Question about buying fish online

[bigal0221]

Hello all,
I have a question concerning purchasing fish online.
If I have the fish shipped to my work address, would they be O.K. if they stay packaged for 3-4 hours until I get off and carry them home.
Or the other option would be to take lunch break when they arrive, carry them home immediately and put them in the QT where they would be until I get off 3-4 hours later.
I am wondering this because I do not have a great feeling about my LFS because last time I went in after the holidays, they had been closed for 3 days and I saw 3 or 4 dead fish and an Emperor angel with a gray haze over both eyes.
Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

 

[kjr_trig]

The quicker you can get them home and begin acclimation, the better off you are....I did have a Maculosus Angel lost by FedEx for a full day (he was essentially 24 hours late to my house) and the fish made it through with no ill effects. Some companies do a better job than others of packaging fish too.

 

[deejeff442]

its going to take time to acclimate before you put them in the qt.
most good online stores like swf.com package them pretty good.
i would keep them at work and acclimated them slow when you get home.
luckilly i am self employed and can take a day off for an order.
i have never gotten a dead fish online
although i recieved an athena i put in a tupperware bowl when i got him out of the plastic bag .by the time i turned around and back it jumped and was dead with blood coming out of its mouth from hitting the floor,that sucked

 

[bigal0221]

I have a fairly flexible job but I just wanted to make sure in case I have to stay at work for some reason after delivery.
Reading the replies I guess it would be safest to keep the fish with me and leave work for the day as soon as possible so that I will have time to properly acclimate.
Sound O.K.?
Thanks!

 

[deejeff442]

sounds good to me.
good luck and show some pics if you can
always like to see some fish

 

[bigal0221]

Thanks for the help. I have QT cycled and ready & I will be setting up 125g DT on Sunday with cured live rock.
I will def post some pics once I get going.
Thanks again for the help!

 

[normanknight]

I received my order from Saltwater Fish today. Two wrasses and some hermit crabs. Both of the fish were DOA. The crabs seemed ok. The water was very cold when I opened the box and there was no heat pack to be found. I would really hesitate to order anything else live online.

 

[nycbob]

Originally Posted by normanknight
http:///forum/post/2914571
I received my order from Saltwater Fish today. Two wrasses and some hermit crabs. Both of the fish were DOA. The crabs seemed ok. The water was very cold when I opened the box and there was no heat pack to be found. I would really hesitate to order anything else live online.
wrasses will play dead many times. i'd still try to acclimate them and see if they will come back to life.

 

[bigal0221]

I am sorry to hear about that, however, I am afraid that I do not have much of an alternative at the present time.

 

[alabama reefer]

I always have mine shipped to work so someone will be there to sign for them. I start the acclimation process when I get off and get home around 3:15 pm. I have not had any problems doing it that way.

 

[mantisman51]

I have had deliveries arrive too cold, also. I used a digital thermometer and one shipment was 65F and the next was 68F. The first shipment 7 out of 8 fish were DOA and the 2nd shipment everything was DOA or floating upside-down and died within a few days. I finally used the second round of credits for inverts because I just didn't want to try a third time. I just placed an order for 4 fish today. If you want, I can tell you the results Tuesday. I always have the shipment held in town and wait at Fedex door to pick them up at open. They have never been in the cold or anything after I get them.

 

[kowaleski]

honestly the best thing to do would be have SWF ship them the day before you are off- they will hold them for you if you add in the comments section "please don't ship until Monday" or something like that

 

[tfolke1]

Originally Posted by bigal0221
http:///forum/post/2914402
I have a fairly flexible job but I just wanted to make sure in case I have to stay at work for some reason after delivery.
Reading the replies I guess it would be safest to keep the fish with me and leave work for the day as soon as possible so that I will have time to properly acclimate.
Sound O.K.?
Thanks!

I've done it this way several times and it always works fine, and I normally don't get home until 6. I know if I have it shipped to work there will always be somebody there to sign for it and get it indoors, plus we are in an industrial park so I think we get more consistant service from all the shipping companies.
The girls in the office usually make me open the boxes as soon as they arrive so that they can see my new fish.
I did have a guy in the warehouse sign for a box of live rock that looked like it had been kicked 4 feet at a time from California to Chicago, but it turned out OK.
The Biggest Tip I could give you is that if you want a small size, and you order a small size, put on the comment sheet that you want a small fish. Some companies feel that they are doing you a favor by upgrading you to a medium or large instead of a small like you ordered, but if your tank isn't big enough or ready for it, it may not be what you would have preferred.

 

[kjr_trig]

Kind of a risky time of year for ordering fish....My online place is out of L.A., they make the short flight from L.A. direct to Phoenix, but most FedEx go through Memphis. Very surprising they had no heat pack in there.