The Skeptical Aquarist

Though e-commerce has 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!

Live fishes are 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 a 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 21 Dec 2002.)

http://www.anchorbayaquarium.com New Baltimore MI. Freshwater and marine fish. Herps too.

http://www.cichlidexchange.com/ Portland OR. A broad stocklist. $100 minimum order, and minimum quantities apply.

http://www.fish2U.com near Tampa FL. Wide range. No apparent specialty.

http://www.alloddballaquatics.com All Oddball Aquatics. Three specialist breeders near Pittsburgh PA: Angels, cichlids and dwarf cichlids, killies.

http://www.kencofish.com Warwick RI. Koi, Plecos, Africans, So. Americans, etc.

http://www.ohiexchange.com/armke New Braunfels TX. Armke's. Hatchery-raised African cichlids and catfish.

http://www.santafefish.com Santa Fe NM. Hatchery-raised rainbowfish, blue-eyes, killis, etc.

http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/index.html Phillipsburg NJ. Jeff Rapps specialises in New World cichlids, air-shipped from Newark NJ.

http://www.wetthumbaquatics.com New Baltimore MI. Hatchery. Tank-spawned juvenile cichlids and dwarf cichlids, catfish, rainbowfish etc.