has anyone on here ordered fish or corals offline and if so which site and what was experience. i was just looking at saltwaterfish.com and was thinking of ordering some stuff once i get my tank up and running and done cycleing
I have bought some animals online in the past, but I would suggest against it. I have six paragraphs written why not, but just going to state it as an opinion. I think an LFS has a lot to offer especially to newer hobbyist.
I recall a couple friends have bought from saltwater fish. and i think we have done a group buy from them a couple years back. they seem pretty good. what kind of stuff are you looking for? their free shipping selection has some good basics for a new aquarium if you order $80 worth from the list. and then any other livestock ships free also this sale. can’t beat that.
I’ve done a pretty good amount of online live stock ordering and for the most part usually turns out pretty well. No particular online vender. Have had about a 90% survival rate but again gonna depend on what you order.
Online vendors won’t often advise against purchasing a trigger and a fancy crab at the same time. LFS have an awful lot to offer, especially if you are a new hobbyist. I would likely never recommend buying a fish online which you could buy locally even if it does end up being cheaper. So much better to look over the fish.
What are you looking to pick up?
just to chime in, the best guarantee on online fish is vividaquarium. 15 days and a full refund, not a store credit. next is liveaquaria, but 14 days and only store credit.
In my opinion a Local Store is always the best option. You can see the fish and watch it eat. The issue is most Local Stores have limited types of fish. So if I was going to order from an oline vendor it would be from Live Aquaria Divers Den.
limited types of fish when you haven’t been in the hobby 3+ years and spent countless hours on the internet learning about new fish. To most hobbyist who aren’t really die hard or haven’t been in the hobby for many years it is rare to go into an LFS and not see 2-3 new fish you have never seen before in your life.
In my mind if you are asking about ordering fish online, then you likely haven’t been in the hobby long enough to really be looking for the rare and unusual and likely most of the fish you’ll be interested in online can also be found in LFS. The rare and unusual won’t seem as impressive and will cost more then you are willing to spend.
So while Bill and I may be looking for that rare gem to drop $100 on that will never show up in an LFS, most hobbyist will find more then they could ever dream of in LFS.
If you are looking to try something new and not really 100 satisfied with your LFS for some reason travel around. People whine all the time that there isn’t enough LFS in their town when really we are lucky as can be with in how short of a drive you can find so many different stores. Get a QT tank up and running then go on a road trip. There are lots of stores listed under our “Local Stores” page linked to a the top and you can find even more googling around.
Some LFS will actual "order in " that rare gem you are looking for once you have built up a good relationship with them…
Very true and I am not going to begin to discuss why that is irrelevant here.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:10, topic:3348”]
Very true and I am not going to begin to discuss why that is irrelevant here. [/quote]
And I am not going to begin to discuss why that answer makes no sense…
For obvious reasons we tend to steer new hobyists away from ordering fish online because there really are many many great advantages to buying form your LFS.
-Being able to see the fish first
-Ensuring it eats
-Doesn’t have disease
-Has all the right fins
-Has the correct coloring
-You can ask if it’s compatabile with your other fish
-etc.
Now with that being said -it’s easy to look at the prices online - especially when you’re new - and decide that it would be silly to shop in a store when you can get the same fish $10-$20 cheaper online. Remember that even stores that advertise “Free Shipping” such as saltwaterfish.com usually have a “Box Charge” of $10-$20 or “Fuel Surcharge” of $15 or more. The shipping really isn’t free -they just charge it under different categories.
Your best bet is to shop several different local stores. Talk to the employees and owners as oftern as you can. Establish a relationship. Sign up for frequent buyer programs and you will soon find that it ends up being cheaper to buy local anyway.
Saltwaterfish.com will get mixed reviews online. Some people have had horrendous experiemces with them, other have had great dealings. Personally I’ve ordered from them several times and have always been very very please. Good livestock, great customer service, reasonable prices.
Now I will only buy from my LFS where I can see the fish first though - and if I (like Bill and Jon) want that rare never see in the store fish - I ask them to order it for me.
“Now I will only buy from my LFS where I can see the fish first though - and if I (like Bill and Jon) want that rare never see in the store fish - I ask them to order it for me.”
- 1 … my thoughts exactly… I’d rather give the LFS a chance to purchase/special order it for me and support the local business …
as for road trips -whenever I’m visiting outside the state of delaware -I’ll visit the stores in that area-if something special jumps out at me -I’ll buy & ask the store to pack it with plenty of water and oxygen if they have a tank available…as for ordering online-the original thought of this thread-I do that on occasion when something rare pops up and the place has a wysiwyg pic…Had alot of success with divers den in the past…
I’ve had good experiences with liveaquaria or Diver’s Den as well. Great customer service if you can’t find it locally.
I have to say, i never do buy fish online. but occasionally order some SPS or softies i like. but it sure costs a lot for that over night shipping. one place from oregon charged me $68 shipping for a half dozen frags. but nobody else really had them. otherwise i get most all my fish locally. or trades with club members. shipping is tough on fish. you will find the strong survivors at the LFS…
theres no rush to fill the tank the first day with 40 types of coral. take you time and enjoy the hunt for special gems at the LFS. or club trades.
So what were you looking to order ? fish ? or Coral or clean up crew?
well to answer everyones question i was just wondering.Not really looking at any fish or anything at this moment. Three years ago before i met my wife i had a 125 gallon fish only and a 75 gallon fish and softie tank.i shoped at alot of the lfs and liked some of them alot and some not so much.I also ordered from saltwaterfish.com,and divers den in the past. i loved saltwaterfish.com the best but i was just really asking what everyone thought were.
so im not a complete newbie or but i shore dont know anything
I think you should start with your LocaL Fish Club members. I know a lot of us have tanks that are jammed with healthy corals and or may even be breeding nemos or have a fish or two that are not getting along with others and looking for a good home.
Especially starting out- I know what looks really cool might not be compatible even though YOU really want it to work. You can save a lot of money by understand what fish get along with each other and what corals are right for your tank.
:TWOCENTS
I personally love supporting the LFS in the area. I have ordered a few rather rare things from a LFS near me and have always had great success, before and while working there. You really can’t beat having someone you can trust in the hobby that gives you their very best info to help you succeed 
On the other hand, I also purchase some very finicky nem’s and I only get them for the most part from DD. Their survival rate is great from my experience, and if they ship a bad specimen, they take responsibility and give you credit towards your next purchase.
Just to chime in here real quick, do we not have online sponsors who sell live animals online? Do we think we should ward against buying from sponsors?
[quote=“Marchingbandjs, post:19, topic:3348”]
Just to chime in here real quick, do we not have online sponsors who sell live animals online? Do we think we should ward against buying from sponsors?[/quote]
I think we should advise members the best places to buy fish. Don’t really care if a sponsor gets upset. This club is for members correct?
If I was starting a tank from scratch I would only buy fish from Live Aquaria Divers Den…