Shipping Fish

[generaltoaster]

A week or so ago, I ordered some fish online for the first time. A pearly jawfish and a yellow wrasse.
I put them in and they seemed to be doing fine. The wrasse was out of the sand within one day and the pearly had constructed a nice burrow. But now they are both dead. I don't know if I want to order from online dealers anymore,

Is it the fact that they were shipped or was my tank just not ready?

 

[Breadman03]

We would need to know at least the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, temp, and salinity or sg of your tank to know if those were issues.

I have gotten livestock from Live Aquaria twice and was quite satisfied with both orders, and they have a very good reputation along with at least a few other online vendors, so I wouldn't say that online vendors are bad.

 

[humaguy]

Most of my purchases over the past approx. 25 years have been from online vendors and divers- so mail/shipping plays a huge part, at least from my perspective , with the hobby...rarely are there are problems with shipping but it does happen...all lfs get at least some of their livestock by mail...dd is killer and I highly recommend them...pia is also fantastic and bz too...
can you provide details about your tank?
sorry to hear about your losses- that always hurts...but don't give up...good luck!

 

[humaguy]

ps...do you have a qt?

 

[pinnatus]

dd is killer

Maybe not the best choice of words, under the circumstances

:lol:

 

[generaltoaster]

my ammonia was near zero but not quite. I believe the situation was the same for nitrate. pH: 8.1 salinity: 1.023/4

 

[generaltoaster]

my tank seemed to be in check. I have some softies doing well in it. its a 29gal biocube. the specimen were fairly small and I hear on occasion that can cause them to be less tough/adaptable.

 

[MellowReefer]

I bought a wrasse from LiveAquaria that died a few weeks after I got it. It was very small and seemed weak when I got it. I searched around and found several sources saying that wrasses seem to do worse after shipping then most fish. So when I buy another wrasse I'll wait for my LFS to get one and have it for a week or more. I recently purchased 3 from blue zoo and one was DOA and the other two (a tang and a goby) are doing well. I will try first to get fish from LFS that are doing well there, and order online only if I want a more rare fish I can't find at the LFS.

I really like your cat picture btw - my cat looks almost exactly like yours.

 

[moatdaddy]

How old is the tank.

 

[generaltoaster]

I had purchased the tank from a previous owner who had it for about six years, it was running when I purchased it. I've had it for about two months I think.

 

[generaltoaster]

thanks and thank you

 

[Deinonych]

I bought a wrasse from LiveAquaria that died a few weeks after I got it. It was very small and seemed weak when I got it. I searched around and found several sources saying that wrasses seem to do worse after shipping then most fish. So when I buy another wrasse I'll wait for my LFS to get one and have it for a week or more. I recently purchased 3 from blue zoo and one was DOA and the other two (a tang and a goby) are doing well. I will try first to get fish from LFS that are doing well there, and order online only if I want a more rare fish I can't find at the LFS.

Interesting. I ordered a McCosker's Flasher Wrasse from LA last week and it was DOA. The bag was foul-smelling when I opened it, so the fish must have died almost immediately after being packed. I ordered another one and it arrived intact. Fortunately, the replacement is doing really well in QT and eating like a pig.

 

[humaguy]

Maybe not the best choice of words, under the circumstances

:lol:

lol, I did hesitate when I typed that...

 

[MrTuskfish]

Most of my purchases over the past approx. 25 years have been from online vendors and divers- so mail/shipping plays a huge part, at least from my perspective , with the hobby...rarely are there are problems with shipping but it does happen...all lfs get at least some of their livestock by mail...dd is killer and I highly recommend them...pia is also fantastic and bz too...
can you provide details about your tank?
sorry to hear about your losses- that always hurts...but don't give up...good luck!

Me too. I haven't bought a fish at a LFS in many years, never will either. You can search the forum for LA threads, positives outnumber negatives at least 10 to 1.

 

[hybrid]

i don't know how buying from online is better than personally picking out a fish from a lfs where you can monitor the fishes behavior & most important appetite it all comes down to where you live and access to quality stores not all lfs are the same just like online vendors here in the tri state area we have access to unlimited stores some of the best in the country with proper quarantines & maintenence regimens where they can hold a fish from 2 weeks to a month if your a valued customer i only order from online if i am looking for specimens that can't be found locally for me what makes this hobby the most thrilling is taking the drive to all my local stores & absorbing all the live stock & hanging out with some of the stores employees witch grants you access to huge discounts & first access to rare finds

 

[SloppyWhenWet]

Its all what works for you. Its the voodoo of reefing.

 

[MellowReefer]

i don't know how buying from online is better than personally picking out a fish from a lfs where you can monitor the fishes behavior & most important appetite it all comes down to where you live and access to quality stores not all lfs are the same just like online vendors here in the tri state area we have access to unlimited stores some of the best in the country with proper quarantines & maintenence regimens where they can hold a fish from 2 weeks to a month if your a valued customer i only order from online if i am looking for specimens that can't be found locally for me what makes this hobby the most thrilling is taking the drive to all my local stores & absorbing all the live stock & hanging out with some of the stores employees witch grants you access to huge discounts & first access to rare finds

Gotta love you no-punctuation posters...I wonder when you talk, do you even take a breath? :lmao: I agree with what you said though; it's easier to make sure you're getting a healthy fish. If you're lucky enough to have good LFS near you.

 

[hybrid]

lol normally i am not much for words

 

[Mrscribbled]

my ammonia was near zero but not quite. I believe the situation was the same for nitrate. pH: 8.1 salinity: 1.023/4

Ammonia close to zero isn't good enough. Must be at zero.


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[sandwi54]

Ammonia close to zero isn't good enough. Must be at zero.


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+1. Saltwater fish must have zero ammonia. They cannot stand even a little.

Your tank was not cycled and that's most likely what killed the fish.