Hi all

[Dam Buster]

Been keeping tropical fish for about 25 years now. Never too old to learn. My 4ft tank was getting sparsely populated before lockdown last year. Currently have 1 very old kuhli loach, 3 brown loaches, a yellow bristle nose and a single glow light. I've just taken the plunge and ordered my first live fish delivery. I've ordered 10 mixed rainbows and 10 galaxy rasboras, fingers crossed they should be delivered this Friday. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Utar]

Welcome to the forum. I have never ordered fish for delivery, so I am curious to see how well it works for you. Please let us know.

 

[Metalman]

Hi and welcome....so do you prefer bottom feeders in general or was that just how your tank ended up?

 

[Dam Buster]

That was just how it ended up, I like a variety normally as long as they're friendly and colourful. I'll keep you posted on the delivery on Friday. I've ordered from aquatics to your door based near Gatwick. This was on the recommendation of a couple of my sons friends and mostly positive reviews on Google.

 

[Circus]

Welcome! I recently received my first online order, and was very happy. Shipping hurt, though!

 

[Dam Buster]

Thanks Circus, the postage was £22.95 which is expensive but as long as the fish are healthy and cared for on the journey I'm happy. I'm long enough in the tooth now to realise you get what you pay for (mostly). The main reason I've gone for the Internet to find fish is the sad closure of maidenhead aquatics at Crowland near Peterborough. The garden centre they were part of closed down a couple of years ago. The nearest 'quality' supplier I know of now is the water zoo in Peterborough and that's a real pain and nearly 30 miles away. I live in a triangle between Spalding, Boston and King's Lynn but I don't know of any good shops locally. Can't believe I'm in my 50s but getting well excited about Friday and my delivery, I feel like a kid at Christmas ?.

 

[Circus]

It would be hard on me for my favorite fish store to close. It is a bit of a drive at an hour, but their fish are always healthy and they actually give GOOD advice.
I was so excited for my fish to get here, and my coworkers were certainly getting tired of telling me to chill out.
Not too bad for shipping! Mine was a touch more after conversion, I think. But also completely across the United States right before serious weather, with 24hr shipping. Next time I am ordering less than 100 miles away and it will be about $25 rather than almost $45.

Do you know how big the fish will be when they arrive? I was surprised at how tiny my Emerald Dwarf Rasbora were, they looked barely bigger than newborn guppy fry. The Jack Dempsey is pretty small too, about the length of my pinkie finger. I have to grow them out before putting them in the main tank. They are all much smaller than specimen I had seen in the stores.

 

[Dam Buster]

They are described as juvenile and they give a rough size so I'll see how they match up. Also I think it's going to be fun watching them mature. I'm lucky I don't have any larger fish at the moment so no worries of the newbies being eaten. I don't have a quarantine tank either so fish can't be separated.