Good tropical fish sellers

[Aqua67]

I always drip acclimate shrimp or any crustacean when they arrive. I never just plop them in my tank.

 

[joeyr188]

Not sure how far you are from Seattle but this might be a helpful link:

Greater Seattle Aquarium Society

A nonprofit aquarium hobbyist club serving the Puget Sound area.

www.gsas.org

Only like 30 min to a hour

 

[jaylach]

I always drip acclimate shrimp or any crustacean when they arrive. I never just plop them in my tank.

Not exactly sure that I know what 'drip acclimation' is but I DO acclimate for temperature by floating the shipped bags for 20-30 minutes. If my guess as to what drip acclimation happens to be is even close it would also involve PH differences and such, not just temperature.

I would love to see a description on how you do this. Sure I could probably find on a search but I'd rather have the info directly here on this site. Hey, possibly a separate 'info' thread describing how to do this... Just a thought...

 

[Aqua67]

Not exactly sure that I know what 'drip acclimation' is but I DO acclimate for temperature by floating the shipped bags for 20-30 minutes. If my guess as to what drip acclimation happens to be is even close it would also involve PH differences and such, not just temperature.

I would love to see a description on how you do this. Sure I could probably find on a search but I'd rather have the info directly here on this site. Hey, possibly a separate 'info' thread describing how to do this... Just a thought...

I just put the shrimp and the water they came with into a bucket and use an airline, knotted to control the flow, to drip a drop of water from the aquarium into the bucket at the rate of approximately 1 drop every second or two. After 45 minutes I pour the bucket over another bucket through a net which I use to transfer the invertebrates into their new tank. I also test the water in the bag for PH, GH and KH before, during and when I think I am done, and compare it to the aquarium they will be transferred into just to make sure things are close to equal.

From what I understand, some fish sellers use breather bags and some don’t. I’ve been told by sellers that if I float the bag I can smother the fish. Other sellers recommend that you float the bag, then pour the water through a net into a bucket and put the fish into the aquarium/quarantine tank. Because I use RO water, I always test the water I’m taking the fish from (in the bag) and compare it to the water in the tank they are going into.

One other thing I’ve been told by fish sellers is that as soon as I open the bag, the ammonia can spike which is why they recommend you put the fish into a tank as soon as you open the bag.

If I have a bag that is OK to float for the temp equalization, I still test the water and if they are greater than 1 full pH marker then I will add water slowly to the bag until pH is close to my tank. In doing so I have had to pour some of the mixed water out of the bag so I could continue adding water to the bag 1/2 cup water every 5 minutes.

I edited my reply to add those last few paragraphs. I’m done now I think. <grin>

 

[jaylach]

I keep put the bag of shrimp and the water it came with into a bucket and use an airline, knotted to control the flow, to drip a drop of water from the aquarium into the bucket at the rate of approximately 1 drop every second or two. After 45 minutes I pour the bucket over another bucket through a net which I use to transfer the invertebrates into their new tank. I also test the water in the bag for PH, GH and KH before, during and when I think I am done, and compare it to the aquarium they will be transferred into just to make sure things are close to equal.

Thank you!

 

[NearMeBettas]

Betta squad usa is a great place for bettas. You can also check eBay

I am not a fan of bettas squad. I got a pair from them, they had multiple nostrils. They sent out a replacement and didn't fast the fish. The water was nasty and the female has popeye.

 

[NearMeBettas]

If you are looking for bettas, I can get you hooked up with a really good private breeder. They don't ship in December though.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I just removed one dead espei rasbora from the tank.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

This morning I could not check the tanks as the lights were not on yet. i watchhed the US lose their world cup match, I finally checked about 10 minutes ago. He is what I posted in my similar thread on another site.

Game over and lights on in the tank. 4 more dead amanos and I am sure there are more I cannot find unless I pull the tank apart. This brings the losses to 21/54 amanos confirmed dead and 1 espei.

I can say that the remaining fish seem to be in good shape. They are active and eating. I was suspicious about the one espei that died the fist night as it did not hang with the other three much and was also hanging near the surface a lot. I would be surprised if I lost any more fish and also if i end up with many more than a dozen amanos.

My advice is one should not buy from Live Aquaria unless they guarantee you in an email or text in advance that your fish and or inverts will be packed in a styro box. Otherwise, I would look to another seller for sure.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Lights are not on yet. I did find another dead shrimp last night bringing the total to 21/54. But I was able to spot 5 live shrimp at least. However, one of the harlies was acting a bit off hanging at the surface. I fed daphnia/cylops/rotifers last night and some stayed floating. So the fish may have been surfing the surface for food, but it didn't appear that way. When the lights come on I will check bot thank.

I also sent an email to Live Aquaria with the further info on deaths but did not put in a claim. I also let them know I had documented everything on two sites and I quoted the recommendation I made in my last post. I did not want to put the entire order into the tanks it was to be in ultimately. So I used a planed cycled 29 gal to Q all but the harlies. With them I took a risk. I put them into a going planted tank which only held 6 or 7 sterbae cory and a number of bigger amano shrimp. If this risk was a bad decision I was prepared to lose the sterbaes if that was to happen. But I was not prepared to risk the other tanks as they held a lot more fish.

I shot pics of the new fish in both tanks as well as a few shrimp. they are in the camera and I will try to post them in the next few days.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Lights are on and two harlies are gone. I spotted an amano eating the remains of the front of one's head. Amanos and assassin snails dine on the small dead fish.

As I said above, of the 4 species I bought, only the red line barbs can handle temps as cold as the bags got. I just checked the 29. All six red lines alive and fine and the 3 espei still seem fine. I did not find more dead shrimp but on the other h=hand I could only spot 5, all on the 30 ppi Poret cube dining. That may be all of the 54 which lived.

All of this because they did not use a styro- that has killed a lot of shrimp and fish in my order. I should consider myself lucky that anything beyond the red lines is alive.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I think I have my final results.

- All 6 redline barbs are doing great. They are the only thing in the box that can be in 58F water, about the lowest in their range in the wild.
- 4/6 Harlequin rasboras are alive and active.
- 3/4 Espei rasboras are alive and active.
- I was prepared to lose all 54 amanos and thought I had. Yesterday, while doing a WC, I spotted 3. There may be a few more, only time will tell. 21 were DOA or died w/i 24 hours. I consider any live shrimp are more than I assumed would make it.

The problem I have now is I need more amanos for my planted tanks. I wanted more Harlies and Espeis than I ordered but did not want to risk more $. I wanted to fill-the-box and to get free shipping (saving $30). I have one LFS within a 30 minute drive and have bypassed Q for fish from them in the past (15 year ago). They have very healthy stock, expert employees and have been there for decades. On weekends the Mercedes etc. are doubled parked out front and most customers do not ask, "How much?" They just point and pay. Too expensive for anything in numbers for me. *sigh*

This Friday is my fish club's X-mas dinner meeting. 100% of members items auction will go 100% to the seller. Unfortunately COvid warnings in my area are now advising to mask for indoor gatherings. The will mean fewer members show. I will arrive after dinner and be masked. I am also bringing a surprise small gift for every member who shows up.

 

[sharkweek178]

I just put the shrimp and the water they came with into a bucket and use an airline, knotted to control the flow, to drip a drop of water from the aquarium into the bucket at the rate of approximately 1 drop every second or two. After 45 minutes I pour the bucket over another bucket through a net which I use to transfer the invertebrates into their new tank. I also test the water in the bag for PH, GH and KH before, during and when I think I am done, and compare it to the aquarium they will be transferred into just to make sure things are close to equal.

From what I understand, some fish sellers use breather bags and some don’t. I’ve been told by sellers that if I float the bag I can smother the fish. Other sellers recommend that you float the bag, then pour the water through a net into a bucket and put the fish into the aquarium/quarantine tank. Because I use RO water, I always test the water I’m taking the fish from (in the bag) and compare it to the water in the tank they are going into.

One other thing I’ve been told by fish sellers is that as soon as I open the bag, the ammonia can spike which is why they recommend you put the fish into a tank as soon as you open the bag.

If I have a bag that is OK to float for the temp equalization, I still test the water and if they are greater than 1 full pH marker then I will add water slowly to the bag until pH is close to my tank. In doing so I have had to pour some of the mixed water out of the bag so I could continue adding water to the bag 1/2 cup water every 5 minutes.

I edited my reply to add those last few paragraphs. I’m done now I think. <grin>

Could you use one of these air line control valves to control the flow?

 

[speakerman3]

Dan's Fish and WetSpot are two good online sources that I have experienced with. The Killi Shack, an online source that specializes in selling killifish, is also another good site to order if you want killifish.

I can also say that I have had a good experience with Wet Spot. Getting fish shipped can be a gamble, though.

 

[Aqua67]

Could you use one of these air line control valves to control the flow?

Those work for the air bubbles and you can make the air bubbles slow or fast, and I do have one of those in my shrimp tank to adjust the bubbler, but I’m talking about dripping water drops from the aquarium into the shipping water and shrimp bag (which I pour into a small bucket to begin the drip acclimation). I just use a piece of the airline tubing and control the flow using a knot. I don’t know if that would work for dripping water. I know it works for dripping air (LOL).