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View Full Version : How stressfull is ordering fish online?

hgbarwick
07/02/2006, 08:53 PM
How stressfull is ordering fish online? I am considering ordering fish online from either liveaquaria.com or marinedepot.com. Will it be stressfull on the fish?
Amphiprion
07/02/2006, 08:57 PM
It is almost as stressful for me as it is for the fish.
hgbarwick
07/02/2006, 09:01 PM
Lol how stressful is that?
LBCBJ
07/02/2006, 09:03 PM
Very, 12 or more hours in a little bag of water is very stressful for fish, I wouldnt do it unless there were no LFS within 2 hours.
Sk8r
07/02/2006, 09:06 PM
The LiveAquaria shipment was very expertly packed, and my specimens came through very well. Communication was good---except I got suspicious that Fedex listed a delivery time the same as the pickup the day before: 3pm. It was just too neat to be believed, so i stayed home from an appointment and sure enough, it came at 12pm. The 3 listed on the Fedex tracking was their deliver-by time: don't be deceived. The liveshipment packages arrive ahead of the tracking system's ability to track them, so if they say they'll be there on a given day, have a plan.
hgbarwick
07/02/2006, 09:08 PM
ok thanks.
hahnmeister
07/02/2006, 09:42 PM
I always was worried about getting fish/larger inverts in via freight. I once had a shipment from LA at the beginning of summer, when the weather was still decent...where the shrimp died within hours, and so did a bunch of snails. The water was very cold.

Recently, at a LFS, I had the chance to pick up some fish that just came in...still in the shipping bags from the distributor. Now, when I had bought a YT just a few weeks before from an even more reputable LFS, the bugger died. Why? Well, the LFS was running the fish at 1.010 and constant copper meds. The fish had been in the LFS system for close to a year. When I took it home and tried to acclimate it...it became listless, vulnerable, and hid 24/7. I have had many fish like this from LFSs. Now, upon taking home these fish from the distributor directly, even after having been bagged for a day straight...they were more lively inside the bag than anything I had purchased from a LFS. The last YT was already tipping on its side and sitting on the bottom of the bag...but these were lively and showing no signs of stress. All have lived, and had no acclimation problems.

It all comes down to proper care where the fish are being held, and then proper shipping procedures. I would order fish online any day as long as I knew the facility was reputable and knew what they were doing.
mg426
07/02/2006, 10:25 PM
If you are going to order online I can highly recommend WWW.liveaquaria.com
McCrary
07/03/2006, 01:11 AM
I have ordered several times from liveaquaria.com, the only time I had trouble was when they didn't pack enough ice in the bags. Living in Tucson with 105 degree heat in the summer the bags were a little warm. But I just called them up and they credited my account. Their customer service is big reason why they have costumers who recommend them. As for the stress of shipping, I worked in a LFS and the fish are shipped in almost the same time if you order them online.
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 07:08 AM
ok well it seems they will do fine.
RichConley
07/03/2006, 07:09 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7671045#post7671045 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LBCBJ
Very, 12 or more hours in a little bag of water is very stressful for fish, I wouldnt do it unless there were no LFS within 2 hours.

How do you think the fish gets to your LFS. So when you buy from the LFS, it gets shipped in a little bag of water, acclimated poorly, stays for a couple of days, and then gets thrown in a bag again, to be acclimated again.


I think shipped fish actually go through LESS stress than store bought fish.


I bought a leapord wrasse from live aquaria a couple weeks ago, and it ate right out of the bag. Every wrasse Iv'e gotten from stores has hid for 4 or 5 days. THis thing was right out and eating.
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 07:11 AM
Wow
geckofrog
07/03/2006, 07:12 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7672270#post7672270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
How do you think the fish gets to your LFS. So when you buy from the LFS, it gets shipped in a little bag of water, acclimated poorly, stays for a couple of days, and then gets thrown in a bag again, to be acclimated again.


I think shipped fish actually go through LESS stress than store bought fish.


I bought a leapord wrasse from live aquaria a couple weeks ago, and it ate right out of the bag. Every wrasse Iv'e gotten from stores has hid for 4 or 5 days. THis thing was right out and eating.

This is very true, this is why I only order online. Buying from the LFS just supports the habbit of stressing out fish!
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 07:14 AM
So it would be better to order online. I live in FLorida so it is hot right now. Will the heat kill the fish I orderd?
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 07:58 AM
BTW I will be ordering from liveaqauria.com
rlemke
07/03/2006, 08:15 AM
I just tried an order for the first time from saltwaterfish.com...and I had no problems whatsoever. I've been disappointed with the selection from my LFS, and thought I'd try an on-line order. Living in Florida, I was also concerned about the heat, but they included a "cool pack" in the styrofoam container to help regulate temperature. I made my order on Wednesday, and the fish arrived Friday morning. I had such a good experience, I seriously doubt if I'll buy from my lfs again.
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 08:18 AM
Hmm well it seems to be ok then.
moprint
07/03/2006, 09:38 AM
I have bought from saltwaterfish.com three times and have never had any problems. The packing was excellent and I ordered in the winter and summer. Liveaqauria has good reveiws, I think you will be all right.
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 09:41 AM
ok thanks for the help
CeeGee
07/03/2006, 11:07 AM
I also recommend phishy business (http://www.phishybusiness.com/) I placed an order and got two extremely healthy fairy wrasses from them.

I have also heard good things about liveaquaria.

One thing that you can do to help with the stress of the fish is to have the package "held" at your local fedex station and you can go and pick it up at 8:00 in the morning instead of being on a hot truck until "whenever they get to your house" I have gone this route every time.
TWallace
07/03/2006, 11:34 AM
I've ordered fish three times from LiveAquaria and never had a single one show up dead. I don't think it's any more stressful for the fish than being shipped to a LFS and put it in tiny tanks for several days, often with inappropriate tankmates and poor water conditions.
Bono
07/03/2006, 12:01 PM
I also live in Fla and have had no problem ordering from Liveaquaria in the summer. Just tell them to pack for the heat and they will take care of it.

Also, the great thing about ordering online is the anticipation. It's like christmas in July.
geckofrog
07/03/2006, 12:03 PM
You should've seen how they packed my orders, I'm sure they spent like 30+mins on it. It was ridiculous how good they packed it, this adds to the satisfaction of the whole order and a very good reason liveaquaria is the most widely used.

Now, if the dry drs. foster and smith section for fish could just offer a better selection of marine equipment I'd be happy.
grallster
07/03/2006, 12:59 PM
I second the having it held at the fedex hub. If you want it on saturday, you can pick it up there for the same price as regular delivery. If you pay the $12 extra for saturday delivery, your package actually ends up being at your house possibly as long as 6 hours later after riding around on a hot truck.
Just depends on how far you live from a hub, I guess.
hottuna
07/03/2006, 01:38 PM
just be careful when its very hot out (now) and very cold out (winter) i usually never order during those times
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 01:40 PM
I am close to a Fedex hub so I will do that.
UrbanSage
07/03/2006, 02:35 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7672270#post7672270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
How do you think the fish gets to your LFS. So when you buy from the LFS, it gets shipped in a little bag of water, acclimated poorly, stays for a couple of days, and then gets thrown in a bag again, to be acclimated again.


I think shipped fish actually go through LESS stress than store bought fish.

I very much agree with this as well.!
LBCBJ
07/03/2006, 03:16 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7672270#post7672270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
How do you think the fish gets to your LFS. So when you buy from the LFS, it gets shipped in a little bag of water, acclimated poorly, stays for a couple of days, and then gets thrown in a bag again, to be acclimated again.


I think shipped fish actually go through LESS stress than store bought fish.


I bought a leapord wrasse from live aquaria a couple weeks ago, and it ate right out of the bag. Every wrasse Iv'e gotten from stores has hid for 4 or 5 days. THis thing was right out and eating.


Have you ever been to a LFS the day they get in a shipment, there's usually at least a 20-30% mortality rate. Lot's of dead fish. I prefer to leave the fish at the store for a week or so and then buy it. There's a big difference between a 12+ trip from Cali and a 15 minuet trip from the LFS to my house. Not a lot for me to debate there

I'm glad the fish is doing well, but that's just a matter of chance, nothing else.
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 05:57 PM
I am seein both sides to this. I will see if my LFS has the fish I am looking for first, then I willl order it online if they don't have it.
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 05:59 PM
I am seeing both sides to this. I will see if my LFS has the fish I am looking for first, then I willl order it online if they don't have it.
grallster
07/03/2006, 06:27 PM
There's a big difference between a 12+ trip from Cali and a 15 minuet trip from the LFS to my house. Not a lot for me to debate there

What about the extra catching, bagging, unbagging, releasing?
hgbarwick
07/03/2006, 06:47 PM
true
hahnmeister
07/03/2006, 08:39 PM
The point of my post was that I feel fish get stressed out more at the LFS than they do from the shipper. LBCBJ, many of the shippments I have seen come in have very low mortality rates...its the week or so after that they are in the LFS water that seems to kill em.
R33f3r
07/03/2006, 08:40 PM
I have to take valium before I order anything online
LBCBJ
07/03/2006, 09:00 PM
HAHA! Nicely put Reefer
silversnake
07/04/2006, 11:41 PM
I live in ga it gets too hot to order from online dealers during summer months. I prefer to let lfs deal with dead fish and i buy there live ones.
Snarkys
07/05/2006, 07:51 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7674927#post7674927 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LBCBJ
Have you ever been to a LFS the day they get in a shipment, there's usually at least a 20-30% mortality rate. Lot's of dead fish. I prefer to leave the fish at the store for a week or so and then buy it. There's a big difference between a 12+ trip from Cali and a 15 minuet trip from the LFS to my house. Not a lot for me to debate there

I'm glad the fish is doing well, but that's just a matter of chance, nothing else.

i have also never seen my LFS do a drip acclimation.

for what its worth, i just ordered about 16 fish from www.saltwaterfish.com and only had one fatality. theyhave free shipping on anything over $79. prolly saved me atleast $300-400
hgbarwick
07/05/2006, 09:46 AM
19 dollars is better than the 250 dollars that liveaquaria.com wants for free shipping.
Serioussnaps
07/05/2006, 06:55 PM
The thing that is good about LFS you can see the fish..if its healthy....and if it is eating and very healthy...survived all that it is likely a good fish....prohibiting any disease it can pick up at the LFS....shipping is the same as LFS except you dont get to see it..........how do you think it got to the LFS?it didnt walk