In case some of you still don’t know what, a fish spa is, it is quite simple. All you have to do is buy or acquire some Garra Rufa, have a container or presumably a tank, and then you now have your mini spa at home. Trust me maintenance isn’t that hard, but we’ll get to that as you continue to read.
To start things off, I was able to acquire my Garra Rufa (Doctor Fish) at Global Aquatics Inc.
They also have a variety of other fish, exotics even, which I purchased and am planning to have more. You can read more about them in my post in the right side part under the “most exotic freshwater fish ” section.
This post would include:
- Where to buy Garra Rufa
- Shipping of Garra Rufa
- What I bought and some additional information
Ok, moving on, I wanted to have my own fish spa so badly ever since that experience with the Garra Rufa, Doctor Fish, whatever you want to call them so I contacted the company that the spa referred me to and guess what? It has been the best thing I have ever done in my life.
The customer service was great and they accommodated me with my order of the fish (Garra Rufa) which I wanted! Their contact and help support is also unbelievably helpful and informative! I couldn’t be more happier!
Anyway, they have a lot of Garra Rufa available, some of them are adults already, juveniles and fry. I got a few adult Garra Rufas to try my skills in breeding them and a lot of juvenile ones enough for my large tank I specifically bought for this indulgence and also some fry for just the sheer sake of my curiosity because I wanted to see what they would look like if I had successfully bred the adult Garra Rufas I bought. The picture in the right is the shipment of the fry. it was actually shipped separately from the rest.
So, I would first start explaining everything in order. From where I bought Garra Rufa, how much I bought it for, to how it arrived (Garra Rufa packaging), how I cared for it and even tried to breed it.
So when I contacted Global Aquatics and explained them of my needs, they immediately reserved and conditioned my order of Garra Rufa (Doctor Fish) after I successfully confirmed it.
They offered me free shipping! What’s great about them is that unlike most suppliers they offer health certifications and informative manual and brochures. They also make feeding your Garra Rufa easier by offering free special formulated food that will last for a long time. If you run out you could just buy another one from them but for me since I have been keeping fish for a long time, I think I could find some alternative food. It’s wise to order the Doctor Fish food before your supply runs out.
Packing of Garra Rufa (Doctor Fish)
- All the bottom seams are sealed to prevent fish from getting trapped in a plastic pocket.
- The airspace is evacuated and filled with oxygen and each bag is sealed with quadruple bands to prevent leaks.
- Each sealed bag is placed inside another bag with a separate quadruple banded closure to ensure against leaks
- Then all bags of fish are surrounded by a third large, sealed bag, a thick Styrofoam chest with temperature control packs and a heavy cardboard box to protect the chest from shipping damage.
The fish is shipped securely as you can see in the picture in the left. First layer is a sturdy corrugated carton box. The box was printed specifically for live fish delivery. It has a picture of a fish and the ” Live Fish” writing in both sides.
Aside from that a thick Styrofoam is found inside the carton box to provide extra insulation for the fish making it more comfortable for travel.
As you can see the Styrofoam in the left is ideal for shipping. Just the right size for my shipment and is sealed properly to avoid any untoward accidents that may happen to the shipment.
You have probably seen the same thing in some pet shops especially if they have new deliveries and stocks.
It should also be thick to withstand pressure.
In my next post, I would show you how to care for Garra Rufa. Most of the information I would be posting there comes from the instructional manuals and brochure that I got from Global Aquatics together with my shipments.
The coverage is where you would be able to keep your Garra Rufa comfortably. Feeding them and a few reminders about maintenance.
If I’m lucky I would also be able to show you soon a video of my Garra Rufa breeding. Although I suspect that wouldn’t be anywhere near it as I am doing extensive research before, I try anything in breeding as I don’t want to be disappointed and waste various resources.