Carey's Final Reef Upgrade- 180g

[mr_X]

Copper banded butterflies should remain in the ocean. Bottom line.
Think about a guarantee for live fish. Let's say we are all experts (which I do not consider myself), what about the other 90% of the population getting into the hobby? Just sit on this forum alone and answer all the "help" threads as I do. Give it 3 days. you will see the plethora of blind folks buying things and throwing them in their tanks with reckless abandon. You need but to click on my name and click "users other posts".
I would not guarantee anything but live arrival!

[Morangus]

With all due respect, it's not like the fish died of natural causes either... That's like taking your new car out and blowing the engine and taking it back asking for a new one under warranty.

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by Morangus

With all due respect, it's not like the fish died of natural causes either... That's like taking your new car out and blowing the engine and taking it back asking for a new one under warranty.

Doesnt mean its carys fault though, if it wasnt eating when she got it its the lfs fault! Still doesnt mean you shouldnt QT though... You cant blame everything on the lfs, am i right?

[MarinaClown]

Originally Posted by TheTodd

I would not tolerate bad attitude/customer service though.

This is exactly what's not so cool about her story. Fine, don't replace the fish bc stores would be running out of business if they did due to a very limited market share they cater to unlike nationwide online fish stores.
A simple sorry would make any customer feel better about the loss of fish and $. In this case, the store dropped the ball and made the customer feel unappreciated.

[Morangus]

I agree they dropped the ball.

[huma-huma]

People seemed to be shocked at just how effective a simple "im so sorry" is at diffusing situations when it comes to customer service. Heck i work in debt collection and its easily the one phrase i use the most (of course it has to be sincere)

[TheTodd]

Originally Posted by Morangus

With all due respect, it's not like the fish died of natural causes either... That's like taking your new car out and blowing the engine and taking it back asking for a new one under warranty.

I was just talking about this with the owner of my LFS today, who knows his stuff. He said that about 10% of fish shipped from overseas will die in transit. Another 10% will die in transit from a distributer to your LFS. They will actually refund up to 10% to the LFS. Once the LFS gets the shipment, they will almost always lose some within a week, in-store, due to shipping stress. Those that are sold will not all make it due to that pending issue of the stress of shipping or doe to improper acclimation and/or tank conditions.

I think it is unfortunately just part of the process. It is not the LFS fault that the original people that catch these fish in Fiji, RefSea or wherever ship our fish in tiny bags and that they stress. It stinks, but it is a reality of the hobby we are in.

[carey]

I wasnt looking for a replacement fish, what I would have been thrilled with was getting a replacement one at the sale price on black friday which was 30%. But the least I would have been satisfied with was absolutely ANY indication that they cared. The guy was brusque on the phone and his attitude was tough luck. Just made me feel crappy after losing a fish, a little empathy would have been appreciated. I had several people say how sorry they were on this board, and I dont give them my hard earned money or help them with their sales events. My reef club was there helping THEM that day, I was there as a board member to show support and just saw the naso. I had planned on getting it from another LFS but it was a beauty and the store has always treated my fellow club members very well so I figured it was a safe bet.

Mr.X, the fish in question here isnt the copperband, its the naso tang. And you know I am on ALOT, I see people constantly add things to their tanks that are just asking for trouble. I do my best to give my experience and opinion but some people just dont listen, and there are of course those that do zero research and wonder why things didnt work out. My attempts at the copperband are done with full knowledge of what the outcome can be. If you dont remember I kept a copperband for over a year successfully, it would still be alive today I am sure if I hadnt killed it by mistake when I dosed that flatworm exit. I guess in a way i am trying to recapture that success with the first copperband. Right or wrong, thats the reason I have tried 2 times since he died. I may, "may" give it one more shot. I just sent a message to the orginal lfs guy that got me the first butterfly that did well, he had a copperband that was eating like a total pig when i saw him a week or so ago. If that lfs cant get me a good copperband I will drop that fish from my lists and cease to try. As for the naso, the same lfs has a blonde that I may buy. Not sure what happened to the naso I had, he appeared healthy, my water tests all zeros except for some phosphates and no one was bullying him. He just didnt eat. He was stressed and didnt acclimate to the new tank like I had hoped. My bad? Maybe. Maybe it would have happened with anyone who had purchased him. I will never know. But I can sleep well knowing I tried my best to give him a good happy home.
Sorry its so long again, but I just had to get my thoughts out.

[MarinaClown]

Originally Posted by carey

I wasnt looking for a replacement fish, what I would have been thrilled with was getting a replacement one at the sale price on black friday which was 30%.

Given the fact that most stores (at least in my area) have a mark up of 100%-200% on saltwater fish asking for a 30% discount wasn't a lot especially since you had bought a fish from them before that died. Plain stupid way of doing business on their part.

[Darylb]

I know its not the same water but i paid $65 for a pleco and it died in the bag on the drive home i rang the fish store straight away and the guy was upset that it died on me so he gave me one for free i was just ringing to let him know and just warn him about the other fish.

Also i read about you having chromis before carey they do add so much more activity to the tank i love mine but sadly it is true they do just die randomly i have only lost one tho good luck with yours

[mr_X]

Gotcha...there I go again skimming the thread and missing key parts.
Just make sure you see it eat before you buy it.

BTW, an odd thing is happening to me that might be of some use here:

I sold off my 8' tank and just kept the sumps, which are still running with a few frags in them and a single ocellaris that the new owner didn't want. He has been with me for a couple years now, and behaved normally, until he hit the back frag area- now he will not eat. I have tried everything including live food.
I'm about ready to buy him an anemone hoping it will help his separation anxiety....
So, even though you see something eating/healthy, doesn't mean it will stay that way.

[Ericwm]

Originally Posted by Darylb

I know its not the same water but i paid $65 for a pleco and it died in the bag on the drive home i rang the fish store straight away and the guy was upset that it died on me so he gave me one for free i was just ringing to let him know and just warn him about the other fish.

Also i read about you having chromis before carey they do add so much more activity to the tank i love mine but sadly it is true they do just die randomly i have only lost one tho good luck with yours

My LFS that offers the 48 hour 50% credit for salt water has a 2 week 100% guarantee on fresh water fish. I think this is due to most of the money being in the equipment in fresh water as opposed to salt where the fish and other creatures can out cost the tank and equipment very easily.

[carey]

Oh, the poor clown. Never heard of one not eating, he must really be depressed. My thoughts would be live brine, I know mine like it alot and heck, if they wont eat that I have no idea what he would eat. lol But seriously, I hope he comes around. It stinks to sit around and be helpless when a fish refuses food, it has killed me inside each time it happens.
I've seen this particular copperband in action eating already, the one I am thinking of trying one final time. he was actually taking mysis from the chromis in the tank. The lfs got back to me and still has both the blonde naso and copperband, but he wont sell them until they have been thru qt and he is certain they will be good. So not sure how long that will be, I know he's had them a few weeks already. The copperband he sold me a few years ago that did well wasnt released for sale until almost 3 months after he got it in.

[redsea]

That is great how dedicated that LFS is to QTing! I don't think many do that around here!

[mr_X]

Originally Posted by carey

Oh, the poor clown. Never heard of one not eating, he must really be depressed.

He committed suicide this morning actually

[redsea]

Originally Posted by mr_X

He committed suicide this morning actually

Sorry about the Clown Mr. X.

[carey]

oh so sorry about your clown X. They are such a cool little fish too. :-(

Thanks redsea, I agree, I like to buy my fish from that lfs but he doesnt really carry many fish he is a 100% aquacultured "boutique" coral shop. lol Very expensive corals and not a whole lot of them, but what he does carry is usually very rare and very beautiful. That also translates to very expensive. lol

[Sniperhank]

Originally Posted by carey

Thanks redsea, I agree, I like to buy my fish from that lfs but he doesnt really carry many fish he is a 100% aquacultured "boutique" coral shop. lol Very expensive corals and not a whole lot of them, but what he does carry is usually very rare and very beautiful. That also translates to very expensive. lol

Sounds like a dream to me.

[carey]

Yeah, this particular lfs is very good. I just heard back from him and he said for theblonde naso and copperband he would do them both for $125. Not a horrible price, just have to scrape up the money now. Hopefully he will still have them both by the time I do. lol
Getting lots of inquiries on the biocube I have for sale but no takers yet, and the 125g guy who was interested, a friend of a friend, hasnt returned my call. :-( The 125g monies will pay for the custom stand for the 60g.lol
I also asked this lfs if he could put baffles in my current sump and he told me he would be too expensive and if I was neat I could do it myself. He also quoted me a price for a new eshopps 75 if I wanted to go that route. Still debating what to do, I think the money flow will dictate what I end up going with.
Spend a few hours this morning scraping the glass in the 125 and getting it picture perfect. lol the glass hasnt been this spotless in a few months. Even went under the sand line a bit to remove some of that gunk, looks pretty darn awesome if I dont say so myself. Also finally got the rock anemone and bubble tip to let go of their aipastia infested rock and moved them into the biocube where they are attached and looking a zillion times better.
Today will be a big water change day, been up all night making water and prepping. Gonna hit the 90g, the 60g and the 180g. Oh, and the 180g has a pellet reactor going for about 3-4 weeks now but I still have nitrates and some phosphates, so no help from it yet.
Almost forgot, it seems pootie tang has taken to re-arranging my corals. LOL Hubby saw him lift up my stunner chalice and move it to the back of the tank. Then after I moved it to the front on the sandbed he moved it again, this time about 2 feet to the left. I find this so amusing, never really thought fish cared about stuff like that.

Anyone else have this happen to them with their fish and coral? Share if you have, i cant be the only one. lol

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by carey

Yeah, this particular lfs is very good. I just heard back from him and he said for theblonde naso and copperband he would do them both for $125. Not a horrible price, just have to scrape up the money now. Hopefully he will still have them both by the time I do. lol
Getting lots of inquiries on the biocube I have for sale but no takers yet, and the 125g guy who was interested, a friend of a friend, hasnt returned my call. :-( The 125g monies will pay for the custom stand for the 60g.lol
I also asked this lfs if he could put baffles in my current sump and he told me he would be too expensive and if I was neat I could do it myself. He also quoted me a price for a new eshopps 75 if I wanted to go that route. Still debating what to do, I think the money flow will dictate what I end up going with.
Spend a few hours this morning scraping the glass in the 125 and getting it picture perfect. lol the glass hasnt been this spotless in a few months. Even went under the sand line a bit to remove some of that gunk, looks pretty darn awesome if I dont say so myself. Also finally got the rock anemone and bubble tip to let go of their aipastia infested rock and moved them into the biocube where they are attached and looking a zillion times better.
Today will be a big water change day, been up all night making water and prepping. Gonna hit the 90g, the 60g and the 180g. Oh, and the 180g has a pellet reactor going for about 3-4 weeks now but I still have nitrates and some phosphates, so no help from it yet.
Almost forgot, it seems pootie tang has taken to re-arranging my corals. LOL Hubby saw him lift up my stunner chalice and move it to the back of the tank. Then after I moved it to the front on the sandbed he moved it again, this time about 2 feet to the left. I find this so amusing, never really thought fish cared about stuff like that.

Anyone else have this happen to them with their fish and coral? Share if you have, i cant be the only one. lol

Ive heard of dragon wrasses rearanging the corals and rocks to how they like it, never heard of a tang though.