15 Mail-Order Aquarium Supplies
Description
This article is from the Aquaria Resources: Societies, Books and Mailorder FAQ, by numerous authors.
15 Mail-Order Aquarium Supplies
Although prices are lower through mail order, one must consider the
cost of the shipping and handling, the delay time if product is not in
stock, and the fact that the mail order company will typically not
answer detailed questions. Your local retailer on the other hand must
pay for the overhead of inventory, and often times are willing to
answer questions. We need to collectively ensure the survival of good,
helpful stores with fair prices.
Service Comparisons
Here is a quick comparison of five of the most popular mail-order
houses, That Fish Place (TFP), Mail Order Pet Shop (MOPS), Pet
Warehouse (PW), Wet Thumb Aquatics, and Daleco. Addresses and phone
numbers are listed later in this section.
TFP MOP PW DLC WTA
Price 1.5 1.2 2.0 2.5 1.0
Selection 1.6 1.9 2.3 1.5 3.0
Service 1.7 2.3 1.0 2.0 1.0
Processing 2.1 2.0 1.0 1.5 1.0
Completeness 1.6 2.1 1.3 2.0 2.0
Correctness 1.1 1.4 1.0 1.5 1.0
Damage 1.0 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0
Sum 10.6 12.1 9.6 12 10
# Responses 11 10 3 2 1
Avg 1.5 1.7 1.3 1.7 1.4
Criteria
Price
Total cost of an average order.
1 - excellent, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - pet shop
Selection
Do they carry what you want?
1 - anything you could possibly want, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 -
poor.
Customer service
Are they pleasant on the phone? Do the sales people provide
accurate product information? Are printed materials helpful?
1 - excellent, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - why are you calling and
bothering them?
Order processing
How fast is your order processed? (When does it leave the
warehouse? Not when do you actually receive it, as this varies
with your location!)
1 - same day, 2 - 1-3 days, 3- longer than three days.
Order completeness
Do they have what you ordered in stock?
1 - rarely a stock out, 2 - occasional, 3 - often items are out
of stock.
Order correctness
Did they send what you ordered?
1 - never a problem, 2 - minor problems, 3 - common problem.
Order damage
Do you ever receive broken items?
1 - never a problem, 2 - minor problems, 3 - common problem.
The Big Fish
That Fish Place
237 Centerville Rd.
Lancaster, PA 17603
800-733-3829
Clearly, a favored source for mail order. Best catalogue (very useful
for ordering from other places). I received no "horror" stories, only
one minor complaint.
Good Source for: Plants
Shipping: Actual Cost
Mail Order Pet Shop
250 W Executive Drive
Edgewood, NY 11717
800-366-7387 (ordering and product info)
800-326-6677 (customer service)
1338 North Market Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95834
Probably the total lowest cost place for supplies. However, it seems
that people either love or hate them. I received several complaints
about service and bulk products being shorted etc. People like their
flat fee for shipping.
Shipping: $3.99 orders <= $45, $5.99 orders > $45 but < $100, $7.99
orders > $100. For $5 extra, they will 2-Day ship orders under 20
pounds.
Pet Warehouse
Dept. C45F
P.O. Box 310
Xenia, OH 45385
800-443-1160
FAX 800-513-1913
People like their quick service.
Shipping:
$35 or < $5.95
$35-50 6.95
$60-75 7.95
$75-100 9.95
$100-150 10.95
$150 or > 11.95
2-day UPS delivery for $3.50 extra for items < 23 pounds
The Small Fry
Daleco
3556 N 400 E
Warsaw, IN 46580
800-987-1120
FAX 219-268-6302
Has many unusual items. Shipping is included in prices for orders over
$50 but prices are sometimes higher than bigger places.
Good Source for: Live Food Cultures, Dupla Products, LaMotte Test Kits
Shipping: Free, orders under $50.00 require a $5.00 handling fee.
Wet Thumb Aquatic
52700 Base St.
New Baltimore, MI 48047
810-725-0960
Smaller outfit. Their selection is not great but prices are very good.
They are more breeder oriented. They ship same day. Also, they happen
to carry a great deal of merchandise, a lot that other companies do
not even think about. Also, they are very willing to answer your
questions.
Good Source for: Regenerative Blowers and Reverse Osmosis units.
Shipping:
$25 or < 2.50
$25-45 3.50
$45-60 4.50
$60-75 5.50
$75 or > Free
Others mentioned but not ranked
Spectacular Sea System: Specializing in marine lighting and
accessories ranked 3,3,1,1,1,1,1 305-941-3792
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