# Buying mail-order fish



## George Farmer (8 Dec 2008)

I've been asked about this a few times now and am considering it myself for a bulk purchase of tetras at Â£0.68 per fish instead of Â£1.75...

Does anyone have any experience of mail-order fish?

I'm looking at these guys in particular, but welcome reviews from others...

http://www.wholesale-tropical-fish.co.uk/

Thanks.


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## Dan Crawford (8 Dec 2008)

I've had fish in the post a few times but never from wholesales coz you need a pet shop license to buy them. Posting fish in this weather could be tough even with the best heater packs.


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## George Farmer (8 Dec 2008)

Cheers mate.

MA @ Crowland I reckon...


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## Dan Crawford (8 Dec 2008)

Defo, as you know, they are top quality!


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## GreenNeedle (8 Dec 2008)

tri-mar were awesomely packed. 2ft square poly box within a cardboard box with 5 bags of water in (to keep heat up)  All this for 1 bag with 4 Zebra Otos in which came to Â£36 inc shipping!!!!

AC


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## Egmel (8 Dec 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Cheers mate.
> 
> MA @ Crowland I reckon...


See if you can get them to do you a deal, especially if you're after lots.  My local MA seem to be fairly flexible on that front.


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## George Farmer (8 Dec 2008)

Egmel said:
			
		

> George Farmer said:
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Thanks.  I know the staff pretty well so discounts are pretty generous.  I even get a cup of tea when I'm with someone famous like Jeremy Gay!


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## Egmel (8 Dec 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Egmel said:
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I did think that might be the case which is why I was surprised that you would be considering going through an online supplier.  While >50% discount may be a lot to ask, even for you, I think you'd get better value for money using your regular supplier.


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## Ray (8 Dec 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> I even get a cup of tea when I'm with someone famous like Jeremy Gay!


Is Jeremy Gay the journalist really more famous than George Farmer - well known planted tank aquarium blogger, aquascaper and photographer, AGA judge, podcast star, PFK contributor, UKAPS founder, Tropica, JBL and Easlife publicist and author?


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## aaronnorth (8 Dec 2008)

I have used these before: http://www.tropicalfish4u.co.uk/

I ordered cherry shrimp and otocinclus (so not very hardy species) but all survived. They were packed in a 2ft poly box, loads of newspaper and bags of air with heat packs.
HIghly reccomended


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## squiggley (8 Dec 2008)

Glad they've improved their packing, I had a disatrous delivery from them, big box + big bag and no space packing = fish shake, not a nice sight.

Will give Trimar a big thumbs up, great packing



			
				aaronnorth said:
			
		

> I have used these before: http://www.tropicalfish4u.co.uk/
> 
> I ordered cherry shrimp and otocinclus (so not very hardy species) but all survived. They were packed in a 2ft poly box, loads of newspaper and bags of air with heat packs.
> HIghly reccomended


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## Joecoral (8 Dec 2008)

Â£1.75 each?! Crikey! What tetra's have you been buying for that much?


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## TDI-line (8 Dec 2008)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Cheers mate.
> 
> MA @ Crowland I reckon...



Yep, mates rates.


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## hellohefalump (8 Dec 2008)

I bought some otos from an ebay seller called jorgea7462.  They arrived very well packed, with heat pack, in fab condition.  They didn't even look stressed.  I put them in my tank to acclimatise, and the moment I released them they were off eating algae, not even hiding.  It's hard to tell because my tank's 100gals, but I think all/most of them are still alive, and it was a few months ago I got them.  When I bought otos from my LFS, two out of ten survived the first week.


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## LondonDragon (8 Dec 2008)

Never purchased fish online, only shrimp and I do send shrimp in the post too, so far never had any probs with what I received or sent


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## andy (13 Dec 2008)

I have bought some seriously expensive and very nice male fighters on line in the past....some of the males were Â£20 each so i was a bit worried.  However, despite the weather being frosty over night, they added an extra heat pack and the fish arrived in perfect condition.

If you're worried about fish getting cold, it might be worth asking the company to chuck an extra heat pack in even if they charge you an extra pound or two.

There's a company that advertises in the back of PFK....don't know if they're worth a try.....100 cardinals for Â£50 !!!!!!!!!

Andy


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## sanj (19 Dec 2008)

Hi,

I have used Trimar a few times in the past and always been good, but be carefull in cold weather.


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## paulag (20 Dec 2008)

When something is cheap someone is invariably paying - in this case it's probably the fish. This hobby is so expensive anyhow can't we just get in the car or on the train and go and get them so that we are sure that they get home safely. And maybe ask a few questions about where they have come from and how they have been treated before we get them.


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## GreenNeedle (20 Dec 2008)

There's no harm in buying mail order but good to research first.  There are some superb on-line sellers out there of which Corys4u and Trimar I can highly recommend.  there are however some dodgy outlets just as there are in the high street!!

You take your chance either way.  I personally would rather buy online if I trusted the supplier/breeder.

I wouldn't say may online sellers could be considered cheap!!  Remember you are paying shipping costs too.

I have had much better experiences with online sellers than most LFS.  LFS get very defensive and tend to warble on about water parameters and try to put the blame on the customer when fish die whereas online sellers know they have a reputation to keep and being online sellers most of their customer base can very easily research opinions and views on them whereas most LFS may have websites but most of their customers are 'through the door' customers and word of mouth doesn't travel as fast as the WWW!!!

So either way get the fish online or from a shop that you trust.  Price doesn't come into it.  Some of the best deals I ever got were superb conditioned fish from breeders I met online!!!

AC

AC


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## TDI-line (2 Jan 2009)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> I've been asked about this a few times now and am considering it myself for a bulk purchase of tetras at Â£0.68 per fish instead of Â£1.75...
> 
> Does anyone have any experience of mail-order fish?
> 
> ...




Did you try these out George?

It sounds like they do supply to the General public too...

Wholesale is the main focus of the business but at Portsmouth Tropicals it is appreciated that smaller pet shops cannot stock the specialist fish that some aquarists require. For this reason they are now offering the general public the chance to buy direct from them, those specialist fish such as Discus, L type plecs, Arrowanas and freshwater sting ray.

I may give them a ring for some Harlequins at .96p each, x150.


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## Nick16 (2 Jan 2009)

do they deliver? at 96p thats good.


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## andy (14 Feb 2009)

has anyone ever bought from this lot....im seriously tempted into 100 cardinals

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cardinal-Tetras-s ... 240%3A1318


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## james3200 (14 Feb 2009)

Yep i got 100 rummy noses from them a while ago, a few didn't survive maybe 20, but they sent me 40 free of charge


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## mr. luke (16 Feb 2009)

As already stated, M/A cuts a good deal for a regular face   
I Shop there a LOT, so one of the staff members in there knows me quite well, freindly face=nice discounts


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## mick555 (8 Mar 2009)

bought two discuss by post, poor things were nearly on deaths door and they are not cheap either. after 3 days lost one of them however the remaining fish survived and is okay however i would not buy by post ever again i believe it is cruelty.


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## andy (8 Mar 2009)

mick555 said:
			
		

> bought two discuss by post, poor things were nearly on deaths door and they are not cheap either. after 3 days lost one of them however the remaining fish survived and is okay however i would not buy by post ever again i believe it is cruelty.



With total respect Mick....there are certain fish that will do well via mail order and certain fish that won't.  Discus will not.  Even if they were the last fish on earth, i would not buy Discus unless i'd seen them feeding and happily swimming about.....and had a chat with the dealer about water conditions etc etc !!!!!

So is it cruelty selling them or plain stupidity buying them ?


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## GreenNeedle (8 Mar 2009)

james3200 said:
			
		

> Yep i got 100 rummy noses from them a while ago, a few didn't survive maybe 20, but they sent me 40 free of charge



I just got 25 Rasbora Espei from them for Â£30 delivered.  All alive on arrival and 5 days later still looking good   Read loads of bad things about them r.e. delivering via the post but these came via courier so maybe they have changed their method of delivery 

Either way I am very happy

AC


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