Choosing a Tropical Fish Supplier

Choosing a tropical fish supplier to purchase your fish from, is done the same way as shopping for any other important item. Before you get started, you may want to do some tropical fish research yourself by educating yourself with a good tropical fish book.

Ask Someone Else for a Referral

If you have a mentor in the hobby, ask where they have bought their fish. See if they have run into some shops or vendors that you should avoid, and ask them why. Word of mouth is often a store’s best advertisement. If you have the opportunity, join an aquarium club in your community or online, and ask the advice of other members. This doesn’t bind you to their choices, but it does give you a good list of places and people to start with.

Make Sure Your Supplier is Knowledgeable & Is Willing to Share Knowledge

Whether it’s an individual, or a business like a pet shop, they should be more than willing to talk to someone who is not actually buying. Education should be part of any enthusiast’s business, and not just the exchange of fish for money. It’s in a dealer’s best interests to make sure that the new hobbyist starts out right. The help they can supply, not only keeps a customer coming back for more, but it provides them with glowing references from a satisfied customer.

When you visit a pet shop or breeder, tour their set-up and see how well kept their tanks are, and how healthy the stock appears. Ask the supplier what they do when fish become sick. If they have hospital tanks, they should be willing to show you those, since all breeders, commercial or not, will have sick fish at some time. If there are no hospital tanks, and the supplier claims not to have sick fish, you might want to simply thank them for their time, and visit another shop, to compare both the fish and the people selling them.

An honest, and up front tropical fish supplier, will be more than willing to discuss their sales terms and policies such as replacements. Be sure to ask what kind of guarantees they offer, and under what conditions they will replace a fish that dies, or which develops an illness.

When you have visited several shops or breeders, sit down and consider what you have found out. The best tropical fish suppliers are the ones that are willing to offer their advice and support, even without a purchase. Theirs may not always be the best price, but you have to weigh the pros of their experience, against the small amount you may save by buying from someone without the knowledge to help you start and maintain, a healthy aquarium.

Your Comprehensive Resource on Creating the Best Tropical Fish Tank Possible

The Encyclopedia of Exotic Tropical Fishes for Freshwater Aquariums is an inspiring resource. The book is separated into two sections, with the first part encompassing six chapters of both general and specific fishkeeping information and the second part offering detailed profiles of 1000 freshwater species. All fish enthusiasts will appreciate the down-to-earth writing style and superb images by some of the world’s top photographers. This practical reference also features anatomical drawings, multiple tip boxes, and over 2800 full-color photographs.

Click here to find out more and get your copy.

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