Best Site To Buy Fish Online?

[kurka]

The lps around my area just dont have what im looking for anymore. Can i get some suggestions on the best site to buy fish and plants. Ive never purchased anything online and just want to make sure its a site that ppl have used and are happy with b4 I choose one to go with..

Thanks,
Kurka

 

[Termato]

The lps around my area just dont have what im looking for anymore. Can i get some suggestions on the best site to buy fish and plants. Ive never purchased anything online and just want to make sure its a site that ppl have used and are happy with b4 I choose one to go with..

Thanks,
Kurka

Before I even suggest a website just keep in mind that online fish order are expensive because you need to do overnight or next day air shipping in order to get them alive. With that said, order as much as you want all at once.

I usually get my fish from breeders but here are some options:

Live Aquaria - They have free shipping on orders over $225 and provide a 14 Day guarantee. I have heard good review from multiple friends but never ordered from them myself. The only problem I ever heard from them is when they get back ordered on plants it may take a bit for them to get the shipment out, but it was never an issue. They are located out of Wisconsin so if you can find a closer online store to you it will be better for the fish.

Live Fish Direct - I heard good things about this place from a decent source but never ordered there myself. Looks decent.

Pet Solutions - This place has a very minimal selection but they offer free shipping on orders over $50. Have no feedback knowledge but this was literally the cheapest shipping selection.

 

[kurka]

Great thank you!! I have a 125gal I plan to set up soon. I dont know what all I want yet but I do know the places around all have the same ole same ill chack these out, maybe get some ideas

 

[OldMan47]

Some good sources include Florida Guppies Plus and Aquabid. When you go onto Aquabid, be sure to check up on each vendor. Some are not located in the US but leave it up to you to try to get the fish through the border and others are not very well respected by the people who are buying there. Another place that I would love to recommend is Goliad Farms, but I don't know whether they have started to deal with individuals yet. In the past they only sold to mom and pop fish shops and their fish quality was always superior but carried a price that reflected that quality.

 

[Termato]

Some good sources include Florida Guppies Plus and Aquabid. When you go onto Aquabid, be sure to check up on each vendor. Some are not located in the US but leave it up to you to try to get the fish through the border and others are not very well respected by the people who are buying there. Another place that I would love to recommend is Goliad Farms, but I don't know whether they have started to deal with individuals yet. In the past they only sold to mom and pop fish shops and their fish quality was always superior but carried a price that reflected that quality.

I just got some fish meds from AquaBid. How could I have forgotten them

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have been getting my fish shipped in for over 11 years. I would not order from liveaquaria nor petsolutions. Where to order from depends upon what you want. At this time of year many fish can be shipped via priority mail which saves a lot of money. Definitely fill the box either way.

AquaBid can be OK but can also be a nightmare. I used to buy a bunch there from 01 through about early 05. Since then I tend to buy directly from sellers and not via auctions.

Where in TX are you as I may be able to suggest some decent stores as well. http/www.houstonaq...mwarehouse.com/ does shipping only for their retail store operation. I have gotten imported Altum angels from them.

If you post what you are looking for I can likely point you in the right direction (not for sw however).

 

[Termato]

I have been getting my fish shipped in for over 11 years. I would not order from liveaquarium nor petsolutions. Where to order from depends upon what you want. At this time of year many fish can be shipped via priority mail which saves a lot of money. Definitely fill the box either way.

AquaBid can be OK but can also be a nightmare. I used to buy a bunch there from 01 through about early 05. Since then I tend to buy directly from sellers and not via auctions.

Where in TX are you as I may be able to suggest some decent stores as well. http/www.houstonaq...mwarehouse.com/ does shipping only for their retail store operation. I have gotten imported Altum angels from them.

If you post what you are looking for I can likely point you in the right direction (not for sw however).

Can I ask why you don't use Live Aquarium? Except for some recent delay orders on Plants I haven't heard anything bad.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Live aquaria (I typoed it above and have since edited that) misidentifies fish, especially L number plecos. On several occasions I have emailed them showing them where and why they had fish improperly identified. They ignored the emails and never changed their info. I do not buy fish from anyone who has no clue what they are. They list L135 as Peckoltia sp. platyrhyncha, PlanetCatfish lists them as Peckoltia braueri (Eigenmann, 1912), using the Common names L 121, 135 and 305 and Worm Line Peckoltia. When a fish is named it means it has been Identified. There is no such thing on PlanetCatfish as sp. platyrhyncha.

Moreover, thet offer 15 different plecos but show only "4 In Stock", one of which is F1 zebra plecos for $500. I breed zebras and sell them, I charge About $125 for one at the size they list.

Finally, almost anything they offer I can find elsewhere for less, often a lot less. And from places I know have healthy fish for sure. For example I just bought a few red line torpedo barbs for $13 vs the $40 at Live aquaria (similar sized of course).

If you want some exotic livebearers there are a few good sellers on Aquabid, but you can also join the American Livebearer Association and find some amazing stuff being sold and traded.

 

[Termato]

Thank you, wow. I had no idea they were that clueless and on top of that stuborn.

 

[OldMan47]

As a MOD I don't advertise the ALA here, TTA but I am the one who publishes their "Trader" newsletter. I consider me advertising them as a potential conflict of interests.
The ads are good and definitely make things available that you can't find elsewhere, but the Trader is only published 3 times each year, under present practices, and it is on paper. I am trying to convince the board that we need to publish electronically and more often so we will see how that discussion goes.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

OldMan- I am not much of a joiner, so I feel free to point folks to good sites to find the help and info they might want. I used to be a big Montezumae guy but have since moved into different areas. Just because you are a member there and publish the "Trader" newsletter is not a good reason to deprive folks here of all the good stuff they can find on the ALA Site I would assume that the ALA forums does also have a buy/sell section, but I have never looked.

Besides, since the ALA is a specialty site. Isn't it w/i the scope of the rules here to link folks to it? So while I am at it, for all you livebearer fans, here is another neat place to poke around http/www.xiphophorus.txstate.edu/

To paraphrase Groucho: "I would never join any club that would have somebody like me as a member."

 

[OldMan47]

The Xiphophorus Resource Center is within our acceptable link rules TTA. My old link to ALA in my signature area has been gone since I became a MOD. The ALA are considered competition for this site in respect to livebearers, at least as we interpret it. The Xiph resource center has information we do not otherwise have here and it has no competing forum. See the difference? I sure hope so. We have recently changed our general rules to try to give a better definition of what is and is not a competitor site that we do not allow you to link to. I sure hope what we did there is clearer than our old rule on the subject. We really want our members to benefit from outside information when it is needed without promoting other competing fish forums, if that makes any sense.

 

[kurka]

Sorry I think I got lost in some of this, Im near Dallas Texas. Thanks for all the advise!!!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

kurka- I posted that I have been buying fish online/shipped in for over a decade. I further posted that where on should shop depended on what fish were being sought. I said if you would indicate what fish you were trying to find that I would be happy to point you towards good places to get them. I also explained why I would not use the sites listed by termato.

Finally, I suggested a good place in Houston. I am not sure why you feel lost?

Oldman, not to denigrate this site, but I highly doubt the livebearer info here can compete with the ALA site. It is they who should be prohibiting links to here and not vice versa.