What to expect when ordering fish online

Once upon a time, online ordering of fish was ruled by just a handful of websites, making the decisions restricted, but easy. Nowadays, there’s a vast range to choose from and as many businesses all competing for your custom, but few knowing exactly what to expect when ordering fish online. But is it such a good idea? The answer is a lot more complicated than you think…

Variety is the spice of life #

Whilst many of us will choose the LFS or Local Fish Shop as the go-to for our fish, variety and availability can sometimes be limited. There are only so many tanks and so much space in a shop and they may not have room for the more obscure species. An expensive regional variation of striped kribensis may take months to sell as they are often missed by shoppers because of their bland juvenile colourings. Some species don’t do well in a shop setting and, as a result, they can be risky to stock on a whim. Equally, you may decide that you need 250 neon tetras and the shop you go to may not be able to provide that. So you turn to online ordering to get that special species or that large group of tetra. You may not be able to physically see the fish, but an online retailer will always do their best to accommodate by simply offering the best description and photographs of their actual livestock. If you have a need, an aquatics shop will always do their best to make it happen, so it pays to ask a shop if they can get you the species you’re looking for. At Shirley Aquatics we make a point to mark our less common livestock as “Pre-Order” to signal that they are available for order, but may take a little longer to deliver as we will order them especially for you.

Do your research! #

Whilst most websites will offer up basic information on all their livestock, the information can sometimes paint a poor picture. We try to write detailed descriptions of all our livestock to give customers as much information about the fish, what it needs and how it behaves. But it is equally important that you do some additional homework as we don’t know anything about your aquarium, what you already stock and all the other variables that may be relevant. Just like choosing a breed of dog or deciding whether you’d be happier with a rabbit or a guinea pig, you have to work out for yourself whether this fish is the right choice for your aquarium.

Have Patience #

There are a lot of factors that influence the time frame when an order is placed. Sometimes the volume is much higher than the weekly trend and time needs to be taken to accommodate it. But more commonly, welfare comes at the forefront of the decision making. During the colder months, temperatures need to be taken into consideration as fish, particularly tropical and marine, will not tolerate sudden drops in temperature. Heat packs come in all forms. We use 48 hour heat packs that can get to temperatures of up to 65C, but they are not a miracle fix. If temperatures fall below zero degrees, all deliveries must be suspended as the risk to the wellbeing of the livestock within the package is too high. The most important thing to us is the health of the fish we send. But once we know for certain when the right time is, we will contact you by phone to ask if you’re available on the day that we have selected for you. This is because someone must be available to sign for the package. Live animals can’t be left on the door step or in the porch.

Why is delivery so expensive? Can’t you just use Royal Mail? #

Delivery on livestock is indeed expensive and it’s because a licensed courier must be used and expensive packing materials, such as polyboxes, zeolite, liquid additives, bubble wrap, heat packs and other packing materials are crucial for a successful delivery. Royal Mail are not licensed to ship livestock of any sort and any retailer using them is breaking the law. There are only two licensed couriers in the UK, one of them being DX and the other APC. We use DX exclusively to ship our livestock and they are very reliable with a 90% success rate. All couriers will have a small risk of things going wrong, but the risk is never the customer’s responsibility. If there is an issue with the courier, we will always take full responsibility and resolve the situation for our customers. The courier will collect parcels as late in the day as possible and deliver it the following day. Fish will always arrive by 1pm. No livestock can spend more than 24 hours in transit. Should anything go wrong, we always include a detailed guide on our DOA policy telling you step by step what to do, so you never have to worry.

Will the fish look like the picture? #

Sometimes, yes and sometimes no. Though we pride ourselves on adding photos of our actual livestock to our website, most people will have researched pictures of the fish they’re buying and they are often well established breeding adults. Most fish are juveniles when you order them and will need some time to colour up. This is actually an advantage when ordering fish online because many of the most beautiful fish out there are overlooked in the shops because of their bland juvenile appearance. Offering them a healthy, protein rich, balanced diet will help bring them into full colour. If in doubt, you should always ask for photos of the current stock. Equally, it is important to look at the size stipulated for the fish you’re buying as it may turn out to be smaller than what you would ideally want to add to your aquarium. If in doubt, you should always contact the retailer for more information or advice.

Heat Packs and How They Work #

Single-use heat packs contain iron powder, water, and salts, to which vermiculite and activated charcoal are added as additives. Of these ingredients, iron powder is the substance that generates heat. Iron reacts with oxygen and moisture in the air to oxidize, generating heat in the process. This means that heat packs need to have a plentiful supply of oxygen to continue to produce the heat. Contrary to what some might think, heat packs should not make direct contact with fish bags as they have the capacity to melt the bags or overheat the water inside them. We tape our heat packs to either the lid or the side of our boxes to ensure that they produce enough heat to create a pleasant ambient temperature within the box. The polybox in turn will ensure that the heat doesn’t escape easily. A heat pack is designed to last up to 48 hours.

How should the fish be packed? #

Polyboxes are excellent for enclosing heat within, but aren’t always necessary. They are also not great for the environment, so they should only be used when the contents have a high risk of being too cold. When receiving fish, you should expect them to be double bagged to prevent leaks and packed tightly to reduce the possibility of the bags moving around in transit. There should never be more than one species per bag and aggressive species such as cichlids should be packed one fish per bag. The bags should contain only 30% water and the rest should be air, with the bag fully inflated. It should be firm when you squeeze it. It may seem like there’s not enough water, but the water itself is not nearly as important as the compressed air. Experience across the industry has shown that Betta, for example, travel better in just 250-300ml of water than they would in a much larger volume. Every business does things their own way. Some add carbon, whilst others add zeolite. We also add Easy-Life filter medium as an extra boost. The bags should be covered by bubble wrap or other materials, not only to cushion them, but also to partially block light when the box is opened.

What to do when the fish have arrived #

Everybody loves new fish day! It is a really exciting time and we can’t wait to open that box and start unloading all our new friends. But this process shouldn’t be rushed. Light shock is a common issue for fish and can stimy their adjustment to their new environment as a result. Don’t forget that these fish have been in a box for at least 12 hours and once the box is opened, it can shock them to be exposed to bright lights. We add an information leaflet on top of all the contents of the box to help slow our customers down and give the fish an opportunity to adjust from solid darkness to light. Put the kettle on, make a cuppa and give your new fish 5 minutes with the box open, but the bubble wrap left on top of the bags. Then you can begin to look at your haul! Inspect each bag and check that all your fish have made the journey safe and sound. If possible, try to video this, but if you can’t then take clear photos of any casualties whilst they’re in the bag. In the unlikely event of a fish arriving dead, this is your proof. All aquatics retailers will ask for photo or video proof of DOA’s. Once you’re satisfied, place the bags in your aquarium (don’t forget to lower the water level beforehand!) and let them float for 20 minutes. Best practice is to turn your aquarium lights off before you do this. It not only helps your new fish feel calmer, but it also reduces the chances of anyone getting chased around by overly curious residents who assume that everything that comes from above must be food. We recommend drip acclimatisation as the absolute best practice for adding new fish to the aquarium. But if this isn’t possible, you may simply mix some of the aquarium water with the water in the bag, a little at a time. This helps to slowly adjust the pH and KH, as well as the temperature in the bag to the same level as the aquarium. Large swings in any of these values can shock fish and hinder their chances of settling into their new home. Once you have (more or less) tripled the volume of water in the bag, you may release the fish into the aquarium. Do this by placing a net over a bucket and tipping the contents of the bag (including fish) through the net. Then you can add the fish to the aquarium without adding any of the water. Never add water from a fish bag to your aquarium! Though pathogens are highly unlikely, the ammonia levels in the bag can never be predicted and will in fact begin to creep up the instant that the bag is opened and new air is released into the bag. The pH is also likely to be very low as water that has been left to stand still will always experience a pH drop. Leave the lights off for a couple of hours and treat immediately with anti white spot treatment. There’s a good reason for this…

Do fish carry white spot? #

No. Not really. Any fish that is carrying white spot will have white spot when it arrives and it will be visible. White spot is a parasite that is present in all aquariums, everywhere. This is why some aquariums that haven’t had any new additions for months or years can still have an outbreak. It exists largely in gravel and sand or anywhere else that has copious amounts of detritus. Typically, white spot does not infest fish and you’ll never know it’s even there because fish have a good mucus layer that protects them, making it difficult for the parasite to latch on. However, when fish are immuno-compromised, it’s a whole different story. Slime coat becomes thinner or is outright shed when fish are stressed or unwell, making them prime target for white spot and it can escalate very quickly. Some fish, such as neon tetras are more prone than others. Fish that spent time in transit may become stressed and can easily fall victim. This is why we recommend treating the whole tank as soon as the new fish are added as a preventative measure.

What if I’m still not sure? #

You can always contact us. Our friendly store team will always be more than happy to offer their expertise and honest advice to help our customers make informed decisions.