Buy ornamental fish: What do you have to consider - shopping guide

Buying ornamental fish Buying guide: Do you buy fish online today? Or where to buy Pisces then? Where are the best Prices? Lots of questions and here you will find the answers to them. Only recently did we Tricks and tips for buying plants are allowed to present you here and today it is about where you should best buy your ornamental fish and what there is to consider.

 

 

What do I have to consider when buying ornamental fish?

Before we look at the different ways you can buy ornamental fish today, let's address a few important things to keep in mind. The price is not always the decisive purchase criterion here. Of course, one must first deal with socialization before one can even think about buying. We recently got one for that Guide to the socialization of ornamental fish created.

 

 

If you know which fish you want to buy, then you have to take a close look at the profiles, because you should know how big the fish are in order to estimate their age when you buy them. Very often older fish are also sold. So it makes sense to look and see if these are juvenile fish.

 

How can I see if the fish are healthy?

Of course you have to watch the fish closely with every local purchase. How is your swimming behavior? how do they move How do you see it in general? Are you well fed? Or are they rather too slim? Are you very skittish? What are the colors of the fish? These characteristics make it easy to see whether the animals are healthy or sick. Many diseases can already be recognized visually, such as the white spot disease.

The environment in which they grow up says a lot about the dealer or breeder. Is it very clean and tidy or a big mess? How are the aquariums maintained? Are there many Algae or maybe there are some dead fish in the tanks. You experience this again and again, and not just when you buy something from a hardware store. Dead fish lie in the pools because you simply can't keep up with the maintenance. We would be wary of such traders. You should also ask the dealers well. Here you can quickly see what the competence looks like.

 

 

Get loads of experience. Be it over the Internet or with acquaintances and friends. Recommendations are usually the best way to find the right dealer and breeder.

Testimonials zu Online-Shop there is mostly about Google Plenty to find and if not then ask them in questions or even on Facebook groups after. Most of the time you can help them here and give good tips on how to get the fish you want. Let's summarize the main points again:

 

 

What are the sources of purchase for ornamental fish?

Now we come to the possibilities where you can buy ornamental fish everywhere. Yes, fish is often given as a gift, especially when a plant comes from an estate. Many people give up the hobby of aquaristics and are therefore happy when someone takes over their aquarium.

 

Buy ornamental fish in pet shops

Certainly still one of the best options is to buy from a specialist dealer / pet shop around the corner. Not only because of being able to look at everything on site, but also because of the advice and the large selection. Usually you pay a little more here. Nevertheless, our experiences do not always have only positive sides. There are also some pet shops where the advice leaves a lot to be desired. Here, too, there are unfortunately black sheep and it is better to talk to other aquarists beforehand to see if they have any experience.

The selection is usually quite good and so is the care of the tanks. Unfortunately, the prices are also a bit higher than the other options.

Buy ornamental fish from the breeder / wholesaler

If you have this opportunity, you can also buy your ornamental fish from local breeders. Unfortunately, there is usually a catch here too. Many breeders and wholesalers obtain a large part of their fish directly from the large breeding farms abroad. Fewer and fewer ornamental fish are really being bred here. You should know this. Nevertheless, these fish are ultimately the ones that you can buy from the pet shop around the corner. At the wholesaler and also at the breeder, the fish are usually only kept for a short time before they go on a journey again. Therefore, you should also watch the fish closely here. Of course, there are usually no nice display tanks here, only very large breeding facilities, mostly without plants and the like. Nevertheless, it is worth stopping by and asking whether you can also buy as a private individual. Those who ask friendly are usually lucky.

The biggest advantage is the price. Here you can make significant savings compared to retail. There is also a very large selection at wholesalers. It can be different with breeders, because most have specialized here.

 

Buy ornamental fish from private breeders

Now we come to the private mostly non-commercial breeders. Buying ornamental fish there is very good, because here it is not about mass, but mostly quality. Therefore, only very nice specimens can be bought there, but the price could also be right. In addition, there is excellent advice and an aquarist with passion and not for monetary reasons. Of course you won't find such a large selection, but it's still worth looking for private breeders for your fish in the various directories and groups. Especially with a discus or cichlid breeder you can save a lot of money. Of course, it is also good here if you already have some experience with the breeder.

 

 

Buy aquarium fish through classifieds

Again and again, animals and in our case ornamental fish find a place in the classifieds, be it online such as on Ebay classifieds or Quoka or on other portals, or offline in the relevant daily newspapers. Unfortunately, there are also some black sheep here, although this should not be the rule. It can also be worth taking a closer look at the providers here. You should also compare the price exactly, because otherwise a supposed bargain can't be one at all. Of course, anyone who buys privately has no right of return, although this is difficult with ornamental fish anyway. Nevertheless, we have already had success with a breeder and wholesaler.

 

Buy aquarium fish online

Now let's move on to an increasingly growing possibility. Buying ornamental fish online is becoming increasingly popular. The sales figures are increasing here from year to year and it will be interesting to see how this development continues. What would have been unthinkable a few years ago no longer seems to be a problem today. Buying fish online, be it in a shop, on Amazon or through other sources, is common today. The possibilities of packaging and shipping have also become better and better. The aquarist usually buys online because he expects the best price there. Here, too, it is important to check carefully. private breeders are usually much cheaper here.

Of course, with this type of ornamental fish purchase, you cannot look closely at the fish. Pictures and the profiles have to suffice here.

You should definitely study the reviews of other buyers and also get more. This is the only way to get a certain indication of the quality of the online shop and whether the promised advertising clauses really come true.

 

Buy ornamental fish at the hardware store

You can also buy ornamental fish in hardware stores. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether this is the right place. In our experience, a hardware store is usually, but not always, equated with a pet shop. However, the prices there are usually very attractive and the offer is also impressive.

 

ornamental fish via Facebook groups and internet forums

Ornamental fish are very often bought online today, but it doesn't have to be in a commercial shop, there are other options. You can find out what these are here. On the one hand, there are a lot of aquatics and aquarium forums, which not only help with advice and action, but also marketplaces are often offered here. On these you can then buy aquarium technology, plants or even ornamental fish, shrimp and co. These come either from small hobby breeders or from people who give up the hobby or have too large a stock. Another trimming can also be the reason here. Of course, there is also a certain risk behind such a purchase.

Another growing community are the Facebook groups in the field of aquaristics. There are special groups here where only aquarists sell things. Be it the disused filter or a complete aquarium. There are also fish and plants to buy. Bargaining is not a problem and the quality is also very good. Nevertheless, there are also certain risks behind this. The age of the fish is usually uncertain, as are the keeping conditions. If you can pick up the fish on site, you should do so to get a detailed insight.

 

Ornamental fish at swap fairs, aquarium meetings, trade fairs and also at the aquarium association

Again and again there are also aquarium fairs or exchange markets where you can look at ornamental fish on site and buy them right away. Here mostly private aquarists exhibit. The prices are usually very good and so is the quality, and there is also a lot of free advice and know-how.

You can also ask at an aquarium meet-up or regulars' table whether someone has fish to give away. Aquarium clubs are also an option. There you will find like-minded people and lots of information and sources for buying ornamental fish. You should check this possibility with yourself, whether there is a club or meeting place for aquaristics.

 

 

Here again the Sources of ornamental fish purchase in the overview:

 

 

Where do you buy your ornamental fish? Do you have good shopping source? Let us know…. There is also an extra thread in our forum.