Buying fish online Good or bad

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

i can understand that .. i think it would be good for out of the reach towns. but if you live in cold areas then i think they could get cold quickly.

 

[keith]

aquariumfish.net has cool guppies, and other fish too. I got a blue diamond male, 2 purple dragon females, and a really cool "fancy"female thats a transparent peach color with purple on her tail. They are the coolest gups I have and I can't wait til they have babies! If you want a certain color to breed with, there's no comparison to finding guppy selection. I've had great results but it took about1.5 weeks.

 

[wuvmybetta]

what i would like to know. is how do they keep the temprature high enough in the boxes. I know my pizza is cold after it comes out of the thermal boxes.. so how do they keep the fish at 24deg in the post??

It's tricky. I've bought fish online several times (as a matter of fact I'm waiting on an email about some bettas I want,right now) the only shipment that arrived DOA was shipped during the winter, their heat pack failed and we figure they were left sitting outsde in the snow while waiting to board the plane.

The best time to buy is during the spring,early summer when the temperature is right. A lot of sellers will hold the shipment until the weather is warmer/cooler.

Here I go again...yapping about 'the shipment gone wrong'

I bought some L# catfish last summer and they were lost in the mail for 4 days during a blackout...by the time they arrived they were so,so hot...I was so anxious to get them out of the bags that I didn't even acclimate them. They were (and still are) fine though, eating that day and settling in nicely.

 

[Alien_spawn]

One thing I might consider as a general treatment after my experience of buying online fish, is too give them an ICH treatment after a day in a hospital tank. The fish arrived alive but developed ICH from transport. He's all fine now but was a bit of a nightmare...

 

[sumer_kay]

I was always worried (and I'm new so who knows) that the poor lil fishies would get all jumbled and knocked around in the mail, and who feeds them if they're being sent say across the country ?..ups? do they come to ur door? mailbox?!?
I just dunno. ..(voted no because i didn't know enough about it)

 

[wuvmybetta]

Sumer
They usually come via Overnight Express by the post office (to your door or held at the po for pick-up) or Airborne Express (pricey,also to your door)

I'm sure they get jumbled, the bags are filled with oxygen and the jumbling helps to disturb the surface area of the water so the fish get oxygenated water (somewhat). They come within 24 hours (usually) so they're fine without food

 

[Inchworm]

I'm working my way up to buying fish online, I guess.

I just ordered a pound of live blackworms and they should arrive tomorrow. If they come through well, I'll be more inclined to think about buying some of the attractive fish I've been looking at on some of the sites.

I'll let you know how things work out.

 

[HeatherSweetness]

I buy and sell fish online all the time. I have some thialand bettas coming wednesday and I'm psyched.

Shipping fish isn't hard,it's the weather that will work against you. Winter shipping is WAY risky. I label my boxes with flyers I made on the computer telling the postal service 'LIVE FISH-THIS SIDE UP!'. They also say do not leave in direct sunlight or sitting outdoors. I have 60 hour heat packs to make sure they stay warm,pack 'em right and they'll get there as long as your delivery service works smoothly.

 

[staredecisis]

Well, I've got a betta on his way to my house right now. He made it from Bangkok to CA already, I should be getting him tomorrow or the next day, I'll let you know how it goes. I figure with a DOA gaurantee and mail-fish being such a booming business, I can trust it.

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

its good to get so much good feed back that i think i will do this.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi all

I'm happy to report that my shipment of live blackworms arrived at my door bright and early this morning.

They came with a big chunk of ice, frozen in a plastic bag, and it had barely started to melt. So, I must say that I'm very happy with the results of this mail order purchase.

Now, if I see any fish I want to buy from an online supplier, I just might take a chance.

 

[wuvmybetta]

That's Good News Inch!!

Well...I'm venturing into the mail order scene again this week, I just got an email about my giant bettas

 

[sumer_kay]

I just got an email about my giant bettas

Giant bettas Tell me more!

 

[HeatherSweetness]

Well...I'm venturing into the mail order scene again this week, I just got an email about my giant bettas

Wuv if you get them and breed them I want some!

 

[Inchworm]

...Well...I'm venturing into the mail order scene again this week, I just got an email about my giant bettas

Hi wuv

That's great! I'll be looking forward to reading all about them in the Bettas and Gouramis forum.

I hope they arrive in as good a condition as my worms did!