# were to buy?



## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

I have delt with live aquaria.com for a while but is there another good source for buying fish on line?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

There is a guy that I have bought from several that sells on Aquabid.com that I would highly recommend his prices are very resonable and he has a large variety his seller name is wetspotcx. He emails me a stock list every month that has everything he has avaliable you maybe able to go on aquabid and send him a message and he could send you a list.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Well what are you looking for? I normally deal with importers that carry much harder to find fish. If your looking for common stuff then IDK where to go.


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## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

Normal stuff mostly. The warantee is one of the more important things for me.
What do you mean by importers? How do I find them?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AO2JZ (Sep 14, 2010)

Im also curious as to where the best place to buy fish online would be. Not to hijack your thread but Im looking for Boesemani Rainbows. Everywhere I call tells me to "call back next tuesday". Its been over 4 weeks of calling and them not having any. I know They have 2 adults I would rather buy them all the same size though (4-6). I just want to find a reputible place that will stand by their live on arrival guarentee. I havent bought any fish online, ever. How is live aquaria? What purpose are you looking for another web site?


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## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

The survival rate is not that great with live aquaria. They will give a refund though. I would just like to buy from a place that has a better quality. Longer lasting. Last time I forgot to call by the 15th day and had to eat all the ones that died. That stunk!


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## VTonic (Oct 20, 2010)

I have personally never orderd fish online as i get all of my stock from my LFS. Ive always heard Aquabid.com is supposed to be good. Could you possibly get your local LFS to order what you want and have them call you when the delivery arrives? I would just pay a few $$$ extra and let them do the leg work. Also, stored have more options than the aveage joe and can probably get you more healthy fish from a distributer that they personally use.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Like I said I normally use importers, but the thing is that they are not like most sites. My main one is generally just ordering though email and you will rarely see a pic of the fish. They are both good though and I know they would not ship out fish unless they were in good shape. Importers buy fish from other countries into the US, you need a special license to do so. Franks aquarium.com specializes in mostly small fish and uncommon species. Anubias design uses a pretty unique method of just posting the available fish list from the importer for viewing. You simply say what you want and if there is enough interest in a certain species it will be brought over. Enough people have to be interested since they normally come in 100ish numbers. You don't see the common stuff at least once a year a very rare fish shows up or a new species. Most of its just a latin name, size, and price. When he does carry common things they are normally very high quality fish. For the one looking for Boesemani(I got 11 of those things;-)) anubias design does have them ATM. Ones that were imported for $5.50 each, and then a VERY high quality line from very well known breeder Rosario Lacorte for $22 per pair. You would have to email him for shipping, but since he's more northern it would probably be express since its getting quiet cold up here. Sometimes at sellers discretion priority will be guaranteed depending on lots of factors. Last box I ordered from him took 4 days and I almost thought it was lost. Last fish I ordered were from him and took 4 days in the mail, but arrived 100% alive and kicking and still are to this day.


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## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

Well I placed a live aquaria order. Again, lots of deaths with the cardnals. I ordered 20 and after one night have 3 left, 8 were doa. Everything else is ok so far. The cardnals seam to be hangin with the neons. Is that normal? I would like it if they would continue.
The other place was livefishdirect.com. has anyone had exp.. with them?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

I am curious how exactly are the fish from live aquaria shipped? next day? overnight? priority? How exactly are the boxes packed with the bags? How many fish in a bag? heat/cold packs or no? outdoor temperature? 

IMO that many deaths is completely unacceptable if the box arrived on time. I've never ordered from live aquaria and never intend to, there are a lot better places to get much better quality fish, often not for much extra cost. IMO the 14 day guaranty is totally unnecessary. 

I've never used livefishdirect.com, but looking at the site they seem to be quite expensive. I mean the whole point IMO is to buy online if it is cheaper then the store or simply unavailable at your location, also for better quality fish. 

I've already told you where I would/do order from... Anubias design ATM has large cardinal tetras for $1.50 each and they are wild caught fish. ATM he as a ton of awesome fish, with a lot of the ones on my wish list:-?. scarlet badis, 9 species of licorice gouramis!, black darter tetra, and a few kinds of microboraras for starters. There was some more stuff but its gone already... It doesn't help that the local aquarium club just placed a group order from him and I got no room or cash ATM for more fish:-(.

I cannot really say how important I feel it is to buy fish from someone who actually is into the hobby and not a huge wholesaler or chain, that operate for profit only, if you are going to go to the trouble of ordering online. This is why I recommended the places I did. They are run mostly by individuals, who are deep in the hobby. Mark the guy who runs Anubias design often goes to large aquarium society events, and I know he has given a speech to the local Minnesota aquarium society here at least once.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I agree 100% with Mikaila that is way to many fish to die in a single shipping. Please do tell us how are they shipped? I have purchased fish on several occassions and have never recieved dead fish. I do not even pay for the priority shipping only express and they come within 2-3 days.


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## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

They ship next day fedex. Each kind of fish is in its own bag and they are all shipped in a styrofoam box. At times there is packs for cool or heat. I would think the shipping method is fine. At this point I have lost all 20 cardinals. And a few others. This is why I was looking for a better place with better quality fish. I have a lot of fish from them, most of them came from liveaquaria. There just isn't a place around that I can do any better. At least they have a 14 day warantee. That's my sole consolation for now.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

So all 20 cardinals were in one bag:shock:? 

BTW calmwater, I think you meant priority not express... which yes I've only ever had fish shipped priority. However not all fish can be shipped priority safety, especially depending on the weather and other factors. Priority is not always guaranteed. 

I hate Fedex so much, most of my car parts come Fedex. They have about a 50% rate here of actually dropping my box at my house. If it doesn't show up I have to drive down the road to a nearby house IDK with a kinda similar address and ninja my boxes off their front steps. I despise, DESPISE them ever since they left 2 cat-back exhaust systems at the other house(only like $400 worth of parts). Lucky the people who live there are never home. IDK what they would do, but I do know they pay for the pizza I ordered when it goes to there house >.> USPS and UPS NEVER do this its just a Fedex thing.


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## rsheets (Oct 25, 2009)

Yes, all 20 in one bag. It was a bigger size than normal but still..... I talked with them about it and they seamed to be surprised about that too.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

They defiantly should not of all been in one bag! I would assume they probably had ammonia problems with that many fish in a bag, or possibly they used up all the O2.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Opps your right I got it backwards. LOL I agree that is way to many fish for one bag poor things I feel bad for them.


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