azgardens and liveaquaria

[johnm]

anyone have any feedback on these two vendors as far as quality of their fish?

[scolley]

I've purchased fish from Dr. Foster and Smith's Liveaquaria.com quite a number of times. They are my primary source for "standard" fish. So while I would buy my discus somewhere else, I'd turn to them first for "common" stuff like tetras and various inverts.

Lot's of people "pooh pooh" them because of their prices. But their fish NEVER die during/after shipping if you know how to take care of them. All you have to do is lose 50% of a large school of tetras from a less healthy source to recognize that it's not the per piece cost of a fish at purchase time counts. It's the average cost per piece of fish that are still alive 30 days after receipt that matters. That is the true measure of cost.

So I give them a high rating, for fish where health is your highest criteria. For fish that "conformation" or "quality" based on aesthetics is the highest criteria, I'd look to other places. But there's no better place to by a bunch of tetras.

[Darrell Ward]

I agree with Steve. I ordered 50 Cardinal Tetras from them back in the spring for my 240 gal. planted discus tank. All arrived alive, unfortunately I did kill one weeks later while moving them from my quarantine tank to the 240. As of today, as far as I know, all of the group are still alive ( I haven't counted them) and getting big and fat on discus food. I can attest to the fact that liveaquaria sell quality fish. I can't comment on azgardens. I've never purchased anything from them.

[johnm]

thanks guys. i was looking to purchase some angels and trying to find a reputable supplier while also keeping shipping costs to a minimum.

[philip69285]

I know this is an old post but I saw no one posted on Azgardens.com. Well I purchased from them 2 seperate times. My first order I was pretty new to planting tanks an still kindah learning about it all. I ordered someshrimps and a few fish I coudln't find elsewhere at the time and some plants. Shipping is OUTRAGEOUS... I think they charge far far more than they should... my first order weighed 5lb or so and I was charged 75 bucks. The plants weren't the greatest except for the Java fern Arhold (12.00) ones... they where great. I then ordered a few other fish and plants from them. The mother plants are not worth buying (The picture is no what you get at all)... the one I ordered on a piece of driftwood was a lot larger and better than the mother plant I ordered. The fish normally are all dead... you might get lucky and get a few here and there but when you order schools and get one fish... not great. I wont be ordering from them again even tho I have a 30 dollar credit or so coming.