Buying Fish?
- Thread starter ds450x
- Start date
M
markeo99
Guest
swf is the only place I can find healthy fish
ds450x
Member
I have a fish store only 10 minutes from work but its kinda shitty and the guy is an ass.... The next one is 40 minutes away and its really nice and it has a large variety. Im just scared about shipping and be able to be home when the shipment arrives. How do they live so long in the bags?
kanima
Member
They are in oxygen + water the bags are shielded so the fish think it is night and keeps them from seeing other fish in the package, it is ice packed so the temp does get too hot in a stryfoam cooler. Plus you have a quarrentee if it is DOA you get a refund and if it dies 15 days after you still get a refund. So really all you "Could" loose is the shipping cost. For me that is cheaper than driving to the nearest fish store. Plus the quality here is sooooooo much better.
Yes I used to get some from a online fish store out of Cali no names mention but SWF.com beats them on price and quality hands down.
Yes I used to get some from a online fish store out of Cali no names mention but SWF.com beats them on price and quality hands down.
silverdak
Active Member
well I use my LFS pretty much all the time... its about 5 miles from my house... always have a great selection and the prices are fair. only thing stopping me from usinng SWF.com would be the shipping... I dont feel good about shipping live orders and the cost of shipping and the piece i am getting is then more expensive than a trip to my local without shipping. I do have a few orders with a couple locals I am trying to get brought to SWF.com instead of some other site my buddy uses.. if only SWF.com have my hectors goby..... lol
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
cheap prices don't necessarily mean good livestock. I prefer to shop at a live fish store, though I own one, I'm already bias in my opinion.
I just believe that you should look at the fish to make sure it is healthy before you take it home with you. I've always been that way.
Though, I have ordered from saltwaterfish.com a few times and was really impressed with the stock that I ordered.
I just believe that you should look at the fish to make sure it is healthy before you take it home with you. I've always been that way.
Though, I have ordered from saltwaterfish.com a few times and was really impressed with the stock that I ordered.
robdog696
Member
Originally Posted by ds450x
http:///forum/post/2726620
I have a fish store only 10 minutes from work but its kinda shitty and the guy is an ass.... The next one is 40 minutes away and its really nice and it has a large variety. Im just scared about shipping and be able to be home when the shipment arrives. How do they live so long in the bags?
The reason they are able to survive in the bags longer than fish you buy from your LFS is because they add pure oxygen to the bags. I ONLY order my fish online. Unless you have a really amazing LFS you are not going to get the same quality fish. By quality, I mean fish that have been shipped the fewest times possible, have been acclimated to new tanks, and have been kept in species and size appropriate holding tanks. Not to mention I have never received a diseased fish from an online order. I have greatly increased my survival rate among fish shipped to me by having them shipped to my local fedex and being held for pickup. The main reason they die is because they sit in a truck all day that's starting and stopping repeatedly. Plus the trucks usually aren't heated/ air conditioned. If your fish is put on a truck at 8am and that truck doesn't make deliveries in your area until 2:30pm (like me) then you can be pretty certain you ordered dead fish. LOL! Also, by having them held for pickup they can't be delivered to the wrong house. I don't order from this site, but the site I order from is very similar. I've been fully refunded (including shipping costs) for all orders I received that were dead. Even my favorite LFS won't refund dead fish!
http:///forum/post/2726620
I have a fish store only 10 minutes from work but its kinda shitty and the guy is an ass.... The next one is 40 minutes away and its really nice and it has a large variety. Im just scared about shipping and be able to be home when the shipment arrives. How do they live so long in the bags?
The reason they are able to survive in the bags longer than fish you buy from your LFS is because they add pure oxygen to the bags. I ONLY order my fish online. Unless you have a really amazing LFS you are not going to get the same quality fish. By quality, I mean fish that have been shipped the fewest times possible, have been acclimated to new tanks, and have been kept in species and size appropriate holding tanks. Not to mention I have never received a diseased fish from an online order. I have greatly increased my survival rate among fish shipped to me by having them shipped to my local fedex and being held for pickup. The main reason they die is because they sit in a truck all day that's starting and stopping repeatedly. Plus the trucks usually aren't heated/ air conditioned. If your fish is put on a truck at 8am and that truck doesn't make deliveries in your area until 2:30pm (like me) then you can be pretty certain you ordered dead fish. LOL! Also, by having them held for pickup they can't be delivered to the wrong house. I don't order from this site, but the site I order from is very similar. I've been fully refunded (including shipping costs) for all orders I received that were dead. Even my favorite LFS won't refund dead fish!
t-bone
Member
I haven't bought many fish so probably just ignore my babble, but I love being able to see and choose the exact fish that I get. I don't have to drive 40 minutes though,have selection of stores within 10 minutes including one that is like going to a mini seaworld.
I am sure that this and other sites provide great fish though. Maybe it is more exciting waiting to see what they send you. I did buy a cleanup crew online, but I wasn't anxiously waiting to see what that would look like.
I am sure that this and other sites provide great fish though. Maybe it is more exciting waiting to see what they send you. I did buy a cleanup crew online, but I wasn't anxiously waiting to see what that would look like.
jonp
Member
Originally Posted by t-bone
http:///forum/post/2727062
I haven't bought many fish so probably just ignore my babble, but I love being able to see and choose the exact fish that I get. I don't have to drive 40 minutes though,have selection of stores within 10 minutes including one that is like going to a mini seaworld.
I am sure that this and other sites provide great fish though. Maybe it is more exciting waiting to see what they send you. I did buy a cleanup crew online, but I wasn't anxiously waiting to see what that would look like.
Where in south FL are you?
So far I've only bought my fish from a LFS down the street. If I can't find the Clownfish I want at a reasonable price locally and appear to be healthy, then I'm using SWF.
http:///forum/post/2727062
I haven't bought many fish so probably just ignore my babble, but I love being able to see and choose the exact fish that I get. I don't have to drive 40 minutes though,have selection of stores within 10 minutes including one that is like going to a mini seaworld.
I am sure that this and other sites provide great fish though. Maybe it is more exciting waiting to see what they send you. I did buy a cleanup crew online, but I wasn't anxiously waiting to see what that would look like.
Where in south FL are you?
So far I've only bought my fish from a LFS down the street. If I can't find the Clownfish I want at a reasonable price locally and appear to be healthy, then I'm using SWF.
nordy
Active Member
Originally Posted by ds450x
http:///forum/post/2726620
I have a fish store only 10 minutes from work but its kinda shitty and the guy is an ass.... The next one is 40 minutes away and its really nice and it has a large variety. Im just scared about shipping and be able to be home when the shipment arrives. How do they live so long in the bags?
I was very hesitant to order online, and like you, was worried about receiving the shipment and being able to get it in my tank as soon as possible. When I do order online, I try to make as large an order as possible to spread out the shiping cost among a lot of items. I have ordered from SWF.com and have been very happy with the whole process-selection, price, and shipping. Never had a problem. I do like ordering online, putting things into my shopping cart, then click away and like magic, the livestock arrives at my door in a couple of days.
I have also ordered from an outfit in CA. and have also been very happy buying from them and I am amazed that live fish can be shipped across the country and arrive healthy in the same amount of time that it takes to get a shipment from SWF.com in FL.
That being said, I do like going to my LFS on payday and just look around-they are close, have been in business for years and years, and have a well deserved reputation for quality and selection. A new owner bought the business last year and has really spent some money upgrading their SW tanks and selection of corals. It's soooo hard to go in there without buying something for the tank! And then, there's the new LFS that opened up recently even closer to my house than my fav LFS.
http:///forum/post/2726620
I have a fish store only 10 minutes from work but its kinda shitty and the guy is an ass.... The next one is 40 minutes away and its really nice and it has a large variety. Im just scared about shipping and be able to be home when the shipment arrives. How do they live so long in the bags?
I was very hesitant to order online, and like you, was worried about receiving the shipment and being able to get it in my tank as soon as possible. When I do order online, I try to make as large an order as possible to spread out the shiping cost among a lot of items. I have ordered from SWF.com and have been very happy with the whole process-selection, price, and shipping. Never had a problem. I do like ordering online, putting things into my shopping cart, then click away and like magic, the livestock arrives at my door in a couple of days.
I have also ordered from an outfit in CA. and have also been very happy buying from them and I am amazed that live fish can be shipped across the country and arrive healthy in the same amount of time that it takes to get a shipment from SWF.com in FL.
That being said, I do like going to my LFS on payday and just look around-they are close, have been in business for years and years, and have a well deserved reputation for quality and selection. A new owner bought the business last year and has really spent some money upgrading their SW tanks and selection of corals. It's soooo hard to go in there without buying something for the tank! And then, there's the new LFS that opened up recently even closer to my house than my fav LFS.