Mail Order

[Mike W]

Hello,
Has anyone had any experience ordering from Jeff's Exotic Fish? There aren't many decent LFS where I live so I may mail order.

[Boogiechillin]

Hi Mike,
What are you intending to buy? You will find that certain MO companies excel for certain items but are overpriced/inadequate for others.

[Mike W]

Boogie,
I am stocking a 125 gallon fish only tank.

[Boogiechillin]

Well, we aren't too far apart, so I definitely sympathize on the lack of good stores around here. If you're interested in just fish, I would suggest that you go with www.liveaquaria.com or www.marinedepotlive.com for most normal purchases, and www.themarinecenter.com if you're looking for something particularly rare or fragile. The Marine Center is a bit on the pricey side, but their livestock is absolutely top-notch quality and they carry a wide range of typically rare fish. You might also want to check out www.justphish.com...the owner posts here regularly and has accumulated nothing but praise from boardmembers that have bought from him.

I would recommend skipping Jeff's for fish as I haven't ever been impressed with the fish that I've ordered from them. I've never made an order from Jeff's that didn't get screwed up or shipped with a few sub-par items in the mix...and I've made a lot of orders. I only go back because their coral prices are so **** cheap and their customer service usually makes it right in the long run. Otherwise, I would recommend a pass in your case.

[Mike W]

Boogie,
Thanks for the help.The Akron area used to have some nice stores back in the early nineties.I've been out of the hobby for a while and most of those stores are gone now. Unfortunately mail order may be the only way to go.