Buying Fish

[omega59]

What is your idea of buying fish online? will the fish be stressed or die?

 

[kewskills]

i know people that have brought online with no problems with delivery etc and the fish were perfectly fine, personaly i prefer to actually see the fish i am buying first so i tend to steer clear of online purchasing

 

[omega59]

oh i see. what if i'am not home and they deliver the fish to postoffice where they end up closed lol.

 

[invader]

I have bought fish online without a problem. The fish are usually better quality than the ones in the stores. Also, you have more choices than you would waiting for the fish to come in the store.

 

[Meds081603]

I'm all for buying online. Only trouble is the shipping can get pricey.

 

[ollyhtafc]

I think it's pricey in general...in shops round here you can buy 5 tetra's for a few pound whereas online they'll be about £1.99 each.

 

[Inchworm]

Most lfs only stock certain species of fish that they know they can sell and that are within a certain price range. This eliminates almost all the rest of the wild caught fish that may appear, from time to time, at the distributors or importers.

Aside from getting them from someone who has bred them, perhaps at a fish society auction, your only option is to buy them online and have them delivered by carrier or through the mail.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

You just have to get them from a good site.

 

[Scotty001]

I have been considering buying some fish from online. Most online sellers describe how the fish will be packed and sent, most of them ship via next day by noon delivery and from what i can see will contact you to confirm you will be at home to collect them.

Shipping generally seems to be £10, i would suggest when you order online try calling their contact number, asking if the package will be marked "LIVE FISH" so the currier doesn't just pick the box up and run with it.

From what Ive seen packaging seems to be double bagged in breathable bags, then wrapped in paper placed on-top of a heat pad placed into a snug fitting polystyrene box which is then placed inside a cardboard box marked LIVE FISH.

Id presume a reputable online shop will use a currier that is aware of the contents and treat them as needed. Almost all online stores offer a DOA (dead on arrival) replacement and if they had allot of this it would be costing them a fortune & people wouldn't go back to them.

At the end of the day whether online bought or LFS bought the fish have to be in transit on British roads by currier.

 

[Squidman]

i dont think its a good idea. I think they will die some how or something will happen. I may be wrong though

 

[oddball_lover]

To be honest, the process of the fish being delivered to your house via courier is pretty much exactly the same process that fish would go through anyway from supplier to shop...or indeed, shop to your house. Except shop to your house may be shorter, but they may not be packaged quite so well

Basically, I have no problem with it, so long as the online shop is a reputable one, with a reliable courier and good packaging.

 

[omega59]

so what are some online shops to orer fish, that sounds odd lol

 

[dwarfgourami]

Oddball has summed it up neatly: in terms of transport stress to the fish, there is no difference! In fact, if you buy online from a breeder, the fish will suffer fewer transports and less stress than if you buy it from a shop. Remember the fish you see in the shop have usually been flown in from somewhere like Singapore, unpacked at a warehouse, then repacked for transport to the lfs, which may be at the other end of the country.

As for you not being at home, no reputable online seller will agree to deliver except at a time when you have promised to be at home. At least here in the uk, delivery is often done by courier.

Afraid I don't know anything about online fish shops in Canada. I've ordered fish online here in the uk, both from breeders and from an online shop. My next online order will probably be from a very reputable lfs in London: I reckon it's better for the fish to be sent down by courier than to travel down with me on the train!

 

[omega59]

yes, i woul dhave to take the local transportation which is terrible here, and they would probably die due to no air.. i coul dopen the bag mid-way but i don't trust it haha.

 

[Meds081603]

I've ordered from liveaquaria with no issues. Cheap prices, fast shipping, good customer service, WELL packed fish. Each fish or pair had their own bag. They were triple bagged. They had metal hog clips sealing the bags. All the bags were together inside a thick insulated bag which was inside the cardboard box. There were heatpacks in between the bags. No complaints from me!