbs.

I have read some reviews on some places but they are not that encouraging.
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: Matt on August 02, 2017, 06:43:24 PM
Whilst I'm about to not answer your question... (sorry!)

Have you considered asking them to get this fish in for you.  I have done this in the past and provided you can give the scientific name they will generally be more than happy to help.
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: Sue on August 02, 2017, 07:01:22 PM
I agree with Matt especially if you have Maidenhead Aquatics within travelling distance as that's where I got mine. I know from previous experience that MA can only order fish from The List, so albino cherry barbs should be on The List if I got some from a branch of MA. (the chap at my MA always said the words with capitals  :) )


There are a few drawbacks to ordering on-line.
The postage is almost as much as the fish because they have to use licensed couriers, though a lot use cheaper postage for inverts.
Their water might be very different from yours meaning it will be harder to acclimatise the fish/shrimps etc.
You can't chose the ones you want, you get what they send. And some of the albino cherry barbs in the tank at my MA looked decidedly iffy. Not to mention that in person you can say x males and y females.
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: Rustle on August 03, 2017, 06:05:21 AM
Yeah i was dubious about buying online but i wanted to explore all avenues. I have got an MA by me but the last time i went there i noticed a few dead fish in different tanks and that put me off. My usual place were a bit evasive and said it was unlikely they would be able to order any in as it was not a big enough numbers to make it pay.

I think i will ask a different person next time tho.

Thanks for the advice.
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: Littlefish on August 03, 2017, 08:03:23 AM
I have previously ordered specific fish from the local MA and they were very helpful.
I have not previously ordered fish online, but I know people who have used Kesgrave Tropicals. They had the hillstream loaches & rainbow shiners that I wanted for the river tank, so I've ordered through their online store, but they are only just over an hour away, so I've arranged to collect, and plan to have a look at the fish before taking them.
As for your local MA having dead fish in their tanks, that is not uncommon. If you consider the amount of stock that they have, and the amount of deliveries/recently arrived/quarantine fish in their systems, even if only a tiny percent of the stock dies, as there are thousands of fish in any store, you will see a few. They are usually pretty good at removing deceased fish, but I guess if they are having a busy day a few fish could pass during the day and not be removed in a timely manner.
I hope that you manage to get hold of the fish that you want.
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: MarquisMirage on August 03, 2017, 10:18:37 PM
The only online purchase I have been 100% satisfied with was from Pier Aquatics.  Check out their facebook page.  Great service and what a selection of fish!

I got a bunch of forktail blue eye rainbowfish and 6 peacock goby from Kesgrave (via eBay).  Nine of the forktails died within a couple of weeks before I got the right meds for them.  They were barely more than fry.  When I called them about the fish dying they weren't very sympathetic.  I had called them in advance and asked for a mix of 2 male and 4 female peacock goby but received only males.  So not a great order all around.

I topped off the forktails from Prestwood PetZone (online website).  No issues with the fish but they were a bit pricey.  Would use again.

18 super blue emperor tetra and 18 Green Fire Bloodfin Tetra were ordered from Sweet Knowle Aquatics (online website).  Two of the super blue emperor tetra have died and currently I have 3 with swim bladder issues.  I'm willing to put this down to water quality and I'm working on improving it.  Still, as nothing else is getting ill I question how sturdy these fish are.  No problems at all with the Green Fire Bloodfins.  I would use them again as I won't blame them for the genetics of the super blues.

6 Apistogramme Agassizii Tefe Red/Blue from Apisto Aquatics (facebook).  A female died within the first week.  I enquired about purchasing a female separately but was told I'd need to buy a pair.  The communication was good but I was left a bit confused as to the exact species of fish I had.  I would use again but only if I had 100% knowledge of what I was buying.

Living in Northumberland anything outside some basic fish from Pets@Home would need to be ordered in.  All of the fish, no matter where they were from, were well packed.
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: Rustle on August 04, 2017, 10:53:12 AM
Well that was not very productive yesterday' I went back to my LFS and asked another person about the albino's and once again a blank stare on the face of the sales person and a we do not do those and wont be getting any in.

I rang my local MA which is at my local garden centre and they told me they had some and would get some in for me if they did't have any at the time.

So thanks again for the advice everyone and thank you for that online place  marquismirage

 
Title: Re: Buying fish online
Post by: mizuti on August 05, 2017, 09:10:42 PM
Not bought online, but pier aquatics is my lfs, the fish there are very healthy and the place is spotless. I won't get fish from anywhere else now.  I've even heard that people do an overnight trip to get fish from there.