# Buying fish on ebay?



## PotteryWalrus (19 Jun 2020)

Since there's not all that much access to the old LFS, I've been drawn into looking at livestock on ebay. I feel like it's not a huge risk if it's just shrimp and endlers, (also I'm still not sure how stocking works with litres instead of gallons? ) but does anyone else have experience with this?


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## dean (19 Jun 2020)

Just be careful and don’t buy from anyone willing to send live fish by Royal Mail 


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## Simon Cole (19 Jun 2020)

Yes - I buy exclusively from Kesgrave Tropicals. Not that interested in LFSs.


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## jacquieb (20 Jun 2020)

Another vote for Paul at Kesgrave Tropical


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## PotteryWalrus (20 Jun 2020)

Holy carp they've got killifish this changes all my plans


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## Gill (20 Jun 2020)

Another Vote for Kesgrave, have placed many orders with them over the years.


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## alto (20 Jun 2020)

PotteryWalrus said:


> it's just shrimp and endlers


Make your 25 posts and shop the Swap Forum  

If you online shop I suggest adding “No Substitutions” as part of your purchase agreement 
(unless of course you’re open to substitutions )


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## Dr Mike Oxgreen (20 Jun 2020)

My favourite online source for fish is Sweet Knowle Aquatics.

Having visited a couple of times, their quality is extremely good, and they package fish very well indeed.


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## PotteryWalrus (21 Jun 2020)

@dean I've been looking for a few days and it seems like they all send by RM! Are they really that bad, or are there specific postage details I just need to watch out for? 

Also if the killifish plan works out I might just have them and a small group of neon/cardinal tetras or similar and dump out the endler plan XD


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## alto (21 Jun 2020)

From Sweet Knowle Aquatics 



> *DELIVERY - LIVESTOCK*
> All orders for livestock will be sent overnight by APC Couriers. Please note we do not send any livestock by Royal Mail Next Day Service as Royal Mail class live fish as a prohibited item.




And Horizon Aquatics 



> When ordering shrimp/snails you must select a live shrimp/snail delivery service
> 
> When ordering fish you must select APC overnight delivery service




Of course, these delivery options will cost more


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## jameson_uk (21 Jun 2020)

PotteryWalrus said:


> @dean I've been looking for a few days and it seems like they all send by RM! Are they really that bad, or are there specific postage details I just need to watch out for?
> 
> Also if the killifish plan works out I might just have them and a small group of neon/cardinal tetras or similar and dump out the endler plan XD


I have found Royal Mail git and miss. I ordered some snails from different sellers. One set turned up the next morning, the next turned up a day later (both posted the same day). A third set of snails was posted Monday the following week and it is Sunday now and they haven't arrived (but I have had RM deliveries every day this week I think) so I don't suspect they will have made it. I did order a Grindal Worm culture which was also sent Monday and that turned up Friday.

All sent first class and just seems it can take anything from a day to over a week at the minute (not sure what the factors are and whether it is regional as I would have expected the delays to be fairly uniform).

I did think Royal Mail wouldn't accept live fish anyway? (So sending them would be against their T&C's )


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## PotteryWalrus (21 Jun 2020)

I've never actually thought about the couriers before now, tbh. I've had pretty good results from buying daphnia, duckweed and elodea on ebay in the past, so I guess I just assumed that they were all more or less alike. My only hiccup has been getting things EARLIER than expected, believe it or not! 

Maybe it's just fool's luck or something XD


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## rubadudbdub (23 Jun 2020)

Sweet Knowle Aquatics and TA aquaculture are both excellent shops that are vaguely local to me, so I've not needed to use their mail order.  But I wouldn't hesitate ordering from either as the quality is great. 

If you like killies this is the list that TA aquaculture put on their Facebook page earlier this month. 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/22174...92926144&sfnsn=scwshmo&extid=ixWHzplDf5uBGJ5u


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## dw1305 (24 Jun 2020)

Hi all, 
If they are in range I'd try <"TA aquaculture">. <"Tim Addis"> is definitely your man for Killies, and I buy my <"dry food from"> him as well.

cheers Darrel


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## Classicdriller (24 Jun 2020)

royal Mail really have been struggling lately, twice I’ve had to wait a week for first class parcels of plants luckily they’ve all bounced back.


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## not called Bob (12 Sep 2020)

I'm tempted by postal shopping for stock, but RM and any delivery firm besides amazon, seem to be very hit or miss, get the right number some times but for houses some other location within this large village, postcode does not seem to get used at the local sorting centre, that’s the same centre that just had a possible unexploded ordinance and yes they called in the bomb squad, but they also sent the package on to the Bath sorting office 🤦‍♂️


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## MasonJ19 (14 Sep 2020)

There are websites / companies who post livestock. I have used ebay, amazon , and tropical fish delivery websites. Amazon was just for ordering snails though. Never had a problem. When ordering neon tetras on ebay a few were dead on delivery or died shortly after but I ended up with the amount I paid for as they put a few extra in so they must have accounted for it. Usualy arrive in a polystyrene crate / box with the bags and fish inside. My first choice though would be to go to the shop and get them as its probably less stress on the fish.


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## hypnogogia (14 Sep 2020)

I'd never use Royal Mail for live stock.  APC overnight do live stock delivery and I'd make sure that's who's used for online fish purchases.


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## Luketendo (14 Sep 2020)

Shipping fish is quite common in Australia but temperature is generally warmer. Still, had ember tetras in the post for 72 hours earlier this year and arrived fine and dandy. As long as they pack them well in poly box and multiple bags etc it's fine.

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