Starfish

[NanCrab]

Your tank isn't as bad as you think. It's new, yes. But that's the only thing wrong with it at this point. You'll be ready for an anemone sooner than you think

I’d adopt one from you but I don’t think I could handle the responsibility if anything happened to it! The lfs doesn’t care if what they sell you dies, fellow ARC members do seem to care about their stuff for the most part.

 

[ptreef]

I have a sand sifting star that seems to be very active, I see Patrick usually every day and he crawls all over the tank. I’ve had him for over a year I’d say. On the flip side, I had a bad experience with buying a red fromia along with some peppermint shrimp at the same time from an LFS. The shrimp quickly killed and ate the star within the first couple hours of having them in the tank. The LFS didn’t mention anything prior to purchase and didn’t seem surprised or offer a solution after I told him

 

[NanCrab]

I have a sand sifting star that seems to be very active, I see Patrick usually every day and he crawls all over the tank. I’ve had him for over a year I’d say. On the flip side, I had a bad experience with buying a red fromia along with some peppermint shrimp at the same time from an LFS. The shrimp quickly killed and ate the star within the first couple hours of having them in the tank. The LFS didn’t mention anything prior to purchase and didn’t seem surprised or offer a solution after I told him

Sounds like some of the experiences I’ve had with different lfs’s. I don’t ask anymore. Will ask my trusted folks before any more purchases

 

[YoungReefer10g]

I’d adopt one from you but I don’t think I could handle the responsibility if anything happened to it! The lfs doesn’t care if what they sell you dies, fellow ARC members do seem to care about their stuff for the most part.

I wouldn't say every ifs is bad some are worse than others but there are some very good LFS stores where I've had a fish die and I go there and they will replace it or give me some store funds. That being said I have been sold a fish who had ick back when I first got started and that fish infected my whole tank and the store did not care.

 

[NanCrab]

I wouldn't say every ifs is bad some are worse than others but there are some very good LFS stores where I've had a fish die and I go there and they will replace it or give me some store funds. That being said I have been sold a fish who had ick back when I first got started and that fish infected my whole tank and the store did not care.

I wasn’t trying to imply that any or all lfs’s are bad. I’ve actually enjoyed every single visit to each one I’ve been to. I would say that I’ve visited most of our sponsor stores and at least one non sponsor store and have always been happy. What I have said in other threads but will say again is that employees of fish stores are there to sell fish and dry goods, that is their role. I do think they try to be helpful but in the end they want you to buy a fish or two or 5 because if no one bought anything they’d have trouble staying in business. It’s just that in my experiences I’ve been extremely upfront and honest about the size of my system, the age of my system, the phase it is or was in, the livestock in it that I would be adding to, my QT setup, etc and have still walked out with fish I had no business bringing home. I would bring up concerns and they would be squelched. I don’t blame them though because ultimately we (my husband has always been there too) made the decision to make the purchases - there was no threat of harm to us if we didn’t! But often we were swayed by reassurances that it would be fine, until it wasn’t. I’ve only called once about a fish I lost because it was so soon after it had been acclimated I doubted it was anything we had done and they offered a very small credit which we never did take advantage of.

 

[bzb]

I bought some of this stuff, Grunge Plus, that may have micro brittles in it. I'll let you know when I get it in. I found it in a Reef2Reef thread.

GARF STORE

www.garf.org

Also, to contribute to your topic, we have a red Fromia that has been with us now for 4 months that we got from Classic City. He's fine so far and crawls all over the tank. Time will tell.

That's a name I haven't heard in a long time... They were early internet-based pioneers with wacky against-the-grain saltwater advice. Beautiful tanks with the craziest setups. Their recipe for custom rock work was pretty inspirational.

Speaking of pioneers, I see their site hasn't changed from the Oregon Trail-era design.

 

[kullas]

Over 10 years ago they are the ones that inspired me to make some of my own rock. To me there needs to be more thinking outside the box people out there.

 

[NanCrab]

That's a name I haven't heard in a long time... They were early internet-based pioneers with wacky against-the-grain saltwater advice. Beautiful tanks with the craziest setups. Their recipe for custom rock work was pretty inspirational.

Speaking of pioneers, I see their site hasn't changed from the Oregon Trail-era design.

Our oldest daughter is 37. She just bought an Oregon Trail board game. Her children are completely disinterested in it but she loves it because we used to play it when she was a kid. Your post made me think about it lol

 

[ichthyoid]

I wouldn't say every ifs is bad some are worse than others but there are some very good LFS stores where I've had a fish die and I go there and they will replace it or give me some store funds. That being said I have been sold a fish who had ick back when I first got started and that fish infected my whole tank and the store did not care.

Fwiw, I work under the assumption that every fish has something, until treated or proven otherwise.

They don’t go into a display, without going through a hospital or quarantine tank first.

 

[ichthyoid]

For me, a hospital tank involves using quinine, at correct dosage for appropriate length of time. Other medications may work, like metro+focus or chelated copper.

Or, a quarantine tank would involve using an appropriately sized UV filter, 24x7 for at least 3 weeks. Some may skip the UV part.

Others have used the transfer method, by moving the fish between tanks often enough to disrupt the pathogen lifecycle.

 

[NanCrab]

Off

For me, a hospital tank involves using quinine, at correct dosage for appropriate length of time. Other medications may work, like metro+focus or chelated copper.

Or, a quarantine tank would involve using an appropriately sized UV filter, 24x7 for at least 3 weeks. Some may skip the UV part.

Others have used the transfer method, by moving the fish between tanks often enough to disrupt the pathogen lifecycle.

topic but when did you change your profile pic @ichthyoid? Love it!

 

[nzelinsky]

Welcome to the reefers dilemma.

Whatever catches your eye, isn’t compatible in your system

I try to use that as an excuse to add extra tanks. For some reason my wife doesn't agree. I want my reef, a predator, and seahorses at least.

 

[ichthyoid]

Off

topic but when did you change your profile pic @ichthyoid? Love it!

The wine glasses have been there for a while.
Fwiw, it’s on Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

 

[NanCrab]

The wine glasses have been there for a while.
Fwiw, it’s on Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

Never been to the Bahamas but it’s a gorgeous pic!!!

 

[Cook]

That's a name I haven't heard in a long time... They were early internet-based pioneers with wacky against-the-grain saltwater advice. Beautiful tanks with the craziest setups. Their recipe for custom rock work was pretty inspirational.

Speaking of pioneers, I see their site hasn't changed from the Oregon Trail-era design.

Well, some things should be left to the past I suppose. I got the grunge in yesterday. Not doubting there isn't beneficial bacteria in there, but I will be surprised is anything else is alive. I had flashbacks when I opened the bag from when I was a teenager and we would bring ocean water and stuff from the tide pools home from the beach. Eventually, the water would foul and I would come home from school to the most awful smell. Good times.