Aquaticarts.com

  • Thread Starter
  • #51
Of course, today I get Aquatic Arts newsletter and they're having a sale for the next 48 hrs - 15% off all orders. It says it's for their newsletter subscribers only (I guess since that's where it's advertised, those are the only people who know about it). If anyone would like the coupon code, send me a PM and I'll be happy to share it with you.
 

Advertisement
OMG! I want this one!

I'm weak. I'm probably going to order that little guy.
 

Advertisement
I have been waiting excitedly for my Aquatic Arts order for a while. First, I ordered the emperor tetras that I had been looking all over for... I spent all day waiting for the shipment before I finally emailed them wondering where the fish they had promised on that day actually went. "Oh, didn't you receive my email. They have clamped fins and we couldn't send them." Okay, I've gotten every one of their other emails except that one, but whatever. I certainly don't want ill fish so I appreciate that. I switched the order to Orange Rice Fish and added CPDs and Asian stone fish that had become available. 2 days before shipment, they informed me that they had miscalculated the number of CPDs available and they could not ship. Okay...so I wait for the batch that is in-house to go through quarantine. Oh, one day before shipment, that batch suddenly has clamped fins. Would I like something else? They were willing to send me Gertrude's spotted Blue Eye Rainbow fish which were more expensive. I expected an invoice for the upgrade which I did not receive. When I received the package I was shocked...It came in a Segrest Farm box. I knew that they were outsourcing fish due to their demand...but!!! So, one of the Gertrudes's has the most grotesquely bent spine that I have ever seen. Fortunately it was so obvious that it was spotted before they were added to the other fish in their order for acclimation. Best case scenario, birth defect. Worst case scenario, Fish TB. (Yes, I'm wearing gloves while dealing with them just in case.)
Picture 1 - The acclimation nightmare I am trying to overcome with only one extra quarantine tank. Picture 2 - The over sized box this order came in. Pictures 3 and 4 the poor fish in question. IMG_9921.JPG IMG_9924.JPG IMG_9933.JPG IMG_9938.JPG
 
Yay! So exciting when you get new fish!
Poor little guy, his spine looks really deformed.

Hope everything turns out well in the tank!
 
Glad you got new fish, but that sounds like terrible customer service...
 
Glad you got new fish, but that sounds like terrible customer service...
Click to expand...
Actually, their customer service is the best I've experienced. I think that in the case of the one missing email, they were embarrassed to tell me that yet another one of the fish I had chosen had came down with clamped fish right before shipping.
They are going through growing pains. They can only quarantine for about 2 weeks. Next summer when they get into their new fish barn, they will be able to QT 3-4 weeks. I was just used to all the fish being from their stock. They are trying to keep up with demand now so they are getting fish from outside sources.
 

Advertisement
WetSpot and Msjinkzd, in my experience. WetSpot is the only place I order fish from now.
 

Advertisement



WetSpot and Msjinkzd, in my experience. WetSpot is the only place I order fish from now.
Click to expand...

The one on Aquabid? I passed on them because of shipping.
 
I won't buy from WetSpot. I had won the auction for the emperor tetras I was looking for. I pay immediately like almost everyone and they were not sending an invoice. I messaged them 2 hours later asking for an invoice. They told me the fish were sick "But please look through our current stocking and see if there is something else you would like". Okay...NO. So the next day, while looking for another source for those emperors, I come across a brand new listing for the fish they just told me were sick less than 12 hours prior. I don't even open their offerings on Aquabid.
 
I order directly from their website, not Aquabid. I always start an email conversation with them about the fish I want before paying for them (like you do through Aquabid) so there's no misunderstanding.

Their shipping is expensive because it's overnight shipping. I wait to order when they have shipping specials (their anniversary sale or cyber Monday) when overnight shipping is $15-25. Can't beat that. And you can't beat their selection of rare fish either. At this point, I don't buy fish that you can find in most LFS, so WetSpot is very useful for me.
 
I use Aquatic Arts exclusively. Don’t mind the haters, LOL. I was looking at those rice fish, but since they’re like kilifish and have a naturally short lifespan, I couldn’t make myself buy them. Hope everything turns out okay!
 
I use Aquatic Arts exclusively. Don’t mind the haters, LOL. I was looking at those rice fish, but since they’re like kilifish and have a naturally short lifespan, I couldn’t make myself buy them. Hope everything turns out okay!
Click to expand...

I've known others to have problems with them as well. Like shrimp showing up with ellobiopsidae (for which there isn't really a cure, and can wipe out an entire tank).
 
Wow, that’s crazy. I knew they used to have problems with their shrimp due to their supplier, but they indicated that the problems were now solved. I’ve ordered all of my livestock from them: corydoras (pygmies and habrosus), rasboras (glowlight and kubotai), ember tetras, panda loaches, RCS, Amano shrimp, and assassin snails, all at various times, and I’ve never had an issue with anything. I realize it’s just anecdotal, but maybe I’ve just been extremely lucky?
 
Just the luck of the draw. I've ordered from them twice now but each time I order it's usually 3 items of livestock, ie bags of fish. So the more you order, the more likely you'll eventually hit that bad bag of fish.
 
Yep, AA consistently come up in forums as having shrimp diseases.
My order of chilI rasboras came with ich.
Click to expand...
Great...expecting 20 rcs from them tomorrow!!
 

Advertisement



I won't buy from WetSpot. I had won the auction for the emperor tetras I was looking for. I pay immediately like almost everyone and they were not sending an invoice. I messaged them 2 hours later asking for an invoice. They told me the fish were sick "But please look through our current stocking and see if there is something else you would like". Okay...NO. So the next day, while looking for another source for those emperors, I come across a brand new listing for the fish they just told me were sick less than 12 hours prior. I don't even open their offerings on Aquabid.
Click to expand...

If you contact the store directly, you'll get better results. I've never had an issue of any kind ordering from The Wet Spot, and they are one of my go-to stores for interesting fish.

Also for the record, I bought one of my batches of shrimp from Aquatic Arts and they are doing really well. Orange Sakuras. They aren't the highest grade, but they are pretty healthy. I've had a few deaths after acclimation to my crazy hard water, but I also have babies in the tank.

If you order from any store enough, you'll get a bad batch. That's no reason to not order from reputable sellers. Aquatic Arts has made a good reputation for themselves in the past few years. They also carry oddball fish I've never seen anywhere else, and their plants have always been healthy.
 
If you contact the store directly, you'll get better results. I've never had an issue of any kind ordering from The Wet Spot, and they are one of my go-to stores for interesting fish.

Also for the record, I bought one of my batches of shrimp from Aquatic Arts and they are doing really well. Orange Sakuras. They aren't the highest grade, but they are pretty healthy. I've had a few deaths after acclimation to my crazy hard water, but I also have babies in the tank.

If you order from any store enough, you'll get a bad batch. That's no reason to not order from reputable sellers. Aquatic Arts has made a good reputation for themselves in the past few years. They also carry oddball fish I've never seen anywhere else, and their plants have always been healthy.
Click to expand...
Very true...and good to know...excited about my order!
 
Great...expecting 20 rcs from them tomorrow!!
Click to expand...

If it makes you feel better, last month I ordered a bunch of RCS and their wild form versions, as well, and they’re all still kicking—er, dancing? LOL, whatever that wacky thing is that shrimp do! ️

I hope they turn out okay. Like I said, I’ve had great luck with AA, though I guess other people here haven’t been as lucky. ☹️
 
If it makes you feel better, last month I ordered a bunch of RCS and their wild form versions, as well, and they’re all still kicking—er, dancing? LOL, whatever that wacky thing is that shrimp do! ️

I hope they turn out okay. Like I said, I’ve had great luck with AA, though I guess other people here haven’t been as lucky. ☹️
Click to expand...
Good to know! Thanks! I’ve had great luck with their plants but this is my first shrimp buy.
 
If these are your first shrimp, your worst case scenario is that you’ll lose them. At least you don’t have a whole other bunch of shrimp to infect. The problems come from importing shrimp for sale. Some diseases don’t show up for months. There are some good sellers out there that sell non-imports.
 
Hey all, just an fyi, Aquatic Arts is having a 40% off sale of everything today and tomorrow!

Edit: AquaticArts is what the website/sale is. It's not what it brings you to if you click the highlighted words lol
 
Dang

it's too bad my shrimp tank isn't quite ready because that's basically a buck each for fire red cherries
 
Yeah, it's a really good deal I think. I saved over $20 on my order.

Do you have quarantine you could put them in?
 
lol no I'm currently using my shrimp tank AS my quarantine
 

Advertisement



lol no I'm currently using my shrimp tank AS my quarantine
Click to expand...
Well shoot. I ordered 18 fish, might set off a minI cycle but I couldn't pass the sale up lol. They're tiny too and I do have an extra 10 gallon and a lot of extra media so I may be doing a QT tank lol.
Yay so now I can buy you 200+ snails hehehe
Click to expand...
I seriously considered some nerites lol
 
Well shoot. I ordered 18 fish, might set off a minI cycle but I couldn't pass the sale up lol. They're tiny too and I do have an extra 10 gallon and a lot of extra media so I may be doing a QT tank lol.

I seriously considered some nerites lol
Click to expand...
No I mean I’ll get you pond sails and trumpet snails then I’ll send 50 assassin snails
 
Mossballs on Amazon, never again. But I could use some more Indian Almond Leafs and maybe a couple snails... The 20 gallon could use one, 5 gallon, 10 gallon quarantine and other 2 10 gallons.
Edit: $200 snails!!?!!?? Ill stick to the $15 large Indian Almond Leafs...
 
Mossballs on Amazon, never again. But I could use some more Indian Almond Leafs and maybe a couple snails... The 20 gallon could use one, 5 gallon, 10 gallon quarantine and other 2 10 gallons.
Edit: $200 snails!!?!!?? Ill stick to the $15 large Indian Almond Leafs...
Click to expand...
No the snails from aquatic arts are mostly $5 and under lol. That's a whole different story with the 200+ snails lol, it's a joke.

Also, I just realized you probably clicked the highlighted Aquatic Arts. That's not it. It's the website aquaticarts that has the sale, they are much better quality than Amazon lol
 
Man, every time they have a sale they’re also sold out of anything I want. Lol
 
Man, every time they have a sale they’re also sold out of anything I want. Lol
Click to expand...
Really? I thought they had much more in stock this time around. What were you looking for?
 

Advertisement



Aww man, those have been out for awhile though. I've been stocking their website for the chilI rasboras I wanted lol. Maybe next time around!
Click to expand...
Yes, out forever. Lol TRiN’s has chilI rasboras.
 
Ordered 5 golden back yellow shrimp. Can't find them here and if they even did have them , it would cost me at least $20 in gas to get there and I'm sure 5 shrimp would be around $25, so $45 total. My order came to $11.37 plus $19 shipping so $30.37 total. Not too bad. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Plus you'll probably end up getting 6 or 7 of them in the bag
 
Yes, out forever. Lol TRiN’s has chilI rasboras.
Click to expand...
I had no idea, they must have just got them in cause I check Trin's often as well. I got them cheaper through Aquatic Arts though

Ordered 5 golden back yellow shrimp. Can't find them here and if they even did have them , it would cost me at least $20 in gas to get there and I'm sure 5 shrimp would be around $25, so $45 total. My order came to $11.37 plus $19 shipping so $30.37 total. Not too bad. Thanks for the heads up.
Click to expand...
That's awesome! Personally, I think they have great shipping prices. It's overnight and for 18 fish it was $27 to ship them. Trin's Fish was $50 and Wetspot is even more than that.
 
I had no idea, they must have just got them in cause I check Trin's often as well. I got them cheaper through Aquatic Arts though


That's awesome! Personally, I think they have great shipping prices. It's overnight and for 18 fish it was $27 to ship them. Trin's Fish was $50 and Wetspot is even more than that.
Click to expand...
Oh ouch, TRiN’s was cheaper for me last time. I can’t even afford to look at wetspot lol
 
Oh ouch, TRiN’s was cheaper for me last time. I can’t even afford to look at wetspot lol
Click to expand...
Trin's was a little over $10 more for this order if I would've done the cheap shipping option which is 2-3 days. To do overnight with Trin's it would've been $60+ more lol.
So Aquatic Arts was definitely the one to go with, only in bags for 18 hours and $10 cheaper lol. I'm sure the sale helped a lot but their shipping prices for overnight are very surprising.

Wetspot is ridiculous lol, I emailed for a quote of shipping and it was like $70! I couldn't believe it lol. I only wanted like 8 fish too
 
Okay so I did actually order snails (lol) but for me. I got 1 horned zebra nerite snail, 1 tiger striped (I think) nerite snail, 1 ivory mystery snail, 1 blue mystery snail, 1 black mystery snail, 1 albino mystery snail, 1 golden mystery snail, and I wanted the purple one but they are sold out
 

Random Great Topic!

Lchis Saltwater Build - 10g To Im25 Lagoon!
Lchis Saltwater Build

Today's Deals


Amazon Daily Aquatic Deals

Amazon Aquatic Coupons


Advertisement



Advertisement








Advertisement




Fish Lore's aquarium fish forum - aquarium hobbyists helping hobbyists since 2005!

Fish Lore is an amazon affiliate and some pages may contain links to aquarium related products on amazon: Affiliate Disclosure

Aquarium forum statistics

Threads
427,391
Messages
4,714,454
Members
127,557
Back
Top Bottom