Ordering fish online

[Colin747]

Just wondering as you can buy fish online and that you can get them in the trade section on this site. I was just wondering how the actual transport aspect it of it works? How are the fish sent? Is it safe/fair for them?

[Humbug]

Hi Colin,
Well it's all dependant on the seller how they are sent but generally if they are sent via online registered traders then the fish are double bagged with plenty of oxygen, added to a poly box along with a token heat pack, then clearly marked as live fish, fragile etc and sent via next day delivery "guaranteed"... through my experiences with a few ebay purchases though the sellers have sent via recorded delivery, or incorrect packaging, too much water - too little water etc etc so it's always good to check the seller out in advance. With regards to the fishes security etc I have sent out Fish, Shrimps, Snails and Crabs for a few years now, only on a small scale and never had any problems at all due to expert packaging and speedy delivery plus I always email the buyers every shred of advice they will require in advance so everything is prepared in advance
You can pick up some real bargains plus fish that you cannot source locally via online deals so it is worth it, for example I swapped a bag of mixed shrimps for about 30-40 Calico plecs last year all at the cost of the P+P so we both got a great deal If in doubt about a seller or deal then you can always post up in here and we can check them out for you
Hope this helps
Paul

[Colin747]

Thanks, that's a great help! So would they normally be sent by a courier service rather than Royal Mail for example?

[Humbug]

All depends on the seller bud, if it's a mass trader they usually have courier accounts and daily pick ups so the order would be sent to arrive on a day that is suitable for you, my guys ensure it's with me before 12pm next day via DPD. If they are small sellers with no reg sales (like me) then a trip to the local P.O and using the Next Day Guaranteed before 1pm service is normally used... Snail sellers tend to use 1st/2nd class recorded. You can always ask the seller what methods they use for P+P and they should be quite forthcoming on the matter as it is an essential part of getting the fish to you and a sale from you All traders offer D.O.A guarantees so if any fish arrived dead on arrival, deformed or worse for wear then you can take some clear pics of the fish in the original bags and send them via email for a refund or credit.

[Colin747]

Cheers for that all sounds good, I feel like I should make some bad joke about the snail sellers using the slower post method but I think I'll pass

[Humbug]

They use the Royal Snail...

[dekker]

Hi guys i have never got fish from an on line seller. But i can see the benifts if you live a distance from any fish shops.

[Colin747]

Yea I normally like to try and support my lfs but for some of the harder to get stuff I can see the appeal. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't just gonna be getting bag of water and dead fish

[Humbug]

Supporting your LFS is all well and good but in this day and age saving the ££££ is a must especially when you get better quality, better numbers, exactly what you want and save ££££.... In Southport there's several Fish shops, plus some "Pets At Home" etc stores... only one sells healthy fish that won't wipe out an entire tank but the selection of fish are poor - mainly guppies - live bearers etc.... the prices are just silly.... great people but if people are struggling to eat then even selling basic live bearers at £5 a pair makes no business sense. Shop around online, find breeders, clubs, auction sites, importers etc find out what you need to know off them then get an order in... I set up a 6ft about 2 years back for an old work mate, spent around £60 on fish £20 on plants, £10 on frozen food and £20 on delivery... the fish alone from the fish shop would have cost him well over £150 - most of which would not stock these fish... so he ended up saving a fortune and got exactly what he wanted... his missus found him cheating though and took a Golf Club to the tank.... so my advice is look around online or find your local fish clubs and fish auctions because you can always cut out the middle person and get what you want at a fraction of the price

[dekker]

Good points humbug and a great post with lots of great info thanks mate.

[Colin747]

Would it be worth having a pinned/sticky post of members reviews of places they've ordered fish online from?

[dekker]

could be a good idea i think, then people would have a good idea where to get the best and healthiest fish from and the best price too.

[sleepyhead]

Would it be worth having a pinned/sticky post of members reviews of places they've ordered fish online from?

I think that's a great idea as I've never bought fish on line reason being is I've heard too many horror stories so I know who NOT to use but no one ever mentions the decent traders.

[Colin747]

So who has the power to sticky posts then

[sleepyhead]

So who has the power to sticky posts then

Humbug is global moderator and kittykat us administrator so probably either of those two I am assuming