Ordering fish

[twogirls]

What are some good sites for ordering fish?

[powdertang05]

why are you orderng fish go support a LFS

[twogirls]

will do, thanks

[CCR]

ordering is a hit and miss. I like to SEE what the condition, size, is it eating, and so on. It's also a matter of timing with the weather when ordering. Your LFS can get you what you want. And will usually get severall of them, so you can pick:)

[dsoz]

I agree, get from a LFS. I researched this when I got back into the hobby. The stores around here are competative in prices, within a few bucks of most things that I was looking at. Also, I can see the condition of what I get, and I can watch them to see if they eat (the fish, not the store owner). But the biggest reason is to keep the good stores in business. If they don't sell fish they don't stay open. If they don't stay open they cannot help us when there is a crisis. Have you read any of the praise that people have been saying about some of the stores in the area? How they take the time to help US when WE are in need.

 

I have seen people rant and rave on NR about how bad the fish stores are in different areas of the country. I feel lucky to live in an area where the stores are mostly good and descent.

 

my $0.02

 

Cheers

dsoz

[R-3]

If you do end up ordering fish online I think the best place with the best service is Dr. Foster & Smith. I havent ordered from them before but from what I hear they really back there stuff. Its kinda like a no questions asked we will send you out another Later Ryan

[reefgeek84]

If you do end up ordering fish online I think the best place with the best service is Dr. Foster & Smith. I havent ordered from them before but from what I hear they really back there stuff. Its kinda like a no questions asked we will send you out another Later Ryan

 

Correct... They are great to order from. I do my best to order from LFS stores, but sometimes you want very specific things and LFS do not carry them, so you need to go other places.

[mister crabs]

i think for the most part we have some of the best LFS in the country considering our population size. The only way i could see ordering online is if the LFS cannot get what u want (rare) or if your only options locally are a petco. but you havetwo great stores in salem to pick from in advanced aquarium and coral reef pet center. both havegreatselection and very competitive pricing

[REEFmole]

Yeah, the LFS we have around here are great w/ the exception of the one (which will remain nameless) that sold me a bad frogspawn last week with brown jelly (there was at least one torch coral in the same tank that had it...which they knew about...and apparently didn't dip...(flame) ) that was lost in 2 days, and the other one (that will also remain nameless) on the East side of downtown with all the frags and all the "attitude". Yeah, I should have known better and dipped the frogspawn before I put it in my tank, but that's WHY I buy from LFS's stock so that I can assume that what I'm getting is good.

 

On the other hand, Aquaticus has been fantastic...everything I've bought there thrives in my tank and the prices and service has been exceptional. They actually remember my name and don't seem to have the AquaGod ego or opinions that some of the other stores have. I also think the selection is quite a bit more 'unique' than anywhere else around here...they have livestock you just don't see other places in town. They'll be seeing the majority (all?) of my business (rock2) ... and they dip their corals!

 

I can still see ordering online though on occasion, as although the selection is pretty good here there are still plenty of unique corals and fish that aren't widely available locally.

 

Lastly, the ultimate source IMO is bought or traded with other local reefers! The best stuff (other than the Aquaticus livestock) I've acquired has come straight out of someone else's home aquarium.

[ThePremiumAquarium]

i think for the most part we have some of the best LFS in the country considering our population size. The only way i could see ordering online is if the LFS cannot get what u want (rare) or if your only options locally are a petco. but you havetwo great stores in salem to pick from in advanced aquarium and coral reef pet center. both havegreatselection and very competitive pricing

 

Coral Reef Pet Center and Advanced Aquarium are really the only sources that I feel comfortable giving my business to. They beet out internet sources almost every time, in nearly everyway I can think of. Everytime I have needed anything, one of these two stores(or the collaboration of both) have been able to help me. I simply ask them to order it and bam, in no time at all it is there. I had a hugely sucessful 90gallon setup with much help from CRPC and AA. I am currently working on a 210 gallon set up, in which the tank was ordered (arrived extemely quick) from Jason at CRPC. The chiller and skimmer I got from Ryan at AA. The whole tank is coming together well and I couldn't have done it without these guys. Heck, I was shocked when I went in to buy some nice argonite sand over at Jasons shop and he only had live sand. This isn't the shocker. He calls up Ryan, who was supposed to be closed on a Tuesday and asks him if he still had a bunch of it in. Ryan said yes, and said that if I came over, he would have 200lbs waiting. So with Jasons call and Ryans sand, my tank is looking great and I havn't even added the good stuff from the 90 gallon yet. That is what I call customer service!

 

I also like to do some trades with other reefers now and again to keep the diversity and hobby more than interesting. On a side note, Jeffery, over at Saltwater Fantasy in Salem, is purchasing the store. He is planning on doing some major improvments on the store and will likely carry some stuff that may be of interest in the future. Keep an eye out for progress in July. I have purchased a nice used PFO metal halide ballast from him before, and he seems to be a real decent guy.

 

Good luck,

Garrett