Buying Fish Question

CaptSugarCookie

Feeder Fish
Jul 12, 2019
3
8
8
32
Midwest
Hey guys,

Two weeks ago my LFS got a delivery of fish and was able to pick them up before they hit the stores display tank so they were still in the bag they were shipped in. My thought was it would cause less stress on the fish if they could go straight into my quarantine tank. I knew I was running the risk of losing a few since they have been in transit, but took the chances. So far 14 of 17 are still alive.

My question to you: Would you buy fish before it hits the LFS display tanks or would you wait a few days?
 

Toby_H

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jun 21, 2007
4,128
150
96
Charlotte, NC
There are pros and cons to everything in life... (I stole that from someone much older and wiser than myself)

Your approach prevented any disease present at the LFS from getting to the fish... Waiting a few days would allow for stress of shipping or disease from the breeder to show its effect...

When we are dealing with line bred fish, it's my opinion I should start with more than I end with. This allows some to die off or some to prove to be less desirable (due to being ugly, weak, too aggressive, etc, etc).

I think your approach created less total risk to the fish, but put shifted some of the risk of loss from the LFS to you.
 

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
23,252
24,111
1,660
Ohio
I've personally bought fish out of box when they arrived from being shipped from the vendor. African Peacock Cichlids the temp of the bag felt like 50° but the fish lived for yrs. A Delhezi Bichir it survived until it jumped out of the net my mistake.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptSugarCookie

Potato Patatto

Aimara
MFK Member
Nov 11, 2020
739
1,047
134
34
I think I’ll always prefer from a box/vendor than a lfs. With that being said, those vendor conditions are probably garbage too. Either way if you have clean water and a proper setup that fish has a better chance with you. And if you’re talking about not wanting to take a shot on a rare or expensive fish, someone would probably scoop it up before it was on display for too long.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptSugarCookie

BIG-G

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Dec 12, 2005
3,856
4,653
179
NC
For me it depends on the situation.
If I’ve ordered a fish from the LFS to bring in for me, I prefer they not put it In their tanks and I pick it up In the bag.

If it’s a species request and they get in a large quantity, I prefer to let them put them in store and then I pick the ones I want.
 

fishhead0103666

Alligator Gar
MFK Member
May 14, 2018
6,058
6,938
188
youtu.be
I’ve done it before for some emerald cories, they had a bag of them floating, I was going to get the whole bag worth anyway, why subject them to the stress of shipping, adapting to their tank, then moving to my tank?
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptSugarCookie

Itsadeepbluesea

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Apr 6, 2008
2,812
1,079
179
39
I generally would not, I have even gone as far observing a fish, waiting a few days and then coming back to observe it again to make sure it appears healthy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptSugarCookie
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store