online fish store

[Never too many fish]

Hi there
I am fairly new here. I am looking for suggestions for online fish stores people have used to buy fish in Ontario, Canada.
Thanks!

 

[GaryE]

"Fish". It's an enormous category. What types of fish are you after?

 

[Never too many fish]

I am looking for freshwater fish for a 29 gallon community tank. it has a sand substrate, dragon stone and plants.

 

[GaryE]

A good source for South American fish is Maison du Poisson in Quebec. For general fishfarm stuff, angelfins in southern Ontario have been good.

 

[omega59]

What i usually do is look locally bc shipping is expensive and now with tariffs they may not mail. I know its USA only, but some companies are getting iffy. Go to google Maps type in Pet Store, Fish Store etc see whats local to you, and help a local owned business that's Canadian. A lot of times they may also order in what you need.

 

[Never too many fish]

Thanks for your help.

 

[GaryE]

It really depends where you are, and if there are any 'real' aquarium stores around you. The two I suggested are pretty good, but a lot of sellers offer the same fish as the chain stores. I would never buy any fish online if I could go to a store and see it. Both Angelfins and Maison du Poisson often have things good local stores don't.
You can check for diseases and parasites, see if they look healthy, and see their size at a store. Online, you have to trust the person who packs, whose name you don't know and whose face you'll never see.

Don't even look at the US stores. The border is slow, the paperwork is slower (and sometimes has extra charges) and the tariffs are real. You don't want fish sitting in a depot - the faster you get them, the better they survive.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

IMO I actually trust online fish retailers a bit more than a LFS and certainly more than big box stores, here's why.
A LFS sells tanks, filters, other equipment and supplies. That makes up the bulk of their sales and the actual fish themselves are a small part of sales with not a lot of margin built in.

An online fish seller ONLY sells fish. If that's all they do they are much more likely to really take care of those fish including quarantine new arrivals. Their entire business is built upon delivering good quality fish and gaining a good reputation for doing so. This is a niche hobby and word travels fast if a vendor consistently delivers dead and or unhealthy fish. They won't stay in business for very long.

Now look who shops at these places. A brick and mortar LFS has people walk in off the street. New hobbyists, or people that have never kept fish before or some peeps that just have their one betta or some tetras and that as far as they go. Online vendors are specialty shops that really cater to more advanced hobbyists like ourselves and others that would actually take the time to participate in online forums. Probably like 10%, maybe 20% of the hobby.
If you asked the newb who just purchased their tank, they probably have no idea you can buy fish online and have them shipped to you.
There is value in seeing the fish with your own eyes and seeing they appear healthy, on that I agree. Therr is also value in joining a local fish club. There are always auctions, swaps, trades going on at fish clubs. Fish grown by dedicated hobbyists. That's honestly where your best fish are going to come from.