Buying Online Vs. Pet Store

[rpgmomma8404]

Would buying fish directly from the supplier be better then going to the pet store? I went to a petco today and it was probably the first one I've gone to in a long time that actually had a variety of platies and swordtails. Not just the normal ones you see all over the freaking place. I want a variety of colors. I thought about ordering online but I would have no idea where to even start. Any advice or information would be great. Which do you prefer to do??? I even looked at breeders around my area but most are breeding cichlids and pleco's which I am not interest it either of those right now. 

 

[the_lock_man]

I prefer to buy from a store for a few reasons - I can choose which individual specimens I want, I don't have to pay the delivery charge, and if the fish dies within a couple of days, I can usually get a free replacement, whereas most online merchants seem to only replace fish that are dead on arrival. Once you open the box, you're on your own.
 
I have bought online, where the fish I want haven't been available locally, one time everything was fine, the other the fish were all DOA.
 
You could also try Craigslist for local breeders, or indeed a hobbyist looking to get rid of their fish for whatever reason.

 

[frapadoodle]

Have not gone the online rout. As lock man says, I prefer to observe the fish before buying. And I do balk at shipping charges. Thought about it for plants, but when shipping is more than the plants themselves, well I just add them as I find them.
You could talk to clerks at local shops, some can tell you about local breeders, or try local aquarium/fish clubs.

 

[TallTree01]

I too prefer store bought for most fish. Why only most fish? Because I know of places where I can get rarer, healthier, cheaper fish online which I can't get at LFS. I would prefer shrimp too from an online seller. My LFS doesn't stock shrimp that are healthy or cheap. A site called aquagreen sells great shrimp. Well, they did 3 years ago..
But for most fish, LFS is better. Why? Because I can be pretty sure they are healthy, I can see the premises on which they're kept and it doesn't take as long to get them to my tank.

 

[fluttermoth]

I agree that it is better to buy your fish from shops, if you can. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with buying online either, if that's the only way you can get what you want

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I go LFS whenever possible... I like to see what I am purchasing.  
 
Nothing wrong with online purchases, but its rarely WYSIWYG. 

 

[TwoTankAmin]

In 13 years of buying fish I can honestly say i have purchased fewer than 5% of my fish in retail stores. I will not take free fish from pet stores. I buy directly from small importers and breeders and occasionally plain old hobbyists. many such sellers also allow for pickups and on a number of occasions I have used this option
 
Normally inexpensive fish do not make sense to ship since the cost of the shipping will exceed the cost of the fish.
 
I have always received replacements, refunds or credit for DOAs and many sellers will replaced fish that die within 24 hours. As a shipper I have also always replaced any DOAs without question. But that is just me. I take pride in the fish I breed and expect anybody receiving them to be 100% satisfied or they will be allowed to return the fish at my cost for a full refund. So far no takers.
 
The real challenge is to discover from whom to buy what to insure you always receive live healthy fish as described.

 

[CJH0825]

I have bought plants online from liveaquaria.com. There are many groups on facebook ( ie, California cichlid breeders, cichlid classified usa) that have many breeders on them. Another good one is Aquabid.com. Ebay sometimes has good deals. I get my fish from one lfs and no one else personally. Unfortunately, The fish I am trying to get now, I have no choice but to order online.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Did you ask your LFS if they would order the fish for you?

 

[CJH0825]

Did you ask your LFS if they would order the fish for you?

Are you asking me?!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Yup.