Buying Online vs. Buying Local

I have an on going argument with a saltwater tank owner friend of mine about buying fish and corals online vs. buying them at your local fish store (LFS). I argue that the guarantees provided by online resellers are unmatched by local fish stores, but he wants to see the exact item he’s purchasing before he’ll spend a dime.

Truth be told, purchasing online or at your LFS can get you great corals and fish, but here are some easy tips to follow for each place:

Local Fish Store:

• Ask to see the fish eat. If it isn’t eating, don’t buy it. Ditto if it is lying on the bottom of the tank breathing hard or is covered in white spots. The store can always get another fish so walking away from a fish that isn’t eating is the best thing you can do.
• Check the fish’s tank mates. If they look sick (have white spots on them, or cloudy eyes), pass on the fish. Sick tank mates easily pass on their sickness to the fish you want. Again, walking away is the best thing you can do.
• Ask when the shipment came in that contained the fish. If the shipment came in earlier that day, come back the next day to make sure the fish is still alive. Shipping is hard on fish and going from the shipping container into the fish store’s tank and then from the store’s tank to your tank, all in the span of several hours, is very stressful. More stress, more chances of the fish dying. For corals, you are ok buying them the same day they arrive.
• Ask if the store offers a guarantee for the fish/coral living. Most LFS don’t have a guarantee, but ask. If they don’t have one, realize once the you buy the fish/coral, its yours. If it dies on the way home, oh well.

Online:

• Find out the live guarantee. Any reputable online fish/coral retailer will offer one and should be easily found on their website
• Ask about how they acclimate/quarantine their fish. A good online retailer will quarantine for at least a couple of days before they put them out to sale. The best ones like Vividaquariums.com will also quarantine their corals. Hint: they should brag about their quarantine facility on their  web page!
• Get to know someone on their staff. The person picking up the phone is the best place to start. Ask them how long they’ve been in the hobby, how did they get started, how long they’ve worked @ the retailer, etc. Make them your friend! The more of a relationship you have with someone in the store, the less you are just some random person calling them. What does that mean for you? You can find out what the retailer has hidden in the backroom as well as when they are getting rare fish and corals in the store.
• Once you have a relationship with someone on their staff, ask them to check out the fish/coral you want to buy. You’ll have to trust their judgement, but you’ll get a set of eyes on your item before you buy it. A good retailer will tell you if the item is worth purchasing or not.

Browse the Store! Questions?