Best place to buy saltwater fish?

Dundermifflin · 12/24/2014, 04:17 PM

Where is the best place to buy saltwater fish either store/warehouse in Los Angeles/Ventura County or online?

Looking for blue tangs, dog face puffer, triggers, eels, etc.

triggerfreak · 12/24/2014, 05:07 PM

Online is live aquaria hands down.

johnhenry1 · 12/24/2014, 07:37 PM

Liveaquaria also. Their fish in the divers den section are very healthy.

ace_92101 · 12/25/2014, 02:49 AM

Agreed on Live Aquaria/Divers Den. I haven't been to every aquarium shop in LA, but I've been to a few. While they don't have a huge fish selection, Vivid Aquarium in the Valley, is nice. Age of Aquariums in Long Beach is small, but good quality. It's not LA county, but Seaside Aquarium in Huntington Beach is excellent. Great selection and very friendly. Sorry, but I cant speak to shops in Ventura.

SDguy · 12/25/2014, 08:50 AM

You might want to ask in the socal forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=50

Megistos · 12/26/2014, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Online is live aquaria hands down

Is there anywhere else good that might have fish LA/DD doesn't?

I kind of like the predatory fish (morays, scorps) that most people and shops avoid. Makes the interesting ones hard to find.

viggen · 12/26/2014, 11:10 AM

I would think out there with several large wholesalers working with a local store could be the best way to go. Yea many people have great things to say about live aquaria however to me attempting to work with a local shop I would think would be the best option.

Funkateer_1 · 12/26/2014, 03:39 PM

IME they dont import scorps like they used too. All i ever see at importers now is the occasional sea goblin and poorly colored rhino. Both have lousy track records in captivity too

ronhjr · 12/26/2014, 04:12 PM

liveaquaria and petsolutions.com

Megistos · 12/26/2014, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viggen

I would think out there with several large wholesalers working with a local store could be the best way to go. Yea many people have great things to say about live aquaria however to me attempting to work with a local shop I would think would be the best option.

I've been trying off and on for years to get these sort of things. Worked alright the first couple of years but for the last 4 or so all the LFS around here don't look any further than their favorite wholesaler's in-stock list.

albano · 12/26/2014, 06:02 PM

I believe that Vivid aquarium will go to their LA wholesalers daily to try to fill orders... Speak to them.

sowildpaul · 12/26/2014, 06:50 PM

If you order fish online, how do you know a fish you want to buy eats well? In comparison, you can see a fish eating well or not at LFS before buying.

dieting · 12/27/2014, 04:24 AM

Yea many people have great things to say about live aquaria however to me attempting to work with a local shop I would think would be the best option. ??

lovetoclown · 01/14/2015, 06:55 PM

My luck with live aquaria is not that great right now. First order, all showed up dead in ice cold water. Replacement order arived with one DOA and one didn't last overnight.

SDguy · 01/24/2015, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovetoclown

My luck with live aquaria is not that great right now. First order, all showed up dead in ice cold water. Replacement order arived with one DOA and one didn't last overnight.

That's surprising.... they usually have a ton of heat packs... I sometimes think too many for shipping to San Diego

lovetoclown · 01/24/2015, 05:32 PM

They reshipped my order with heat packs. 2 fish still didn't make it. Just had my lfs get them. Doing fine in qt.

ronhjr · 01/24/2015, 07:12 PM

I've had some good luck with petsolutions.com

ace_92101 · 01/25/2015, 01:09 PM

To the OP, I went to Jim's Exotic Fish in El Segundo last week. Not a huge selection, but very clean and organized with a very friendly staff.

sowildpaul · 01/25/2015, 11:47 PM

http://www.seadwelling.com/

That's the one I saw on TV show, Tanked. I am not sure if it's open to public. If not, then try to ask for a list of retailers around your home.

dogface 13 · 01/26/2015, 08:52 PM

saltwaterfish.com , liveaquaria, reefs2go probably if your looking for feeding and algae kits

ace_92101 · 01/26/2015, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sowildpaul

http://www.seadwelling.com/

That's the one I saw on TV show, Tanked. I am not sure if it's open to public. If not, then try to ask for a list of retailers around your home.

I believe they are wholesale only.

jason2459 · 01/27/2015, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogface 13

saltwaterfish.com , liveaquaria, reefs2go probably if your looking for feeding and algae kits

reefcleaners.org is my goto for snails and macro

I had not so good experiences with reefs2go and seems many others as well but this was a few years ago. I don't know if they turned things around. I do remember really good deals on blue legs from them though I wouldn't look to them for anything else of quality.

ChimolaFish · 01/27/2015, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megistos

Is there anywhere else good that might have fish LA/DD doesn't?

I kind of like the predatory fish (morays, scorps) that most people and shops avoid. Makes the interesting ones hard to find.

Just ask any non-chain store to order a specific fish for you. They probably place orders weekly, so shouldn't be an issue.

12/24/2014, 04:17 PM	#1
Dundermifflin Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 272	Best place to buy saltwater fish? Where is the best place to buy saltwater fish either store/warehouse in Los Angeles/Ventura County or online? Looking for blue tangs, dog face puffer, triggers, eels, etc.

12/25/2014, 08:50 AM	#5
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	You might want to ask in the socal forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=50 __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

12/26/2014, 11:10 AM	#7
viggen Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 2,213	I would think out there with several large wholesalers working with a local store could be the best way to go. Yea many people have great things to say about live aquaria however to me attempting to work with a local shop I would think would be the best option. __________________ A tub of fish

12/26/2014, 06:02 PM	#11
albano SALTWATER since '73 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Katonah, NY/ San Fernando Ca./ Sea Isle City NJ Posts: 6,210	I believe that Vivid aquarium will go to their LA wholesalers daily to try to fill orders... Speak to them. __________________ ______________________________________ Jan. '11 TOTM Manhattan Reefs Current Tank Info: 500g & 200g acrylic DTs/2 separate reef systems

12/24/2014, 05:07 PM	#2
triggerfreak Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Columbus, MI Posts: 1,032	Online is live aquaria hands down.

12/24/2014, 07:37 PM	#3
johnhenry1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 58	Liveaquaria also. Their fish in the divers den section are very healthy.

12/25/2014, 02:49 AM	#4
ace_92101 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cebu, Philippines Posts: 763	Agreed on Live Aquaria/Divers Den. I haven't been to every aquarium shop in LA, but I've been to a few. While they don't have a huge fish selection, Vivid Aquarium in the Valley, is nice. Age of Aquariums in Long Beach is small, but good quality. It's not LA county, but Seaside Aquarium in Huntington Beach is excellent. Great selection and very friendly. Sorry, but I cant speak to shops in Ventura.

12/26/2014, 03:39 PM	#8
Funkateer_1 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: San Diego Posts: 169	IME they dont import scorps like they used too. All i ever see at importers now is the occasional sea goblin and poorly colored rhino. Both have lousy track records in captivity too

12/26/2014, 04:12 PM	#9
ronhjr Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Phila PA (Delaware county) Posts: 345	liveaquaria and petsolutions.com

12/26/2014, 06:50 PM	#12
sowildpaul Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 383	If you order fish online, how do you know a fish you want to buy eats well? In comparison, you can see a fish eating well or not at LFS before buying.

12/27/2014, 04:24 AM	#13
dieting Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2	Yea many people have great things to say about live aquaria however to me attempting to work with a local shop I would think would be the best option. ??

01/14/2015, 06:55 PM	#14
lovetoclown Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 134	My luck with live aquaria is not that great right now. First order, all showed up dead in ice cold water. Replacement order arived with one DOA and one didn't last overnight.

01/24/2015, 05:32 PM	#16
lovetoclown Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 134	They reshipped my order with heat packs. 2 fish still didn't make it. Just had my lfs get them. Doing fine in qt.

01/24/2015, 07:12 PM	#17
ronhjr Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Phila PA (Delaware county) Posts: 345	I've had some good luck with petsolutions.com

01/25/2015, 01:09 PM	#18
ace_92101 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cebu, Philippines Posts: 763	To the OP, I went to Jim's Exotic Fish in El Segundo last week. Not a huge selection, but very clean and organized with a very friendly staff.

01/25/2015, 11:47 PM	#19
sowildpaul Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 383	http://www.seadwelling.com/ That's the one I saw on TV show, Tanked. I am not sure if it's open to public. If not, then try to ask for a list of retailers around your home.

01/26/2015, 08:52 PM	#20
dogface 13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 64	saltwaterfish.com , liveaquaria, reefs2go probably if your looking for feeding and algae kits