There’s quite the fishy story going on in my neck of the woods.
About a week ago a river otter broke into the koi fish pond at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, BC.
The poor koi don’t stand a chance. Last count is the otter ate 10 of them. Efforts to trap the otter failed. Now the solution is to rescue and relocate the remaining koi.
It’s a tough situation – nobody wants to kill the otter, yet nobody wants more koi to be eaten.
I suppose once the koi are relocated, the river otter may leave on its own accord since there’s no reason to stay.
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While the garden officials will need to get more koi, they likely won’t buy them just anywhere.
However, if you’re an aspiring owner of fish with an aquarium, you can indeed buy fish online and have them delivered.
Here are 19 of the best online fish stores.
1. The Wet Spot Tropical Fish:
While The Wet Spot’s physical location is in Portland, Oregon, there reach extends around the world. They offer natural beauties from some of the most exotic locations in thee world, and they update their catalog every Friday to ensure that their selection is always fresh.
Online users can even get access to special deals they won’t find in store. The owner has traveled from Malaysia to Singapore and brought his passion for natural wildlife back to the states in 2000.
Saltwaterfish.com’s selection of exotic coral and fish numbers over 450 and includes sailfish tang, bicolor angelfish, and sand sitting starfish. A quick glance at their front page spotlights the latest additions to their selection, but explore deeper to find plenty of beautiful fish up for sale. Free shipping is available on your first order.
3. LiveAquaria:
The huge selection of freshwater fish available through LiveAquaria may seem intimidating at first, but it needn’t be.
Their comprehensive guides and kits can help even the greenest amateur get started on putting together the aquarium they’ve always dreamed of, and those with spendthrift tendencies can always take advantage of the weekly specials and free shipping on all orders of $99 or more.
If you need more help, you can always get in touch with their live specialists.
4. Chewy:
Chewy is one of the most dominant forces in the online pet industry, and they made a name for themselves specializing in pet foods. First formed in 2011 with executives from some of the most dominant names in the retail industry, they’ve since become a subsidiary of PetSmart.
While you can’t buy live fish through Chewy, you can use them to get all the food you need to keep your aquarium pets satiated.
Imperial Tropicals is one of the most established online fish stores you can find, and they’re also one of the biggest. Their farm spans over 20 acres, and that allows them to ensure that the fish they provide to their customers are healthy and happy before they ever go out the door.
While they offer a substantive selection of fish from all over, they specialize in African and American cichlids.
6. MarineFishEZ:
All of the fish at MarineFishEZ are hand-picked from their Atlanta facility for the sake of quality assurance, but their commitment to customer satisfaction goes beyond making sure that healthy fish are delivered to the doors of their shoppers.
Their email newsletter allows consumers to have special deals delivered to their inbox, and they engage on their Facebook page with regular updates about changes to their inventory.
Clownfish, glowlight tetras, and freshwater eels are just a few of the more popular fish you’ll find at Aquarium Fish Sale, and you won’t have to worry about them arriving unhealthy. All purchases come with a dead on arrival refund policy that extends to three days after delivery.
They use meticulously and highly secured packaging to make sure all of their fish have a safe trip regardless of how far they’re being delivered.
8. AquaBid.com:
AquaBid does things a little differently from the majority of online fish stores. Their open market helps connect buyers and sellers, and the auction atmosphere ensures that pricing is driven by demand.
Since the sellers decide what’s available at any given time, the stock can change dramatically on a day to day basis, but cichlids from African and Central and South America have a tendency to dominate the auctions.
Everything you need to turn your aquarium into a happy and thriving ecosystem can be found at Blue Zoo Aquatics. Rarities like flame hawkfish occupy their catalog along with more traditionally popular fish like cichlids and clownfish, and a number of live corals and plants round out the selection.
Of special note is the Collector’s Choice department which highlights the most stunning creatures up for offer at Blue Zoo.
10. Saltwaterfish.com:
Saltwaterfish.com deals exclusively with saltwater fish and the organisms they need to thrive in an aquarium environment. They understand that a healthy saltwater aquarium is more than just a tank to hold your favored pets.
It’s a delicate ecosystem, and that’s why they complement their selection of fish with a number of invertebrates and corals you can use to balance your PH levels and ensure a long life for your fishy friends.
11. Thatpetplace.com:
Thatpetplace.com doesn’t just deal with freshwater fish like arowanas, eels, and rasboras. They also stock everything you need to build a tank in the first place and properly maintain it over the years. As an arm of popular pet shopping site thatpetplace.com, they lend the same level of care and detail to their aquarium section as they do to meeting the needs of man’s furry friends.
12. Reef Cleaners:
Reef Cleaners may not deal in tropical fish directly, but they do offer just about everything else you need to maintain a beautiful and healthy environment for your aquatics pets.
They’re a family-operated business, and their combination of algae solutions, natural filtration systems, and algae-eating invertebrates can help keep the PH balance on the level in saltwater aquariums of any size.
13. Vivid Aquariums:
Vivid Aquariums has the means to help through every stage of an aquarium’s life cycle through their bulky catalog of saltwater fish and corals.
While the company made a name for themselves building aquariums in Los Angeles over a decade now, they’ve since branched off into the online retail market, and they’re conscientious about making sure that all of their livestock write-ups are designed to help customers find fish that are a right fit for their aquarium whether they’re looking to buy a dartfish or a basslet.
14. Aquarium Creations Online:
The saltwater fish you’ll find on Aquarium Creations Online lean towards the exotic end of the spectrum. That’s reflected in the bright neon hues of their large angelfish, the stark black of their batfish, and the expressive white and orange patterning of their clownfish.
All of their fish come with a 100% guarantee that they’ve gone through proper aquarium conditioning. They can also provide you with all the live corals, rock, sand, and supplies that you need to keep your tank fully stocked and running like it should.
15. Live Fish Direct:
Live Fish Direct understands that there’s a whole ocean of fish outside of popular pets like clownfish and tetra, and that’s why they make sure to shine the spotlight onto more exotic options like peacock cichlids and Goyer river rainbows through their featured fish series.
You’ll find all the fish you could want in their store, but you’ll also find locally produced fish food that’s healthy, natural, and sure to keep your entire tank satisfied. Their fish are raised in over 250 round tanks which can each hold 200 gallons of water.
16. Petsmart:
Petsmart is one of the biggest names in the pet care business, and their selection of live fish is as expansive as you could expect given the scope of their company. GloFish tetra comes in a variety of different colors; and while they may be the spotlight pet available here, the breadth of goldfish available is also pretty impressive.
Petsmart can also equip you with everything you need to build your tank, maintain it, and keep it clean.
17. Petco:
Petco doesn’t deal exclusively with fish and aquarium supplies, but their selection is large enough to give even more specialized stores a run for their money. They have a whole section devoted to the popular betta fish, but other breeds aren’t neglected here.
Different colors of GloFish tetra can be mixed and matched to create a vibrant and otherworldly look to your aquarium. Petco is a well-trusted name in the industry, and they’ve spent over half a century building their reputation in the community.
18. Pete’s Fish Place:
Whether you’re looking for saltwater fish, tropical fish, or invertebrates, you’ll find them at Pete’s Fish Place. Their catalog covers everything from traditional aquarium favorites like angelfish and clownfish to more exotic fare like goatfish and eels.
They also offer a broad selection of corals you can use to turn your aquarium into a lively environment. Their brick and mortar store has been serving the New York area for over 15 years, but now anyone can access their catalog through their online storefront.
19. Golden Glove Fishery:
Golden Glove Fishery is for fish lovers by fish lovers. The hobbyists that founded and continue to run operations are passionate about what they do, and they take the utmost care when it comes to the safety and happiness of their pets. Saltwater and freshwater fish are both available in abundance, and the include goldfish, koi, betta fish, and a diverse selection of different cichlids.
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