fish by mail? seriously?

I keep seeing mentions here about buying live fish and receiving them in the mail. Sounds pretty counter-intuitive to me, so I need some info!

I'm assuming we are talking about the warm months? Even then, how are these packages actually being delivered? By courier, or just plain ol' Canada Post? Any particular retailers that specialize in this form of selling? What sort of survival rates can be expected?

I have a strange hankering to get some wild-form Heterandria formosa livebearers, but every shop I try says they are a no-go. It looks like mail-order fish might be my only option.

I used to ship a lot of fish through this site, and the one it grew out of.
Plain old Canada Post, 2 day delivery, which does charge a lot when you talk to our US friends. That is the downside.
It is fast for urban centres, less so for rural.
I shut it down because of costs, and because outdoor community mailboxes are fish killers.
Personally, I only ship and receive when days get to 20 and nights to 10. The flip side is if it is too hot (26 plus, it is also stressful for fish. Too cold and they freeze. But just right (usually April, May and early June, then August to early October) is pretty good.
In my last two years of shipping (always for fun, not a business) I sent out 36 boxes. One was crushed by Canada Post, and about a quarter of the fish were killed. I think I had two or three random travel deaths (but I tried to ship extras if I could). Easily 95% of the fish made it with no problem.
I have a friend who gets killifish mailed from Europe.
From the States is very slow. Their border bureaucracy is a nightmare. Don't do that.
For Heterandria formosa, you probably have to find a hobby breeder. I had them for years, but no longer do. You might want to look into the livebearer associations and southern Ontario fish clubs. There were lots of people keeping them in that region a few years ago.

Hello Gary,

The striatums you shipped me 5 years ago are still thriving in someones tank in Calgary!

It's doable and viable!

Thanks

Vince

I have shipped in the winter using styrofoam shippers, check the posts and pictures, and using heat packs to a rural address in Wheatlley Ontario. So even in cold it can be done.
Like Gary I now longer ship like I used to.
I think if you want exotic fish, buyers must be willing to pay for them. Many want the rare and special but few will out out the cash. It goes for shipping as well. There is quite a discussion which goes on about the fish, and then round two, about shipping costs. prepare to pay at least $20 or more for shipping.
The best fish to fish are small and few will pay $10 or more per fish. If you have a friendly pet shop owner it may be cheaper to order through them when they get a wholesaler order together. So yes, fish by mail is common. You can check out some fish stores with online shipping and they have at least a $20 shipping cost as well.

For Heterandria Formosa, I have seen the stock in person being offered by shrimp fever. You can order thm online but be prepared for high shipping costs to Manitoba

How about Aquarists Across Canada? Anyone tried using them?

I've ordered once from Shrimp Fever (thanks for the lead, Alex!) and it went well; delivery was by Canada Post and fish were alive and healthy upon arrival. Another outfit, Select Aquatics based in Colorado, came highly recommended but sadly no longer ships to Canada.

Now I have stumbled across the Aquarists Across Canada website and it has some interesting items on it. They are in BC, apparently don't ship right to the customers door; you need to pick up your package at the cargo warehouse of the airline doing the shipping. By the time I add together the fairly expensive shipping and the cost of gas for me to drive into the city...well, let's just say I would need to really, really want those fish to make it worthwhile. Still, their selection is good and includes some things I have been patiently but unsuccessfully hunting for awhile, so it might happen. Any experience with them?

A quick update to this thread...in case anyone is still coming around here...

I just received an email from Imperial Tropicals in the states; when I as a Canadian visit their site I see prices listed in Canuck dollars, but there is a small print disclaimer indicating that they don't ship north of the border. I inquired, and they responded that they are now shipping up here, as long as local temps exceed 20F. It's a decent site with some nice fish shown, will be keeping an eye on it in future.

Good to know thanks jjohnwm

Thanks John @jjohnwm

Im going to check them out. I didn't think they shipped to Canada. They have a specific note for Canadian customers. Nice catch