I've ordered several things online from different sites and thought I'd share my experiences. I live in Ruston, LA and the LFS here is terrible, less stock than Wal-Mart and don't know anything about fish.
www.drsfostersmith.com - ordered CF lights, Visitherm Stealth, Ebo Jager, food, fertilizers, Eco-Complete, planting tools, Eheim Ecco canister, penguin bio wheel, a Coralife RO system, and a battery powered air pump.
I received all items usually within 4 or 5 days after placing the order, they add a lot of padding and include a magazine. (great prices)
www.aquabotanic.com - ordered plants three years ago and all were in great shape and even some extras included. Four weeks ago I ordered a Milwaukee regulator w/ needle valve and 10 ft of tubing. Two weeks after ordering I had received no email confirmation so I emailed and asked if it had shipped out. I was told it was shipped a few days ago. The next week I got an email saying it had been shipped (a week later than I was told). It took seven days for it to arrive. Inside the box was only the tubing; no invoice, no explanation that the regulator was shipped. I called and was told the regulator was coming straight from the manufacturer in Florida. I still haven't received it four weeks from the order date, not even the shipping email.
www.**************** - ordered some Java Moss, Alternanthera reineckii, and four dwarf neon rainbows to go with the pair that I've had for three years. They shipped them quickly and costs were low. They sent me three males and one female that was DOA so now I have four males and one female total. The Alternanthera reineckii did poorly since I never got my CO2 regulator mentioned above. They have a process for DOA arrivals but it involves shipping the dead fish back and wasn't worth the hassle for 1 rainbow.
www.azgardens.com - ordered six otos, and a LOAD of plants. They have a detailed shipping schedule so they waited a couple weeks to ship but it shipped and arrived according to their plans. The six otos were basically frozen and all upside down and stiff in the bag. The plants were wonderful. Here is how the box was packed:
top of box
-------
very small heat pack
about 8 inches thick of plants in plastic bags
1 bag with all six dead otos in it wrapped in newspaper
-------
bottom of box
I floated the bag to see if they would come back to life from the cold but it was no use. I can't tell if they died from the cold or lack of air from being crammed in one bag.
I sent them an email per their instructions for a DOA fish and a suggestion to wrap three heat packs in the newspaper with the fish instead of on the other side of the box. No reply was sent back, though I expected one since their policy states that store credit is given for DOAs.
Conclusion for me: The Drs. are the best online store for about anything aquatic, but the shipping on live items is high. Aquabotanic and Azgardens were great for plants only.
www.drsfostersmith.com - ordered CF lights, Visitherm Stealth, Ebo Jager, food, fertilizers, Eco-Complete, planting tools, Eheim Ecco canister, penguin bio wheel, a Coralife RO system, and a battery powered air pump.
I received all items usually within 4 or 5 days after placing the order, they add a lot of padding and include a magazine. (great prices)
www.aquabotanic.com - ordered plants three years ago and all were in great shape and even some extras included. Four weeks ago I ordered a Milwaukee regulator w/ needle valve and 10 ft of tubing. Two weeks after ordering I had received no email confirmation so I emailed and asked if it had shipped out. I was told it was shipped a few days ago. The next week I got an email saying it had been shipped (a week later than I was told). It took seven days for it to arrive. Inside the box was only the tubing; no invoice, no explanation that the regulator was shipped. I called and was told the regulator was coming straight from the manufacturer in Florida. I still haven't received it four weeks from the order date, not even the shipping email.
www.**************** - ordered some Java Moss, Alternanthera reineckii, and four dwarf neon rainbows to go with the pair that I've had for three years. They shipped them quickly and costs were low. They sent me three males and one female that was DOA so now I have four males and one female total. The Alternanthera reineckii did poorly since I never got my CO2 regulator mentioned above. They have a process for DOA arrivals but it involves shipping the dead fish back and wasn't worth the hassle for 1 rainbow.
www.azgardens.com - ordered six otos, and a LOAD of plants. They have a detailed shipping schedule so they waited a couple weeks to ship but it shipped and arrived according to their plans. The six otos were basically frozen and all upside down and stiff in the bag. The plants were wonderful. Here is how the box was packed:
top of box
-------
very small heat pack
about 8 inches thick of plants in plastic bags
1 bag with all six dead otos in it wrapped in newspaper
-------
bottom of box
I floated the bag to see if they would come back to life from the cold but it was no use. I can't tell if they died from the cold or lack of air from being crammed in one bag.
I sent them an email per their instructions for a DOA fish and a suggestion to wrap three heat packs in the newspaper with the fish instead of on the other side of the box. No reply was sent back, though I expected one since their policy states that store credit is given for DOAs.
Conclusion for me: The Drs. are the best online store for about anything aquatic, but the shipping on live items is high. Aquabotanic and Azgardens were great for plants only.
