When selecting a place to buy fish, can be quite tricky. A bunch of aspects comes to mind regarding price, quality, and shipping! When it comes to freshwater and saltwater, it is crucial to choose the best online fish store! Have you ever purchased a fish, and when you got home, you noticed ich? If you order from an online fish store, you have coverage when the fish hits your doorstep. That is why a ton of people recommend ordering fish online instead of purchasing fish from your local fish store!
We will be going over the best online stores when purchasing livestock and fish online! We based these rankings on quality and reviews from past customers on the site. When it comes to these sites, we made sure it was easy to buy fish! Sometimes when you are looking, they can be difficult to move around and purchase livestock. However, every website on this list is trusted and reliable!
Best Fish Stores Online
On this list, we will be going over the best fish stores online! Pay attention because we will be giving every reason why they are so amazing! Starting with the top online stores, LiveAquaria is our number one choice!
LiveAquaria
LiveAquaria has some of the best options when it comes to EVERYTHING! When you go to their website, they have options for a bunch of freshwater and saltwater items. Do you have a pond? If so, LiveAquaria even has pond options to purchase. When it comes to quality, LiveAquaria is top-notch! If you aren’t happy with your purchase, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Therefore, if you purchase something and don’t like it, you have the right and ability to get your money back. Their shipping services are super fast! Usually, your order would be delivered in less than seven days after ordering your fish.
The company even has a special section on new products called Diver’s Den. The unique option has pictures of the exact fish that you would be ordering. Regarding the price of the livestock, LiveAquaria offers a reasonable price that can be available to anyone. However, one complaint is that their shipping prices can sometimes be excessive for the average hobbyist. LiveAquaria sometimes offers specials that allow you to have free shipping on orders over 150 dollars! With all of these factors in mind, we recommend checking out LiveAquaria before going to your local fish store!
Petco
Petco sometimes has a poor rapport when it comes to high quality. Hobbyist state their warning never to buy fish from this place because everything is sick. However, there is a simple solution to this issue. LOOK AT THE FISH BEFORE BUYING IT! You may ask yourself: How does one do this when ordering online? The best part about ordering from Petco is that they have the option to do in-store pickup. Therefore, you would order the livestock online, then would pick it up at the closest Petco to your home. When you go to the store and see the fish, you have the option not to accept it because it looks sick.
You may have been burned before because of the low-quality fish at Petco. However, there are a ton of diamonds in the rough regarding the fish they offer. Petco offers the lowest price guaranteed out of any online fish store. Therefore, if the price is your ideal factor when buying fish, this is the place for you! When you purchase online fish from Petco, make sure to check for white ich marks in person! If you don’t, this disease may kill your whole tank! The workers at Petco may not be experts, but it is worth it to ask their opinion on the condition and health of the fish. After all, you are the one spending a bunch of money on the livestock!
Marine Depot
Marine Depot is widely known as the place to purchase aquarium supplies! However, they only offer a fantastic selection to local fish stores and act as suppliers. The online store does offer different live fish and plants every week. However, we mentioned this online store because of the wide selection of fish and aquarium supplies they have for the public. When it comes to the price tag, the online store is classified as an average fee for these aquarium supplies. Marine Depot offers free shipping for a ton of the products they offer! On average, you have to spend above 39 dollars on quality.
The online company offers a money-back guarantee! Therefore if you order something that doesn’t work well or doesn’t fit, you have the option to return the item for a full refund. The return aspect also qualifies for the available live products! Marine Depot even has the feature to call them to talk to an expert! They are ready to answer your questions and may even allow you to have access to more live fish! If you are in the market to purchase online fish supplies, this is the best online store for you!
Aquatic Arts
Aquatic Arts is a newer online fish store that offers a 100% live arrival guarantee. Therefore you don’t have to worry if your fish will show up dead! If you are a freshwater aquarium hobbyist, this is the site for you. Unfortunately, they don’t have a saltwater offering when it comes to fish. However, their freshwater fish selection is fantastic, and you will find everything you are looking for easily. When it comes to the price of their fish, it is reasonably priced for anyone.
When you order from Aquatic Arts, you don’t have to worry about quality! The one downfall of the site is the extended shipping times. I have heard of the fish arriving late, in which the quality takes over this aspect! Every week the company offers special sales on unique livestock, which helps your pockets! These factors make Aquatic Arts one of the best online fish stores for the freshwater hobbyist! Check out their website ASAP!
When to not Order Online Fish
When you order fish online, you must keep in mind the best times to order live fish. Fish are delicate creatures, so if you order a fish in a situation when it isn’t ideal, they will die. Here is a list of factors to keep in mind when purchasing fish online.
Excessive Heat
In the summertime, locations can be 100+ degrees across the world. Fish can survive extreme heat with proper packaging. However, we don’t recommend shipping fish in temperatures that are higher than 85 degrees. I have heard of ice packs dying out, and the fish is baked to death in a plastic bag. If the heat gets too hot, the bag that contains the live fish will run out of oxygen. If you decide to order a fish in the summertime, make sure to check the fish before putting it in your aquarium. The heat may have caused the fish to stress out, which causes diseases to the livestock.
Excessive Cold
Another situation to avoid is ordering fish in excessively cold settings. When you order fish online in the winter months, the company usually throws in heater bags for the fish. However, there have been cases of heater bags failing. If the heater bags fail, the fish will suffer and freeze to death. Therefore, the packaging is the most crucial aspect for the survival of the fish. Before purchasing a fish online, make sure to ask the customer representative how the fish will be shipped.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, make sure to research before making any purchases. Each online fish store is classified as best on various factors from the consumer. On this list, we gave you the best online fish store for price, quality, and shipping. If one specific element is a priority for you, look into that online fish store first. With the right precautions, you may find the best fish store online!
