Is aquarium fish sale a legit, good place to buy fish?

[FishAreCool55]

Hello! I’m new to the world of fish and I recently got 2 betta fish. My grandma recently bought me a new 10 gallon tank so I decided I’d also put some fish in there. Problem is, I don’t have any pet store near me so my only option is online shopping. I’m thinking of getting fish from www.aquariumfishsale.com but I’ve heard some people’s fish came in either D.O.A. or had a parasite called Ich. Are they trustworthy sellers? I don’t want the parasite to hop from one fish to one of my two other bettas while I’m carrying the new fish to the new tank.

TL;DR Is aquarium fish sale reliable?

 

[blaxsun]

DOA fish are always a possibility from shipping (delays, temperature, stress, etc.) Most reputable sellers won’t ship any sick fish, but things like ich can lie dormant and are not always detectable. Many online vendors will have some sort of “live arrival” guarantee, though this can and does vary between sellers.

For this reason many aquarists will quarantine their fish (either observation or treatment) in a separate quarantine tank before introducing to their main display tank. But as you only have the single 10-gallon tank I’m not sure if this is an option for you.

If you’re only planning to get 1-2 small fish and introduce them all at the same time this may not be an issue, because you’re probably not going to have more than those fish anyway.

Don’t forget that you need to cycle your tank before adding any fish. Good luck!

 

[FishAreCool55]

DOA fish are always a possibility from shipping (delays, temperature, stress, etc.) Most reputable sellers won’t ship any sick fish, but things like ich can lie dormant and are not always detectable. Many online vendors will have some sort of “live arrival” guarantee, though this can and does vary between sellers.

That’s true. But a lot of the bad reviews talk about D.O.A. Or Ich. However, they said they handle the fish differently now, so I think I’ll buy a neon tetra, see how that does, and if he does good, I might consider getting him a good tank mate. Plus they have a policy that you can get a refund if a fish was D.O.A., so that’s most definitely a plus!

For this reason many aquarists will quarantine their fish (either observation or treatment) in a separate quarantine tank before introducing to their main display tank. But as you only have the single 10-gallon tank I’m not sure if this is an option for you.

I might put a neon tetra in there for approx 2 days. If there’s no diseases, I’ll consider a Harlequin Rasbora. I’ve heard they’re good tank mates. (Btw I should note, I have two other small tanks that house my other bettas, but their not big enough to house another fish, as there is a lot of decor.)

If you’re only planning to get 1-2 small fish and introduce them all at the same time this may not be an issue, because you’re probably not going to have more than those fish anyway.

I plan to get the Harlequin Rasbora at a later time, because I need to check if the neon tetra is carrying anything. Don’t worry, I’ll still feed them. (Probably sounds like he’s a test subject right now lol, but I assure you, I’ll treat him as a normal pet )

Don’t forget that you need to cycle your tank before adding any fish. Good luck!

Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Cell]

Unless you buy legit, fully quarantined and treated fish, then assume they have ich. This is not unique to the vendor in question and likely no worse than your LFS or big name vendors like Live Aquaria.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Both neons and rasboras are schooling fish and do best in groups of 6 or more to be comfortable. Neons are very susceptible to neon tetra disease, common in tetras and hard to treat. Without seeing the fish you don’t know if it will have it or not, but I figured I’d warn you just to avoid potential issues.
Anywhere you go, disease is possible. Some places more than others *cough petco cough*, as long as you are ready to treat what comes, then it isn’t bad.
I believe I ordered from aquarium fish sale before. I got 2 Colomesus asselus (Amazon pufferfish), and they were packaged very well. This species, like all puffers, unfortunately do not handle stress well. So between the shipping process and my inability to care for them (I was inexperienced and stupid at the time) they didn’t last long. One died soon after arrival, the other lasted 2 weeks before starving (like I said, stupid and inexperienced). Something hardier like a tetra will fare better when shipped.
I will warn you that there are some ludicrous shipping prices on fish, and I wouldn’t advise paying 30 dollars shipping on a 2 dollar tetra. If you are going to make an online order, get everything you want so the shipping cost isn’t such a sucker punch to the gut. Just be sure the tank is properly cycled before putting fish in.
Ich is something to watch out for, but not nearly as deadly in freshwater as in saltwater. The biggest freshwater health problems seem to stem from injury, internal parasites, or fish being kept in improper conditions (like an Oscar in a hard water 55 gallon tank).

 

[FishAreCool55]

Unless you buy legit, fully quarantined and treated fish, then assume they have ich. This is not unique to the vendor in question and likely no worse than your LFS or big name vendors like Live Aquaria.

I’m having a hard time finding anything about it on their site, I’ll keep looking though.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I’m having a hard time finding anything about it on their site, I’ll keep looking though.

It’s usually advertised that they do. If it doesn’t say so, chances are they aren’t doing much qt.

 

[FishAreCool55]

Both neons and rasboras are schooling fish and do best in groups of 6 or more to be comfortable. Neons are very susceptible to neon tetra disease, common in tetras and hard to treat. Without seeing the fish you don’t know if it will have it or not, but I figured I’d warn you just to avoid potential issues.
Anywhere you go, disease is possible. Some places more than others *cough petco cough*, as long as you are ready to treat what comes, then it isn’t bad.
I believe I ordered from aquarium fish sale before. I got 2 Colomesus asselus (Amazon pufferfish), and they were packaged very well. This species, like all puffers, unfortunately do not handle stress well. So between the shipping process and my inability to care for them (I was inexperienced and stupid at the time) they didn’t last long. One died soon after arrival, the other lasted 2 weeks before starving (like I said, stupid and inexperienced). Something hardier like a tetra will fare better when shipped.
I will warn you that there are some ludicrous shipping prices on fish, and I wouldn’t advise paying 30 dollars shipping on a 2 dollar tetra. If you are going to make an online order, get everything you want so the shipping cost isn’t such a sucker punch to the gut. Just be sure the tank is properly cycled before putting fish in.
Ich is something to watch out for, but not nearly as deadly in freshwater as in saltwater. The biggest freshwater health problems seem to stem from injury, internal parasites, or fish being kept in improper conditions (like an Oscar in a hard water 55 gallon tank).

You make good points sir! I’ll consider getting the little guy tested when I order him, but for now I think I’ll have to get 1, as I want to see how good the quality is first.

 

[FishAreCool55]

It’s usually advertised that they do. If it doesn’t say so, chances are they aren’t doing much qt.

I'm no marketing expert, but that’s usually something you put on the front page. This is a picture of their front page. And apparently the most common question is how the fish are packed. I also have some screenshots of them explaining (on their website) how they pack the fish.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I'm no marketing expert, but that’s usually something you put on the front page. This is a picture of their front page. And apparently the most common question is how the fish are packed. I also have some screenshots of them explaining (on their website) how they pack the fish.

Doesn’t look like they qt, though the only way to know for sure is asking them. The packing was very good, probably one of the best packed fish I’ve ordered.

 

[FishAreCool55]

Doesn’t look like they qt, though the only way to know for sure is asking them. The packing was very good, probably one of the best packed fish I’ve ordered.

I’ll have to call them later. My phone is dead so I can‘t call them atm, and my iPad (what I’m currently using) can’t call except for face time

 

[Sharkbait19]

I’ll have to call them later. My phone is dead so I can‘t call them atm, and my iPad (what I’m currently using) can’t call except for face time

You can always email too.

 

[FishAreCool55]

You can always email too.

True but from what I've heard it takes them awhile to respond to emails

 

[atomos]

IMHO, as I research a retailer (online or local), I try to lean on Yelp, TrustPilot, Google Reviews, the BBB, and others (e.g., in this case, R2R reefers and my local reefing clubs in my area) to get a "bearing" on how the company responds to questions (pre and post).....

FWIW, I managed to find this link at the local chapter of the BBB where the retailer is supposedly HQ'd at:

AFS INC. | Better Business Bureau® Profile

BBB accredited since 12/15/2021. Tropical Fish in Reno, NV. See BBB rating, reviews, complaints, get a quote & more.

www.bbb.org

like always, I always take reviews with a grain of salt

 

[FishAreCool55]

I always take reviews with a grain of salt

Same here, and I did read their BBB complaints earlier, and their apologies seemed sincere.

(Fun fact: the complaints are actually what got me to start this thread, lol)

 

[atomos]

Same here, and I did read their BBB complaints earlier, and their apologies seemed sincere.

(Fun fact: the complaints are actually what got me to start this thread, lol)

LOL...awesome!