Buying livestock online

Tommy Gun · 11-10-2006, 10:03 PM

Hello Everyone!!!!!!!

Just wondering if anyone has ever purchased and recieved fish or other livestock from an online store?!?!?!?

I am interested in maybe getting some more rare fish that I cannot find locally but I am leery as to buying something that needs so much care as a fish and having it 'mailed' to me.

I am open to all stories or peices of advice on buying online (for live things anyways) and so tell me all of the good, the bad, or the ugly. Hopefully I can make an informed opinion from all of your experiences instead of just guessing like I have been. Hopefully others can benifit from this as well.

TG

fishuz · 11-10-2006, 10:13 PM

Have you asked your LFS if they can bring these fish in for you ? this would be my first choice before going online ( I have always been leery of purchasing things online especially something as delicate as fish ) i would definitely talk to my LFS to see if they can order the fish you are looking for from there supplier

gm333 · 11-10-2006, 11:16 PM

I ordered my hap44's off of e-bay took 48 hrs for them to show up and had no loss of fish. There were even 6 emperor fry in there as well and did not lose a single one.

Tommy Gun · 11-11-2006, 12:11 AM

Well, I guess that my point is that if an LFS cannot order a certain type of fish due to whatever reasons, or cannot do it reasonably priced, I would like to have another option (especially for SW fish since they are much cheaper on the internet than at stores around me. Obviously they are probrably the more hard fish to ship I would think).

In fact, I almost ALWAYS order fish from an LFS rather than buying from their tanks, even if they have the fish I want in stock. I do this basically out of paranoia cuz I know that fish have come and gone in there tanks, and usually before they can notice any bigger problems with them. I also do it becasue I feel it reduces the shock on the fish from having to get shipped to the store, put in a tank, netted out, put in a bag, taken to my house, put in the tank...and all of that. At least when I order, I can be at the store when the delivery comes in and just take the fish from there. I figure that it is already stressed from the initial shipping to the store, so if I can just extend its shipping a little bit on the ride to my house rather than going through the process of acclimating it to another tank, I should come out ahead. Make sense? This basically stems from my initial experiences with having glass fish stress out and die on me (although at the time I didnt realize this was the cause).

So, I guess I am just 'exploring' another option by learing from other's mistakes or situations.

Jay · 11-11-2006, 08:12 AM

Tommy

I have bought critters online, shrimp, olive Nerita snails, etc. and have had no problems. I also buy specimen plants online.

Most of my fish I have collected from various lfs that I trust. I am willing to travel several hundred miles to visit some of them.

That said...I have a number of businesses I trust and have dealt with for years. They guarantee their livestock (within reason) and plants. I just bought about $100.00 plus shipping of a plant species that I like. The plants arrived in perfect condition.

I guess what I am saying is know and trust your source. I am available to provide recommendations, PM me if needed.

Jay

phatbak · 11-11-2006, 10:32 AM

I haven't bought stock online yet, since my only concern would probably be 'during' shipment. I know most shipping companies aren't really that carefull about packages.

At my work, when I happen to pass by the receiving area when UPS shows up, the driver tosses packages off the truck to me. I'm not sure how fish are packaged for shipment, but I just fear them being smashed, tossed, and kicked around when they're transferred at the wharehouse.

fishuz · 11-11-2006, 02:51 PM

I use to work in shipping as well and yeah i saw that alot...sound like most people have had good luck online though...i just hate giving out personal information like credit cards even if it is through paypal or the like

Teddy · 11-11-2006, 03:34 PM

it has always seemed scary to me to have animals shipped over. My LFS picks up the fish from their supplier, and that already is much better than having it shipped. Plants i can understand, but I cannot imagine a poor fish going through that sort of stuff. Would you ever have yourself shipped somewhere through FEDEX or UPS? Think about what the fish endure...

Jay · 11-11-2006, 05:13 PM

Lol, that brings up some emotions.

Shaken out of a warm bed at 4 in the morning, staggering around getting oriented, a bad car trip to the airport, major stress at security, terrible food (I think it was food), turbulence, and then finally...

after 12 hours, to be delivered into the hands of well meaning relatives who want to care for me, touch me, and expect that I should be acting normal or at least congenial...

Well its a trip experienced by all of our friends at the lfs.

Regards,
Jay

fishuz · 11-11-2006, 06:18 PM

lol...Jay that is too funny i think we have all been through that ( sorry to go of topic Tommy )...hey Tommy I thought of one thing though is that there are probably things you could ask the particular online store before you order would be what there guarantees are and what company they use to ship the fish fed-ex ups ect then you could call the shipping company and ask how they handle these types of packages you would defiantly want to get a tracking code so you will know were the package was last scanned. Knowing all this information would make me feel a lot better thats for sure.