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hey im thinking of buying some fish from aquabid is this a good idea and also what does shipping usually run

check the sellers feedback to see if you should buy from them or not and ask them directly what the shipping charge would be.

chris

Usually shipping can run anywhere from as low as 35$ to as high as 90$. Normally its about 70$. Checking their feedback is the best thing you can do. What are you interested in ordering.

Depends on the size and number of fish, what method they are being shipped, and your location to the seller. The only fish I've gotten off aquabid was guppy fry and I had them shipped usps express for $30. I had the option to send them priority which is alot cheaper and for hardy fish does have a fair survival rate especially when you only pay a few dollars for fry from a common fish. I chose express because there are just too many things that could possibly go wrong and it turns out my fry wouldn't have made it. The box arrived soaked and the bags only half as full as they started out. In a few more days they would have been dry. I have gotten shrimp and snails off aquabid shipped priority mail with only 1 lost snail.

Last edited by sham at 30-Sep-2005 00:26

I'm a recent AquaBid convert, and I've had a lot of good luck buying fish from the sellers on that site. I've bought gouramis, corys and dwarf corys, tetras, shrimp and crayfish, snails, plants, and equipment from that site, and I've only had 2 dead animals on arrival out of all of them.

What kind of fish are you planning to purchase, and how many? Do they use pure oxygen in their shipping bags and bag-buddies or other calming water conditioner? Do they pack in styrofoam insulated boxes with heat packs if necessary? Comunication with the seller both before and after the auction closes is very helpful. Also, if you email a seller before the auction closes and they get right back to you to answer any questions, then you know you're dealing with a good person. If you don't hear from them at all, then I'd hesitate to bid on the item.

As for shipping, it depends on a number of factors. If the seller lives close to you like a neighboring state and the fishes you are bidding on are not a particularly delicate variety, then I have had good luck with Priority mail which usually runs 8-12 dollars (US). If they are a delicate fish or the seller lives far away, then please choose Express overnight mail, even though it can be very expensive. This can cost anywhere from 20-40 dollars, but if the fish is rare or unusual, or very delicate, then it really is worth it. Also, most sellers will have a live-arrival garantee for express/overnight delivery, and if you do have dead fish when you open the package, a refund or replacement is usually the policy.
Also, you should ask for a tracking number of the package from the seller, and plan to be home on the day the fish arrive, because you want to make sure they don't spend more time in the shipping box any longer than they have to, and be ready to start SLOWLY acclimating them immediately.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

trio of yellow labs 3" for 20 dollars

that sounds good, but whats sometimes funny is shipping is more than the fish are sometimes.

It doesn't matter how close you live in regards to your seller; the package is delivered to your chosen shipper's base of delivery, then reshipped back to your address, even if you live a few houses away.

It really depends a lot on the seller. Some really overcharge for shipping. I've been asked to pay $18 for priority from one particular seller, only to see when the box arrives it was about $4 to send.
I've gotten a small amount of fish shipped for $4 priority mail in warm weather, or around $21 for express. Fedex overnight, however, is over $40 typically.
And it does matter how close you are since shipping tends to cost more the farther away they live because of shipping zones.
Also one man who bought a L134 off of me drove 2 1/2 hours to pick it up instead of having it shipped. Some people don't allow pick up though so make sure you ask first (you can search for sellers by location).

If thats all your gonna buy then It wouldn't be worth it. If you close to the seller then it would be ok.

Never look at the shipping cost by itself when buying online. Always add the cost of the fish and the shipping cost, divide by the number of fish, and then compare it to what it would cost to get that fish from your local fish stores. That works for nonfish items as well. I can get eco complete substrate online for 1/3rd the cost of in stores even though it's around $30 shipping. I order all my pet bedding and food online for that reason as well. It doesn't matter if the shipping costs more than the item it's still cheaper.

illustrae - I just joined aquabid recently to check it out and your tips will help. Thanks


The Amazon Nut...

all right i called my lfs guy i got his home # anyway he,s on his way to atlanta tue he said he,s pretty sure he can find a trio of labs at around 3 " for no more than 10 bucks a piece should have called him first /:'