Where oh Where to buy???

[zrclshn]

Ok, I am assuming many of you have purchased fish online and probably from this site. So this poses a question to me. Is it better to buy online (cheaper) or buy from a LFS? If you purchase from a LFS then you can do all the things the books tell you to do like make sure they are eating, make sure they have no missing fins, ect... Then you have the fact that most sites online have a 14 day guarantee. Oh, and to make things even more confusing this site says you need a 100+ tank for a queen or emperor angel and other sites say you only need 55. So what is a guy to think that has an 80 gallon bow front? Can I get the fish of my dreams or not??? Oh, wait, then there is the fact that one fish may be 400 dollars on this site and only 200 on another, but then a fish on the other site is 400 and only 200 on this site... Arghhh....
Any help would be appreciated. As my tank is completely cycled. And a guy can only look at his 90 Lbs of LR and crabs for so long with no fish... (although it is quite cool to see the LR restoring to its original beauty after the die off from shipping.
Thanks,
Shane

 

[whitey_028]

They may be cheaper online and beleive me i am here for a good deal and this site does have quality merchandise but there is still nothing better than to see the fish eat(so you know theyare eating),the color of the exact fish you want, and to hand pick them yourself than to purchase livestock unseen. For example if i wanted a $10,000 (or however much they cost) thouroughbred horse i think id want to see if it had 4 legs or both eyes. Not to down this site at all. There are very many that have gotten great deals on this site and this site is very reasonably priced and have been a perfect specimin... The choice is up to you.

 

[120reefer]

Although I think that making sure the fish does eat is a big plus to LFS, I don't have the luxury of a good one around me, so i resorted to the internet thing, and to be honest i have yet to be disappointed. This site in particular takes good care in ensuring the fish to come to your doorstep alive and i have honestly had long term sucess with EVERY fish that i bought. I think the shortest ive kept a fish from the internet was about a year ago when i bought a longnose for my old 75 FOWLR and lost him right before i decided on the 120 about 3 months ago

 

[zrclshn]

Thanks for the input, but of course I got 1 opinion for LFS and 1 for internet, lol. Pretty much leaves me where I was. Outstanding that you had so much luck with this site for fish purchases though. That is very important; given you never know how a LFS has gotten its stock. I am still confused on if I can get the angels or not though. Should I listen to my LFS, this site, or other sites? They are all different for the requirements. I am interested in a Juvi. I stated that one site said 55 gallon was acceptable, while this site maintains you need at least 100. Given my 80 Gallon, I am right in the middle of that range. It seems that this would be plenty of room for a Juvi Queen/Emperor. I of course intend to get a larger tank down the road (when money provides). So it this tan k suitable for now, then move to larger tank? I also have read that the Queen is very difficult to take care of. Given this tank has been cycled now for about a month, 90 lbs of live rock, ultraviolet filter, protein skimmer... 25 hermits, and 2 emerald crabs... Do yo9u see any reason I would not be able to keep a Queen? If so, could you please provide me a list of what I am missing?

 

[piscian]

From everything that I've seen, you should wait until your tank has been up for 6 months before putting any type of Angle or Butterfly fish in there.

 

[vanos]

Prices will always be cheaper online compared to the lfs. The lfs has a lot of upkeep and other expenses but I do shop sometimes there due to supporting them and if I need something right away they are only a 10 minute drive.
A queen or emperor angel in a 55? What site was that? I would say at least a 120. Go on reputation and buy from this site. You can't beat the $89 flat price. I plan on buying an anemone and many inverts late this week or early next week.

 

[zrclshn]

Well slap me in the face!! 120? Crap! Im never going to have the fish I want. So you all don't think I am insane. Here is the link for the 55 gallon aquarium size information.
<LINK REMOVED AS PER REQUEST>
Ok, so even if 80 gallon was big enough, then I have to wait 6 months? The tank is competely cycled. Why the wait? Also, do you suppose this 80 gallon is big enough for a juvenile? I mean, they are only like 3 inches.

 

[lion_crazz]

I am kindly asking you to remove the link, please. The admins here do not like when competitor's sites are posted on the message board.
Sites like those do not give a "recommended" tank size; they give a "minimum" tank size. So, while I "recommend" a queen angel goes in nothing but a 180, the "minimum" he would need is a 55. However, what these sites do not tell you is that a queen angel will only live in a 55 for a few months at the most.
Also, keep in mind, these sites are out to make money. They put a minimum tank size up there hoping that anyone with a 55 is looking at queen angels. This way, they make money. If they put "recommended" tank size = 200 gallons, they will not have many people looking into buying this fish.
You surely cannot go by any fish retail website to get a recomended tank size. They all have something to gain. People like us have nothing to gain here, so obviously, we are not going to mislead you.
I would definitely not try a queen in an 80. This is a fish that gets 18 inches. That is a huge fish.

 

[vanos]

You make a great point about other websites and minimum vs recommended size tank. There are plenty of other fish you can buy that would be perfect in an 80 Gallon tank. i.e. most triggers, some wrasses, lionfish, clownfish, puffers and many others.

 

[zrclshn]

Thanks for the information. The link has been removed as well. Your explanation, while not what I was hoping for, was very helpful. I certaintly dont want the fish to suffer just because I love the fish. Guess I will tear this one down and sell it. No since in putting money into a tank when you know what you want wont be in there