good places to buy pond fish and plants

[darkmuse]

I was just wondering if anyone has had good experiences with pond sites or garden centers when it comes to buying fish and plants. i'm always interested in vistng new places and finding interesting additions for the pond.

[j.w]

I was just wondering if anyone has had good experiences with pond sites or garden centers when it comes to buying fish and plants. i'm always interested in vistng new places and finding interesting additions for the pond.

I wish there were those kind of places around where I live but nope. I can only get mine at a pet store or sent from online ordering and I'm too thrifty to do the online deals. I've seen some nice Shubunkins even in the pet stores and not too much money but ya never know about the health issues they have in those pet store tanks. All you can do is try it out at any of those places and be sure to have a quarantine tank ready to put any new ones in to see if they stay healthy for a week or so before adding to your pond.

[brokensword]

I was just wondering if anyone has had good experiences with pond sites or garden centers when it comes to buying fish and plants. i'm always interested in vistng new places and finding interesting additions for the pond.

I wish there were those kind of places around where I live but nope. I can only get mine at a pet store or sent from online ordering and I'm too thrifty to do the online deals. I've seen some nice Shubunkins even in the pet stores and not too much money but ya never know about the health issues they have in those pet store tanks. All you can do is try it out at any of those places and be sure to have a quarantine tank ready to put any new ones in to see if they stay healthy for a week or so before adding to your pond.

I had to get over the 'shipping cost' dilemma too as I didn't want to pay $50 for shipping. I realize it's going to cost, but always saw it as less than $10 per item. Now, what really helps, if you're okay with a $10 per item charge is to do what I do; get more fish per order. In your case, you could probably get 5 shubbies, pay the $50, and get everything for maybe $100 total. And yeah, I know, still rich just for a fish, but I got to the place of thinking; I'm not getting younger, I'd like to not have this regret, and I'll spend less in another area, such as going out to dinner less often for a couple months or if I get a refund check re taxes, spend part of that on fish. Helps as it was money I didn't have (in my hot lil hand!!). But it IS a mentality you have to overcome if you want this route. The part I noticed re hobbies is if I don't put SOMETHING into it regularly, some of the passion dies, so I figured buying fish, expanding the pond, swapping out marginals every year, adding stuff TO the pondhouse, taking stuff out, all helps maintain that passion. And of course, being on the forum and seeing others' setups keeps the interest too! Always nice to talk ponds with other ponders!

[TheFishGuy]

I personally just use my local pond store, but if you are looking for a good place online I have heard good things about nextdaykoi.

[brokensword]

forgot to add; I've gotten koi from BestKoiDirect via ebay and one order from Next Day Koi like FishGuy has. I like actually picking out the fish in my pond, so am not into 'send you a mix of quality fish' from other venues. I've also purchased goldfish from a local pond store here, Grass Roots, as well as a couple of pet stores, early on. Now, they bred and I have quite enough, so unless a koi catches my eye, I'm having to restrain such purchases! But websites I've used are Webbs, PondMega store (not the greatest re size but price was pretty good), Tricker's, and a place in Cali I can't remember, for some different iris. Water lettuce and hyacinth I can get locally around here if I don't keep enough over the winter. They multiply very fast, so you don't need to start with many.

Hope this helps!

[darkmuse]

I was just wondering if anyone has had good experiences with pond sites or garden centers when it comes to buying fish and plants. i'm always interested in vistng new places and finding interesting additions for the pond.

I wish there were those kind of places around where I live but nope. I can only get mine at a pet store or sent from online ordering and I'm too thrifty to do the online deals. I've seen some nice Shubunkins even in the pet stores and not too much money but ya never know about the health issues they have in those pet store tanks. All you can do is try it out at any of those places and be sure to have a quarantine tank ready to put any new ones in to see if they stay healthy for a week or so before adding to your pond.

I know about that health issue stuff. I had a few fish die one time soon after I bought some from the store. Always wondered if they were the cause.

[j.w]

I was just wondering if anyone has had good experiences with pond sites or garden centers when it comes to buying fish and plants. i'm always interested in vistng new places and finding interesting additions for the pond.

I wish there were those kind of places around where I live but nope. I can only get mine at a pet store or sent from online ordering and I'm too thrifty to do the online deals. I've seen some nice Shubunkins even in the pet stores and not too much money but ya never know about the health issues they have in those pet store tanks. All you can do is try it out at any of those places and be sure to have a quarantine tank ready to put any new ones in to see if they stay healthy for a week or so before adding to your pond.

I know about that health issue stuff. I had a few fish die one time soon after I bought some from the store. Always wondered if they were the cause.

Very well could have been the cause so always quarantine is my opinion.

[darkmuse]

I've never quarantined but do pay attention to how the fish are before I purchase them. Pays to know fish behavior and who you're dealing with. But no doubt something came into the pond that time! Thanks for the help.

[Gemma]

I bought small koi from NextDayKoi and larger ones from MCBrideKoiFarm, both did well....shipping was pretty much the same so I lean more towards McBride cause they sell larger fish for less money and guarantee that they will quarantine the fish for 28 days before shipping them

[rubyduby]

My go to place to buy plants has been PlatItKoi.com…they have excellent stock and they package really well!

[dalton_07]

When planning to have a fish tank in your home, the most essential factor to consider is the size of the aquarium. There are various fish tank sizes available but highly recommended for newbies are 5 gallons, 10 gallons, and 20 gallons fish tank.

[j.w]

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@dalton_07