Acquiring fishes

There are several ways of acquiring fishes besides putting yourself at the mercy of the large pet chains that have been rapidly replacing the traditional LFS, the Local Fish Store. In the US there is no equivalent to the UK's Maidenhead Aquatics, where all staff are expected to be fishkeepers and in addition to the common  entry-level fishes and commercial hardware and dry goods there are special imports of rarities. 
 
In the following sub-sections you'll find tips on acquiring fishes, on buying on-line and on acclimating your new fishes in your aquarium.