Best places to buy fish? LFS? Online? craigslist

Peter Jason

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
81
Reaction score
28
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had a 75 gallon canister, but had a ich outbreak. I severely want to avoid that again. I'm thinking about setting up a 16 gallon quarantine/observation tank with my new reef tank. I want to add small fish to watch them grow. Is there a way to find trusted breeders in my area that are known to sell healthy fish? Otherwise, should I just buy from my LFS (Dallas North Aquarium) and quarantine fish for observation and possible disease?

I don't want to make the same mistakes again. thanks.
 

Mjrenz

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
2,873
Reaction score
6,244
Location
King George, Virginia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Some online dealers don't have a single fish on hand and order from whatever supplier has the lowest price and it's drop shipped, I personally only trust my lfs and have never bought livestock online. I also prefer supporting someone I have a face to face relationship with. I know this doesn't completly answer your question but it's the best advice I can offer
 

LesPoissons

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
1,124
Reaction score
695
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No matter where you buy from you should just quarantine. Even reputable lfs get sick fish. Keep in mind, most fish come from the ocean no matter how many stops they make along the way, and the ocean doesnt quarantine. LFS is a business with a goal of fast turnover. None of them quarantine fish for weeks and medicate unless they have an obvious sick fish. Some run copper in thier fish only systems but it's not super common. All it takes is a couple fish with ich, parasites, velvet etc in a system. You have no way of knowing if your fish has anything or not.
Divers den of live Aquaria (not plain Live Aquaria) is one of the better of the big fish industry bc they do actually medicate and make sure fish are eating etc before selling, but supply is what it is so its hit or miss to get what you want.
You can ask your LFS or other reef maintenance companies in your area if they will qt for you, but again, you can't ever be sure of their actual practices and things could slip through. You should just do it yourself so you know exactly what is going into your tank. (Or dont qt if you dont want too. Up to you. You will find plenty of arguments for both sides. I tried qt but I dont have the space for an adequate 2nd set up, but if I had the room to run a quality qt tank I def would.) Make sure you have proper filtration and hiding places.
 
OP
OP
P

Peter Jason

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
81
Reaction score
28
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No matter where you buy from you should just quarantine. Even reputable lfs get sick fish. Keep in mind, most fish come from the ocean no matter how many stops they make along the way, and the ocean doesnt quarantine. LFS is a business with a goal of fast turnover. None of them quarantine fish for weeks and medicate unless they have an obvious sick fish. Some run copper in thier fish only systems but it's not super common. All it takes is a couple fish with ich, parasites, velvet etc in a system. You have no way of knowing if your fish has anything or not.
Divers den of live Aquaria (not plain Live Aquaria) is one of the better of the big fish industry bc they do actually medicate and make sure fish are eating etc before selling, but supply is what it is so its hit or miss to get what you want.
You can ask your LFS or other reef maintenance companies in your area if they will qt for you, but again, you can't ever be sure of their actual practices and things could slip through. You should just do it yourself so you know exactly what is going into your tank. (Or dont qt if you dont want too. Up to you. You will find plenty of arguments for both sides. I tried qt but I dont have the space for an adequate 2nd set up, but if I had the room to run a quality qt tank I def would.) Make sure you have proper filtration and hiding places.


yeah, I just set up my QT. Ironic because the guy who sold me the tank told me he had a marine velvet outbreak. His wife doesn't like the idea of another tank, and now he has to deal with all this. I plan on buying small fish and QT every single fish. For corals, I'm ok with just dipping?
 

Antoniocastro

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 9, 2018
Messages
148
Reaction score
47
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi
I have bought fish from several store in Dallas
But I always quarantine!!
I know Dallas North Aquarium! They always have sick fish!!
Anyway I recommend you check fish first one or 2 days continuous before buy them.
Check the fish then buy the fish then quarantine for several weeks when you are completely sure the fish is free of any disease, you can go next step!
Good luck!
 
OP
OP
P

Peter Jason

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
81
Reaction score
28
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi
I have bought fish from several store in Dallas
But I always quarantine!!
I know Dallas North Aquarium! They always have sick fish!!
Anyway I recommend you check fish first one or 2 days continuous before buy them.
Check the fish then buy the fish then quarantine for several weeks when you are completely sure the fish is free of any disease, you can go next step!
Good luck!

What a coincidence, the guy I just bought my QT from that I spoke of in my earlier post, got his fish from Dallas North Aquarium. He bought a goby and a wrasse, and now he has to treat his tank for Marine Velvet. My first tank had an ich outbreak. It was devastating. I lost most of my fish : (


With quarantining should I just observe? Should I immediately dose?
 

Goodair

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
1,049
Reaction score
1,188
Location
South River, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If its a common fish, i like to use lfs so you can see it in person and see if it eats etc... Like people said above, this won't mean its not sick, but nice to see what your buying exactly.
 

Goodair

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
1,049
Reaction score
1,188
Location
South River, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You should observe and feed first, then treat, unless the fish is in really bad shape. Just make sure you treat it properly since some fish cant handle certain treatments
 
OP
OP
P

Peter Jason

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
81
Reaction score
28
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You should observe and feed first, then treat, unless the fish is in really bad shape. Just make sure you treat it properly since some fish cant handle certain treatments

So if fish doesn't have white spots, labored breathing, seems happy, and eats it's healthy?
 

Goodair

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
1,049
Reaction score
1,188
Location
South River, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Its a good start, but not guaranteed. If the fish seems to be struggling, its better to just wait. I ended up passing on a antenata lionfish fish (and been actively looking for one or a radiata for a while) one day, it ended up dying the same day i left. The lfs might cost a lil more, but they do take the risk of shipping.
 

Antoniocastro

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 9, 2018
Messages
148
Reaction score
47
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I only buy fish that are active,looks healthy eats well ,
Then next day go again to lfs and check the fish again and next day if everything it’s ok. I buy the fish. (I only buy the healthiest fish possible) never buy sick fish! Never buy problems That are not yours!!
Next to home quarantine ...
First week observe only
If something go wrong Use copper or antibiotic.
Now I have a powder blue that I saw in LFS for a month I went one time each week and after 4 weeks. The fish still was there. And I thought he is waiting for me! Then I buy the fish now is very happy in my thank
This fish I bought 6 months ago!!
 

MnFish1

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
22,561
Reaction score
21,791
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I had a 75 gallon canister, but had a ich outbreak. I severely want to avoid that again. I'm thinking about setting up a 16 gallon quarantine/observation tank with my new reef tank. I want to add small fish to watch them grow. Is there a way to find trusted breeders in my area that are known to sell healthy fish? Otherwise, should I just buy from my LFS (Dallas North Aquarium) and quarantine fish for observation and possible disease?

I don't want to make the same mistakes again. thanks.

I only buy from my LFS - and MY LFS will order and hold whatever I want. First - this means that I'm not getting a fish dropped in to a QT after being shipped xx hours. Instead it gets shipped to my LFS - and sits there for a couple weeks - monitoring - and being treated if needed - after which I pick it up. Second the stress when I pick it up is far far less than having it shipped overnight to my door. But - otherwise I go to the LFS - and ask them to hold whatever fish I want for a bit - and then pick up in a week or 2 - have not had a disease problem since then. Ordering online - was a constant crapshoot.
 
OP
OP
P

Peter Jason

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2019
Messages
81
Reaction score
28
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I only buy from my LFS - and MY LFS will order and hold whatever I want. First - this means that I'm not getting a fish dropped in to a QT after being shipped xx hours. Instead it gets shipped to my LFS - and sits there for a couple weeks - monitoring - and being treated if needed - after which I pick it up. Second the stress when I pick it up is far far less than having it shipped overnight to my door. But - otherwise I go to the LFS - and ask them to hold whatever fish I want for a bit - and then pick up in a week or 2 - have not had a disease problem since then. Ordering online - was a constant crapshoot.

your LFS keeps the fish for you and QTs it? do you pay extra for that?
 

Marco S

Always Learning
View Badges
Joined
Jun 3, 2015
Messages
1,081
Reaction score
1,323
Location
Tucson
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Buy wherever you feel most comfortable buying from and QT everything as if it was infected, (because it probably is). I have gotten fish from several different LFS's in Arizona and every batch has had at least one fish with some infection. I quarantine everything wet going into my main tank, (yes even algae, inverts and coral) and I have dealt with Ich, Marine Velvet, Flukes, and Bacterial Disease with my fish and I have had very minimal deaths so far. I have also dealt with Asterina Starfish from algae I got from my LFS, Aptasia from a frag I got from WWC, Majanos from a frag from an LFS and caught flatworms and other nasty bugs while dipping almost every batch of coral I have gotten either online or from an LFS. Like I said...treat them as if they are infected, (regardless of where they are from) because they most likely are.

Good luck!
 

PatW

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
2,539
Reaction score
1,943
Location
Orlando, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The best option for me has been the LFS. At the LFS, I can see the fish and get a read on its condition. Is it eating? Is it active? Is it plump? Is its color good? I can also see the other fish in the system and how healthy they are. Also, the owner will often tell me how long they have had the fish. Even so, I quarantine. Part of quarantine is disease prevention. But part of it is just building the fish up. I assume that between its capture and my tank, it was shipped multiple times and had multiple stops. The fish has gone through a series of shocks. Quarantine is a place where it can rest. It can learn what I feed and respond. It can fatten up. It can get used to the water I run. I don’t want to just toss it into the display with the competition. There without it being ready for it.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 73 51.8%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 72 51.1%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 36 25.5%
  • None.

    Votes: 31 22.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.4%
Back
Top