Ordering Online - What to Expect??

[Dr Colliebreath]

When ordering from DD, is medicating in QT really needed? From their site info it seems they treat for almost everything that we would do ourselves. Is it just a "better safe then sorry" thing?

I have wondered the same thing, but as blind1993 says, best to handle it yourself to be sure. It might be different if they had individual tanks or an isolated bank of tanks and moved fish in and out together, but I imagine they have banks of tanks on a single system with fish moving in and out. If they medicated and kept fish separate, I could see limiting your quarantine to 2-3 weeks without meds unless a need arose. I just noticed they still recommend a 2 week quarantine in their acclimating guide. That should be enough to quarantine if they say to do it and that is their guarantee exposure period.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

If you use the Fed-Ex "hold at location" sites, you can get your fish at 9AM the next morning. (no extra charge)

I just used the hold at facility approach and it was very easy and had to be better for the fish than being driven around in a truck.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I agree DD is worth it for the extra care they provide in quarantine and just making sure the fish is healthy. If you want more than one fish, it can be difficult to select given their more limited stock. I like MrTuskfish's approach of splitting the cost of shipping.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I have wondered the same thing, but as blind1993 says, best to handle it yourself to be sure. It might be different if they had individual tanks or an isolated bank of tanks and moved fish in and out together, but I imagine they have banks of tanks on a single system with fish moving in and out. If they medicated and kept fish separate, I could see limiting your quarantine to 2-3 weeks without meds unless a need arose. I just noticed they still recommend a 2 week quarantine in their acclimating guide. That should be enough to quarantine if they say to do it and that is their guarantee exposure period.

Even DD recommends that you QT their livestock. My only unbreakable rule in this hobby/addiction is ; "QT everything wet, always."

 

[D5HP]

Got an order from the diver's den this morning and also ordered a cooler full of frozen foods from LA.com. Both shipped from Rhinelander, WI yesterday and were picked up at the same time. I had the fish held at the FedEx facility but totally forgot to have them hold the food as well. Now, the fish were sitting at the hold location at 7:15AM and I picked them up at exactly 9AM. The cooler of food was on the truck at 8AM and it still hasn't arrived. My fish were in the tank and behaving naturally by 11:30AM.

So when I said that holding fish at the FedEx stop was a godsend, I really really meant it!

 

[MrTuskfish]

Got an order from the diver's den this morning and also ordered a cooler full of frozen foods from LA.com. Both shipped from Rhinelander, WI yesterday and were picked up at the same time. I had the fish held at the FedEx facility but totally forgot to have them hold the food as well. Now, the fish were sitting at the hold location at 7:15AM and I picked them up at exactly 9AM. The cooler of food was on the truck at 8AM and it still hasn't arrived. My fish were in the tank and behaving naturally by 11:30AM.

So when I said that holding fish at the FedEx stop was a godsend, I really really meant it!

I agree. Of course, it depends on where you live and when Fed-Ex delivers. I'll bet there are people who have no idea what we're talking about.

Go to FedEx.com and check for "hold at location" sites. If you'd rather pick up your fish (at 9AM, or whenever you get there) at this location; just list the FedEx address as the ship to address and note what you're doing in the comments.

 

[smoothdog]

If you are looking for a specific fish and using LA, keep in mind that if you order multiple others to defray shipping that your order will ship with whatever fish are in stock. If any fish not shipped become available they will ship at a later date for up to 2 weeks. This happened to me when I tried to get a potter's wrasse. Now I'm stuck paying a premium price (due to shipping) for some common fish that I could have quite easily gotten locally. For the record, they did offer to ship a comparable fish as a replacement but my tank is pretty well stocked and my heart was set on the potter's (the other fish were for another tank).

 

[MrTuskfish]

If you are looking for a specific fish and using LA, keep in mind that if you order multiple others to defray shipping that your order will ship with whatever fish are in stock. If any fish not shipped become available they will ship at a later date for up to 2 weeks. This happened to me when I tried to get a potter's wrasse. Now I'm stuck paying a premium price (due to shipping) for some common fish that I could have quite easily gotten locally. For the record, they did offer to ship a comparable fish as a replacement but my tank is pretty well stocked and my heart was set on the potter's (the other fish were for another tank).

If a fish is listed as "in stock'' when you order it, they won't charge extra when the fish is shipped. Sometimes, the fish in stock may not look up to snuff and they hold off---rather than shipping an "iffy" fish. You can also request that nothing be shipped if all are not available. (I think you can still do this.)

 

[smoothdog]

Yep, this is all stated in the fine print if you go hunting for it. I had just assumed that since they had all of my contact info there would at least be an attempt to contact if the order would not be complete, which was my bad. Just thought I would bring it up since this is what the thread is about.

 

[RandyFolds]

You'd have a hard time finding any online dealer or wholesaler who didn't use copper; but they seldom have the fish long enough to completely treat it.
I'd better add the usual disclaimer: although I'm a big fan of prophylactic use of copper; I know the controversy and am not pushing anyone to use it. Just IMO & IME comments.

I agree with you that copper definitely has a time and a place, but most of the wholesalers here in LA don't run copper in their systems. It is much more common for copper to be run at the collecting stations while they amass their shipments.

Someone earlier commented about QM being a better wholesaler. They have a nicer website, and talk up their handling quite a bit, but their fish are coming from the same collecting stations as every other wholesaler for the most part, and their systems are designed on the same principal as everyone else. Plenty of wholesalers, good and bad alike, 'provide the valuable service of acclimating to synthetic saltwater' and even use Tropic Marin. They just prove the time-tested mantra: more colorful packaging nets a higher price.

 

[RandyFolds]

^^^Blue Zoo is a wholesaler. It's quite a point of contention in the industry.