Buying fishes on-line

Submitted by wetman on Mon, 03/21/2011 - 02:17

In 2002 I said to you,
 
"Though e-commerce hit a glitch or two at the turn of the century, it's a brand-new world, one that is going to give a new twist to the current competition between your traditional LFS and the discount chain pet outlet in the strip mall. As e-commerce revolutionizes every part of economic life, many small local fish stores are going to disappear, no matter how many canister filters you faithfully purchase at full "recommended retail" price. Whether this will be a good thing, a bad thing or neutral, is a moot point. I predict that the long-term survivors among retail aquarium stores will tend to be more regional than local in outlook. They will cater more selectively to a "gourmet" market for unusual species, I think, while the local outlets of pet-supply chains will improve their stocking techniques to monopolize the three dozen standard trade fishes and compete with on-line warehouses for hardware. The quality of your local chain outlet depends largely on the character of its underpaid current fish-department manager. A few managers are dedicated fishkeepers, savvy buyers from the wholesalers, and skillful at hiring. Some very knowledgable fishheads work in the chain stores. While they are there, they make a big difference in the quality of their department. Seek them out!"
 
So has this happened, or what? In July 2011 the next-to- last upscale aquarium store in Manhattan closed, narrowing the local field to one. Now we are driving fifty miles into Long Island and New Jersey, to get to the regional retail sources that already seemed to hold the future in 2002.
 
Aquabid. A new development  that I was unaware of in 2002 is AquaBid, live on-line fish auctions modeled on eBay and operating with comparable disclaimers. As with eBay, you register beforehand, with a user name and confidential password; a PayPal account is ordinarily necessary. Sellers are careful of their AquaBid reputation, which you gauge beforehand by scanning posted feedback commentary. At AquaBid, most listings are not genuine bidded auctions, but "Buy Now" listings similar to those that follow the listed auctions when you search an item at eBay, sometimes with virtually identical multiple listings that essentially establish the price take it or leave it. At AquaBid, reserves and starting bid requirements are generally a bit high, close to the expected final bid. A camera icon identifies items that are accompanied by a photograph, nominally of the very fish on which you're bidding. Auctions generally run for seven days. There are no fees to the buyer or the seller. Winning bidders are contacted automatically by email.
 
Importing live fishes into the US through AquaBid is governed by the universally applied  strict requirements, and fish must be shipped to an authorized trans-shipper, who after inspection will re-ship the fishes to you. Unscrupulous exporters of fish from Bangkok and Singapore will offer to ship fishes directly to you, eliminating the cost of a trans-shipper; be aware that if your packet is intercepted you may be liable to a stiff fine. Avoid bidding on imported fish where the transshipper's email address is not listed in the auction entry; it's by far the best to make certain of the transshipping costs before you are committed to purchase.
 
 
Live fishes are also  being shipped out to aquarists by the following concerns. Listing them alphabetically here doesn't imply any recommendation on my part; I'm doing this as an intended convenience to you. This list is a mere starting-point for your own wider and more up-to-date exploration. After all, the whole point of e-commerce is that you should have a more extensive choice than you might have locally. You're on your own, remember. (These links were last checked 4 May 2012.)
 

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