Disappointment :/ (liveaquaria plants) + a positive review of Jacob's Aquarium

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the unboxing process of either of these because I wasn't expecting to have to write this. I have never ordered from either of these places. LiveAquaria Shipped from Illinois and Jacobs Aquaurium shipped from CA. Both had two day shipping (both shipped on Monday and arrived today)

I'll start with LiveAquaria, because i'm kinda mad. Lol.

What I ordered:

1x Anubias Nana
1x Ludwigia Peruensis
2x Banana Plant
2x Hornwort

What I got:

1x Anubias Nana
2x Ludwigia Peruensis
4x Banana Plant
2x Hornwort

So I guess there's a pro there. I got some extras. Why am I unhappy, then?

First off, with the exception of the banana plants, which were in a small ziplock separate from everything else, all of the plants were wrapped in several layers of soaking wet newspaper. Wet newspaper is heavy, and the plants were wrapped tightly, which put pressure on the plants and caused parts of them to rot. One bundle of ludwigia was mostly fine, but the other had completely black rotten leaves trapped between the stems and just generally stuck to it. The hornwort is almost entirely too ugly for me to use for anything, and even after multiple rinsings, as soon as it touched my water, it sent a cloud of needles and other debris raining down to the bottom. Which I know is expected of hornwort over time, but this stuff looks nothing like healthy hornwort, except for on the tips of some of the plants. It's mostly a green/brown color. I cut off the good pieces and used them, but even still i'm not sure I'll keep it in the tank. I kind of changed my mind after ordering them, but decided to try it out anyways, since I have it.

The banana plants I got were in a similar condition, though I suspect that was probably inevitable after being in a bag for 2-3 days. The "bananas" are a very dark green, almost brown color, and I had to cut off a couple of leaves from all four plants that were rotting. the remaining leaves are semi-transparent and very light brown/green in color. I'm hoping they aren't totally dead. We'll see.

The anubias though, I am happy with. I originally got it for my divided 10 gallon betta tank, but the one that I got here was huge. Too big for a 10 gallon. With the exception of a few leaves that are yellowed around the tips/edges, it's in pretty good shape, and actually has a few flower buds on it. I could have made a few smaller plants for my 10 gallon out of it, I guess, but I kind of like it whole.

Overall, liveaquaria was more expensive than both my LFS and Jacob's aquarium and packed the plants in a way that damaged them. I spent around $30 there, including shipping. It's not a lot, but considering the fact that I'm a currently unemployed college student, it's a significant amount and I'm kind of bitter about it.

Now, Jacob's Aquarim.

What I ordered:

1x Java Fern
1x Ludwigia Dark Red
1x Anubias Hastifolia
1x Myrio Green

I am incredibly happy with this purchase. The plants were packaged very well,each in it's own separate sealed plastic bag, not ziplocks. They were all in good health, with no rotting leaves or anything. The prices are much better here than LiveAquaria, and I feel like I got a higher quality product. If any of you are in the market for some plants, I would highly recommend ordering them here instead of liveaquaria. not only will you get better plants and more professional packaging, but you'll also be saving money, both in general and on shipping, and supporting a small business.

Here are some pictures of what I got from both:


-- Will be added once my internet decides to let me upload them to tinypic. most of them are too large to post here directly.--

 

Even though I'm in the Philippines I must say that it is a great thread and will help others to make proper orders.
Your link doesn't work, would like to see the pics

 

Even though I'm in the Philippines I must say that it is a great thread and will help others to make proper orders.
Your link doesn't work, would like to see the pics

Thank you It isn't a link. Lol. I'm going to post s under that once tinypic works again. Check back later and they should be here.

 

I would definitely stay away from Live Aquaria.

I received a shipment from them today. 5 weather loaches and 12 snails. Three of the five loaches were DOA. A fourth is almost sure to die. The snails I will know more later, but based on the loaches, I wouldn't be surprised if several snails did not make it.

First and last time I try purchasing online. People try to tell you it's safer and much better now, but it's everything I thought it would be. A terrible experience culminating in numerous dead fish.

 

Ohhhh I was planning on ordering mbuna juveniles from Liveaquaria..... Has anyone had good experience with them? Will they replace dead fish?

 

Sorry, I know this post is slightly 2 months old, but I hate to see questions go unanswered, especially when it comes to reviews and the fact that this is a top page for Google-ing reviews for these places.

Jacob's is awesome! I agree completely. Only downfall is he is almost always sold out of just about everything. He does a great job with little overhead, sells inexpensively, and provides a good service just for the planted tank communities. He is not a corporation, so he can focus more on providing the service.

Ohhhh I was planning on ordering mbuna juveniles from Liveaquaria..... Has anyone had good experience with them? Will they replace dead fish?

They do replace dead fish. Take a video when opening as it will make your refund or replacement much smoother. They have multiple guarantees.

I would definitely stay away from Live Aquaria.

I received a shipment from them today. 5 weather loaches and 12 snails. Three of the five loaches were DOA. A fourth is almost sure to die. The snails I will know more later, but based on the loaches, I wouldn't be surprised if several snails did not make it.

First and last time I try purchasing online. People try to tell you it's safer and much better now, but it's everything I thought it would be. A terrible experience culminating in numerous dead fish.

Live Aquaria is good for certain things. I have seen perfect unboxing videos and terrible ones as well. With that being said, it's just all in the luck of the draw. If you unbox a bunch of bologna, then that could be due to anything.


I have a small partially-related shipping story that a lot of people need to hear: My dad is a branch manager at a UPS, and he has told me countless stories about what happens with packages due to emergencies, domestic customs and security agencies, etc.

Long story short, anything that goes through the mail is in position of everyone else except for you for the long haul. You are the only one who prioritizes your own package whether it be fish, or whatever... And the carriers, shippers, or company you purchased from do not really care unless you pay them to care. Your fish could arrive DOA because Live Aquaria may suck, or because the box was tossed around like a frisbee. I tend to contact the carrier after my purchase and tell them I wish to purchase fragile care protection, or some sort of insurance on my package. I can do this by tracking number, or just by calling them. Usually costs an extra $0.25 - 5$... Then I request to sign it on delivery so I can see the box before I accept it. If it's in condition, I'm sending it back (sorry fishies).

Buying online from Live Aquaria is still better than buying from Petco IMO.