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Unread 09/22/2020, 07:17 PM   #1
lilouisianagal
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Best online sources for fish and corals?

What are the best online sources for fish? I've poked around LiveAquaria some, but are there any other options I should consider?


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Unread 09/24/2020, 01:15 PM   #2
Michael Hoaster
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A year or so ago I would have recommended Live Aquaria, but they made several changes that have caused me to boycott them. My next fish purchase will probably be from my local fish store. I do have a few sites to list that you could check out, but I haven't tried all of them.

KPAquatics.com is my favorite store for Florida/Caribbean species, like Royal Grammas. Plus they sell farmed live rock. $40 shipping.

Bluezooaquatics.com has been around for a while, so they must be doing something right. $40 shipping.

Saltwaterfish.com ships for $30 and $99 purchase gets you free shipping.

Check those three out. Hope this helps!


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Unread 09/24/2020, 04:18 PM   #3
lionfish300
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Yep that is too bad about the changes with Live Aquaria. I have bought a lot of fish and corals from them over the last 15 plus years


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Unread 09/24/2020, 08:11 PM   #4
djryan2000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lionfish300 View Post
Yep that is too bad about the changes with Live Aquaria. I have bought a lot of fish and corals from them over the last 15 plus years

What changes have they made recently?


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Unread 09/26/2020, 02:37 PM   #5
lionfish300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by djryan2000 View Post
What changes have they made recently?


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Recently? I have not keep up but Prices, Policies, Inventories, Cuctomer service you name it


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Unread 09/28/2020, 11:54 AM   #6
Michael Hoaster
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I have no desire to turn this into an anti-Live Aquaria thread. They really may have been the best. Here's why I thought so: Free shipping on $99 livestock purchase, $49 on dry goods. I often buy multiples of fish, so it was pretty easy to get free shipping. Also being able to get heavy things like salt and sand shipped without shipping cost was awesome. Their arrive alive guarantee was fair too, and most fish arrived alive and healthy. A key feature was when you needed to get refunded for a DOA, they credited your credit card. I didn't realize how important this one point was until it was gone.

Now it's $149 livestock and $29 on dry goods. I will probably continue to buy dry goods from them, with this policy upgrade. The bump up to 149 is a bummer, after $99, but isn't terrible. This change alone wouldn't have driven me away.

What ended my patronage was a combination of two things: the quality of livestock took a precipitous dive, where most, if not all fish arrived sick or dead. And the credit policy shifted from credit to your card, to store credit only. This lead to a situation where I kept reordering dead fish, only to be shipped more dead (or dying) fish. Store credit locked me in to a carousel of credits and shipping changes. As those shipping charges piled up, I had no fish to show for it. Worst of all, I began to question my own abilities and love for the hobby. And these key changes made it obvious to me that they made (a lot) more money shipping dead or dying fish to their customers.

That's my experience. So for me, LA is no longer a good choice for aquatic livestock. I would be delighted to tell anyone who IS the best online retailer of livestock, but with the pandemic/economy I haven't bought fish in months. I intend to give my fish business to my two, excellent, local fish stores. If I order fish online again, I'll likely order from KPaquatics.com. I've had excellent experience with livestock from them.

Sorry to ramble on! I hope this is helpful.


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As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance,
our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey

Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018
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Unread 10/01/2020, 04:28 AM   #7
Axel33
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I've used live aquaria. I also like their compatibility chart.


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Unread 10/03/2020, 12:30 PM   #8
lilouisianagal
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Thanks for the feedback!


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Unread 10/03/2020, 12:47 PM   #9
djryan2000
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I was very satisfied with Fish of Hex for coral shipment.

He rigorously quarantines new corals and all of the corals he sells are grown and fragged in his system. The only pest he has is vermetid snails. He does also provide coral dip for peace of mind.

He also has the parameters and PAR the corals are grown under readily available to avoid shocking them. All 13 frags I ordered were open and happy in my tank within 30 minutes.


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