Would you buy fish without a guarantee...

[Teelie]

One of the shops here sells their fish for cheaper, not a lot cheaper and in fact some are still more expensive than other shops, but they do have fish that are a bargain if you take the risk. So would you buy cheaper fish from an LFS without a return guarantee? They check their fish daily for disease and signs of illness so they at least do that much.

Personally, it depends on the fish I'm buying, how much and how many. They had some cories for $2 where most of the places here sell them for $3-3.50. Was tempted to buy them but held off until I had my current quarantine bunch cleared.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Only if you were to buy in bulk, but a disease would kill them all.

The only risks I have taken were with Walmart for my female betta and my female gourami. the only place I could find them...

 

[Dwarfs]

I've never had guarantees on my fish, but they barely ever die, except for strange disease/parasite infections (nematodes)

 

[cometcattle]

Yes, I have never returned a dead fish to a lfs in my life.

But, I have returned dead ones to Petsmart and petco.

If you buy healthy stock, and know what your doing, fish rarely die, IMO.

 

[Dwarfs]

But, I have returned dead ones to Petsmart and petco.

Makes sense Most petcos sell fish that die when you least expect it...usually soon after being brought home

 

[Teelie]

I've had mixed success with fish from every local shop or Wal-Mart, PetCo, etc. Sometimes the hardiest fish I get come from Wal-Mart or PetCo and sometimes it's a local speciality shop.

This place is one I've never bought fish from though I have gotten free snails before (all still alive breeding under the sand and above it). It's tempting for me to get those Cories as I want some different stock to breed with the ones I have now.

 

[Angry_Platy]

None of my LFSs offer guarantees on their fish....

I never put a new fish into my tank without quarantining them first

 

[Teelie]

All but the one LFS I mentioned have guarantees as does PetCo and Wal-Mart. It's the exception to the rule around here.

 

[Tolak]

I do at auctions, fish are so cheap. They get a 4 week quar.

Tolak

 

[Def]

The difference between $2 and $3 is so neglible, I don't see why you'd take the perceived risk. In UK terms it's about 60p...

 

[Kittycat]

None of the stores I know have any guarantee whatsoever. I just make sure to quarantine. But then I don't usually buy expensive species...

 

[vdan]

Very few around here do. The only store that does is petsmart. There is one other one to but it is only 24 hours with a water test. I just make sure they look in good shape and I ask them to feed the fish I am going to buy. If they eat then I get them.

 

[FishDan]

The store I primarily purchase from (a LFS) has a 24 hour guarantee, but a 7 day if you bring your water in to be tested. This is nice, but I have never once needed to bring a dead fish back there. A couple of the other LFSs I use do not have guarantees, and I have never had dead fish from these stores either. Personally, if the stock in the store looks good, and seems healthy then I don't see that there is a risk when buying a fish without a guarantee.

\Dan

 

[David]

My LFS doesn't have a guarantee, and they always sell healthy fish. Petco does have a guarantee, but they have the crappiest stock around. I don't get it...

 

[enchanted]

I think the question should be "Do you normally return dead fish?".

I believe the LFS I use has a guarantee, but I don't know. Simple reason, I don't return the fish.

If I were buying Discuss or something such as that, I would because of the cost. But when I'm buying fish at about $5.00 or less I'm not worrying about it. Now, if I purchased 4 or 5 and they all died I might.

But I also pick the fish and check to make sure they look healthy, have good coloring, etc...