Where to buy fish online?

[DCR]

That's not true. NY Aquatics guarantees their fish are eating frozen food

Not really. They do tell you certain problematic fish like Regal Angels are eating in their tanks before they ship them, but they never guarantee that they will eat in your tank. There would be no way for them to confirm it if you claimed they did not eat. The only guarantee is that they arrive alive and a 14 day guarantee on non-expert fish.

 

[steveschuerger]

Late to the party but I’ve had good experiences with both Blue Zoo and Reef Beauties. Reef Beauties in particular has really good prices and the fish were well packed and arrived quickly.

 

[Janet Belanger]

Late to the party but I’ve had good experiences with both Blue Zoo and Reef Beauties. Reef Beauties in particular has really good prices and the fish were well packed and arrived quickly.

Definitely use a protected payment source when you shop, this applies anywhere online really. My card was skimmed, charged, and my bank placed a fraud alert. I've heard others report similar experiences with shopping specifically at blue zoo.

Coincidence? Maybe, but it's not worth the risk when there are multiple ways to pay securely.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Dr.Reef has been great. I stocked 24 out of 25 fish with him last year in my 110g. (plus inverts)

I plan to reach out to him. Tank stop had zero quarantined fish available. And

Dr.Reef has been great. I stocked 24 out of 25 fish with him last year in my 110g. (plus inverts)

I plan to reach out to him. Tank stop had zero quarantined fish available. And Marine Collectors customer service is questionable. I’ve tried numerous times reaching out, even filled out their online forms. Just tell me you don’t want my money, it’s easier than me wasting my time, lol. I’m glad to read this about Dr. Reef.

 

[Tinnerito]

Late to the party but I’ve had good experiences with both Blue Zoo and Reef Beauties. Reef Beauties in particular has really good prices and the fish were well packed and arrived quickly.

You're good, I look at replies everyday if not every few hours! The more info the better

 

[Crestline]

+1 for Dr. Reef. Fish are always packed well with lots of water. Just received healthy Filefish and Watchman Goby yesterday.

 

[Tinnerito]

+1 for Dr. Reef. Fish are always packed well with lots of water. Just received healthy Filefish and Watchman Goby yesterday.

Great looking fish! Lots of water is always good

 

[sky414]

Reef Beauties is great. Violet Aquarium has a nice selection of WYSIWYG, I am considering them for my next purchase.

I'd steer clear of Reef Beaties, they did not stand behind their policy for me. I like Dr. Reef and BlueZooAquatics.

 

[reefed1012]

Welp, that hasn’t been my experience ‍ I think the original poster was asking for experiences, right? With ReefBeauties, the more expensive the fish, the less likely they stood by their warranty - for me. They offered me a $25 credit when a $300 fish died. For me with Dr. Reef, they sent a blue dot jawfish, it died and not only did they honor their warranty, they just refunded my money when I asked.

Why would they offer you a $25 credit when a $300 fish died? Reef Beauties is my go-to and I've placed 15 orders with them over the past year alone. The only time that I ever received partial credit for something was when my order was delayed in the winter and I forgot to buy their delay coverage...which was really nice of them because it was my fault for not getting the coverage. When my packages got delayed with LiveAquaria or Saltwaterfish, they basically just said that it was FedEx's fault and not theirs so I was SOL.

While I don't often lose fish from Reef Beauties, they definitely honor their guarantee better than Liveaquaria and Saltwaterfish.com. They have been very reasonable and asked good questions. Their pricing and shipping speed are solid as well, and their service is on a different level from what I've experienced so far. You can tell they are intelligent people through their emails and language on the site. I'm sure everyone has their own experiences, but I'm really surprised to hear this on Reef Beauties.

A lot of you guys mentioned Dr. Reef which I was intrigued about, but haven't tried because it feels weird that they QT their fish but don't offer any sort of guarantee. Someone else mentioned it can take 4-8 weeks to get your order too, even for non-QT'd fish. Getting your fish QT'd by someone else is tempting, but how can you possibly know that they are actually doing a full QT for your fish other than just their word?

 

[awwinterfall]

I’d recommend my local hub, absolutely fish - they ship and have all fish in copper from the jump. I’ve never had a fish from them get sick. Their website may seem janky but I assure you. It’s an incredible store and THE place to visit if you’re in north New Jersey.

I never had a marine fish bought from absolutely fish survive. They always get heavy breathing and die. Copper doesn't work. It's a sort of super bug.

Maybe it's just me , but I stopped buying saltwater fish from absolutely

 

[petcellar]

I'll add yet another vote for Dr. Reef.

Communication is easy, and fish have arrived in tip top shape. He also often addes an extra fish or invert to help cover incidental losses.

I'm sure there will always be a DOA or poor outcome sometime in the future.... it's just part of the business.

All in all couldn't be more pleased.

 

[BasementBox]

I never had a marine fish bought from absolutely fish survive. They always get heavy breathing and die. Copper doesn't work. It's a sort of super bug.

Maybe it's just me , but I stopped buying saltwater fish from absolutely

Sorry to hear but I’ve had nothing but success.