Dan's Fish Review: From Ordering to Delivery and Beyond
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Introduction
This Dan’s Fish Review is written by a hobbyist, for fellow hobbyists. I have personally purchased from this company.
I have been eyeing making a purchase from Dan’s Fish for a few years now. Finally, I made my first purchase after seeing some Cardinal Sulawesi shrimp I had really been wanting for years. So how do I feel about my order? What was the process like? Would I buy again? There are so many questions you may be asking right now. This review hopes to answer some of these questions for you and help you decide whether this is a place you would like to make a purchase.
Website and Ease of Purchase
I know websites are a funny place to start with my online shopping reviews, but they really are important to ensuring a good ordering experience. With that said, I think the Dan’s Fish website is good but not great. It is functional and kept up to date, which is a big part of a decent website, but something just feels a little off. I’m not exactly sure how to pinpoint my lack of enthusiasm, but I would probably say it simply looks a little dated.
Product Pricing
Perhaps the biggest gripe that comes about with Dan’s Fish is the cost. While this is true to a degree, I find them to be fair with their pricing. I believe there are three primary reasons for them being “expensive”.
First, they go to great lengths to provide healthy livestock, which includes hiring Certified Aquatic Veterinarians. Second, they use next-day shipping. And third, they often sell rare, home-bred, and hard-to-find fish. These different factors can bring the prices up substantially.
Shipping Speed and Quality
I have no complaints in this department. Dan’s Fish has top-notch shipping speeds and shipping quality. The shipping speed is due to the next-day delivery, but the quality of the shipping is due to their attention to detail.
They will pack fish in individual bags and provide insulation and heat for the boxes when needed. For me, they included extra bags filled with just water to help keep the temperature stable and fill the empty space.
As a cherry on top, they also have a live arrival guarantee, which includes the cost of shipping.
Livestock Quality
Yet again, I have no complaints with Dan’s Fish in this category. The shrimp looked great and came in as expected. I did have one loss with my order, which was taken care of quickly by customer service. The shrimp began breeding shortly after arrival and turned into a colony quickly.
The shrimp that I lost was alive upon arrival. However, something seemed to have caused it to go into “shock” when in the tank. I had a little trouble with one getting stuck in the bag, which I thought may have been a part of it, but I’m not sure if it was the same one. The shrimp that passed was also pregnant, which may have caused extra stress.
Unfortunately, when shipping fish there is always the possibility of an animal having a difficult time. This can be due to a multitude of factors, including the package handling and weather changes.
Customer Service
A third win for Dan’s Fish. As stated before, I had an issue with one shrimp not making it. It looked like it might make it for a little bit, but then it passed. When I emailed customer service, they responded in a timely fashion and refunded me the cost of the shrimp and the shipping cost for the one shrimp. There was a small issue of an over refund which I mentioned to them and they took care. Overall, I was happy with the service.
Final Thoughts
If you are on the hunt for online freshwater fish or invertebrates, and don’t mind paying a little more for quality and peace of mind, then I would highly recommend Dan’s Fish. My experience was pleasant, and it was a nice feeling to be reassured that the company would fix any issues I may have run into.
Can you find fish and shrimp cheaper elsewhere? Sure. But are they quarantined and checked by a veterinarian? Will they cover the cost of shipping if they have a live arrival guarantee? Sometimes the extra cost is simply worth what it saves you in time and frustration.
The Dan's Fish Website
Thanks for reading!
If you would like to order from Dan’s Fish, feel free to use this link or the link below.
Also, if you are interested in fish foods, I am on a mission to build a definitive list of fish food reviews I have personally tried. Be sure to check out my “Master List” of reviews here!
Feel free to share some productive comments below on your own personal experience ordering from Dan’s Fish.