LFS or Online Fish Store?

[PSU4ME]

I wanted to get some thoughts on buying a fish....and how.

I know Diver's Den from Live Aquaria is probably the "best" place to buy from but if you're not buying their QT'd and healthy fish, is buying a "regular" fish online just as risky (or more) than buying one at the LFS?

I believe non DD fish are just drop shipped.......so if I can get one from a LFS, to me that sounds like a better and cheaper option.

Love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[jjmoneyman]

The advantage of buying from a LFS is you can see the fish first hand for aggression, general health... but when buying online your often buying sight unseen, just like your LFS does when they order fish in.

 

[PSU4ME]

That's what I was thinking.....oustide of a Divers Den specimen I would only buy online for fish I wasn't able to get a a LFS.

I'm only buying a simple yellow coris wrasse and couldn't justify the $40 shipping from BlueZoo for a $22 fish!

 

[jjmoneyman]

If you LFS doesn't carry one you can ask them to order one in for you (many will do this for you). I bring fish in with coral orders from time to time and usually don't have any problems.

 

[FrostJoker]

Talk to your LFS mine well order almost anything I want been going their for years for my fresh water tank tho

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ddelozier]

depends entirely on circumstances. for me, LFS = 90 mile drive, high(verging on criminal) prices, no returns or guarantees, and their selection is often limited. Online store = Sight unseen purchase, risk of DOA. For me, the Online stores carry fewer risks. Your circumstances may be different. I wish there was more than one LFS, that they were closer, and offered a similar guarantee to online purchases...but how does that phrase go. Wish in one hand, __________ in the other, and see which fills first!

 

[PIMPALA]

if you have a nice LFS, support it. Otherwise eventually it wont be there at all!

 

[PSU4ME]

Yeah I went out this afternoon..... And my new wrasse is in the 10g QT

 

[Choff]

Where did you get it?

I'm with you, DD for me or Jay's or Tropic Isle.

 

[PSU4ME]

Tropic isle..... They got 3 in yesterday so I took the small/medium one. Also picked up the light meter so I'll be checking my par this weekend.

 

[sndw]

It depend on which LFS, I have 3 LFS around my house. One of them have a crap display aquarium, everything look death. The other one look ok and clean. But when I bought their water and check at home, low calcium, little amonia and low PH and the TDS reading on their RO/DI water was 50+. And the last one want 60$ for the MaxiJet 900 =)). Now I had to drive 30 mins to get to Vivid Aquarium and that's the only place that I can trust, they can order everything I want and always take good care of it.
I just don't like buying fish online. Sometime you get the one that you don't like, really hard to return or exchange and I don't really want to kill those lillte amazing creature because of any reason >.<

 

[DesertOrchid]

I live in a remote part of Wyoming with LFS 250+ miles away so I do order from Liveaquaria quite frequently. Have always had wonderful fish shipped to me whether it was a Diver's den or just from the general 'menu.' The fish always arrive healthy and disease free ( knock on wood). No LFS guarrantees their livestock. LA does and will reimburse you...not just credit for a future order. If you have a good reputable LFS close by...... do support them but also consider online. For awesome frags check out Myreeftoyours.com....... JJ does a grand job getting quality stuff p.s. getting ready to place an order to JJ ....... Others on the forum have great results from him too......... I know he is reading this too. LOL!

 

[soco]

I have a lfs that i use for some things I will by inverts and corals from them but i am very picky about fish i buy from them because they dont order from the same place all the time and are kinda lack-luster about tank care. I have never ordered from live aquaria but if i were going to order a fish online it would probably be from them.

 

[jjmoneyman]

I live in a remote part of Wyoming with LFS 250+ miles away so I do order from Liveaquaria quite frequently. Have always had wonderful fish shipped to me whether it was a Diver's den or just from the general 'menu.' The fish always arrive healthy and disease free ( knock on wood). No LFS guarrantees their livestock. LA does and will reimburse you...not just credit for a future order. If you have a good reputable LFS close by...... do support them but also consider online. For awesome frags check out Myreeftoyours.com....... JJ does a grand job getting quality stuff p.s. getting ready to place an order to JJ ....... Others on the forum have great results from him too......... I know he is reading this too. LOL!

Of course I'm reading this lol. Thanks for the plug and we look forward to setting you up with some new goodies!

 

[Choff]

If we are adding corals to the mix then yes jj for sure.

Fish online = divers den only
Corals online = jj or La divers den (but have not tried them yet. All my stuff has been jj so far)

There are 2 lfs I would buy fish from and 1 for coral.

Sent using Tapatalk 2