Marine Scene

[Guest Undercoverdork]

I purchased my 1st piece of SPS at the Marine Scene. The piece was recommended to me by a sales person at the store. It was a tan acro colony w/ blue tips. After i got it home i noticed that at the base and about 1" up the coral there was bleaching going on. I guess i should have check it out in the store better but i figured a sales person there wouldnt sell me a dying coral or in this case recommend me one!!!. I wrote an email to melissa, they are not willing to do anything what so ever for me.

I decided to give them another chance. I went and bought a ricordia frag...it was on the sandbed of a the nano frag tank so it was 10 bucks. They had it kinda pinched against the egg crate so it looked like it was attached to the piece of LR next to it. I get in my car and the rico is not attached to the LR. Another misleading trip tp the marine scene.

 

i have taken my business to blue ribbon and wallys

Edited March 28, 2007 by Undercoverdork

[Guest Undercoverdork]

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the bottom, this is after 1 day in my tank! I now have over 5 pieces of sps and they are all perfect and healthy

[phisigs79]

best thing to do is frag it

[Gatortailale]

I'm sorry you had bad experience.

 

I don't mean to be rude, but it seems like the best lesson you learned is to inspect the corals you buy much more closely next time so you as the consumer are aware of what you are getting.

 

To me it also sounds a lot like you failed to inspect it until you left the store. Based on the amount of RTN in the attached photo, it looks rather obvious and should of been spotted in store. Then again, you don't supply purchase date and/or date photo was taken so we have to take your word that the coral had signs of RTN at time of purchase. While most big-box electronic stores will honor returns, it is a lot harder for a livestock vendor to take something back - especially once you put in your tank. They can't control your water quality (not saying yours is bad). As for recordia, they are in the Disc Anemone family and do have a foot similar to BTA and other anemones they use to attach to rock. It's possible the stress of being bagged caused it to release its hold on rock. Hard to fault a store on a $10 frag that falls off the rock or plug.

 

Not trying to defend MS, just trying to learn more about you, your tank, and your experience in the hobby so I can decide how to value your review since you only have 7 posts on wamas forums (including 3 in vendor experience).

 

please provide more info.

[Guest Undercoverdork]

I'm sorry you had bad experience.

 

I don't mean to be rude, but it seems like the best lesson you learned is to inspect the corals you buy much more closely next time so you as the consumer are aware of what you are getting.

 

To me it also sounds a lot like you failed to inspect it until you left the store. Based on the amount of RTN in the attached photo, it looks rather obvious and should of been spotted in store. Then again, you don't supply purchase date and/or date photo was taken so we have to take your word that the coral had signs of RTN at time of purchase. While most big-box electronic stores will honor returns, it is a lot harder for a livestock vendor to take something back - especially once you put in your tank. They can't control your water quality (not saying yours is bad). As for recordia, they are in the Disc Anemone family and do have a foot similar to BTA and other anemones they use to attach to rock. It's possible the stress of being bagged caused it to release its hold on rock. Hard to fault a store on a $10 frag that falls off the rock or plug.

 

Not trying to defend MS, just trying to learn more about you, your tank, and your experience in the hobby so I can decide how to value your review since you only have 7 posts on wamas forums (including 3 in vendor experience).

 

please provide more info.

 

i agree, i will inspect corals that i buy more closely.

At the time i bought it i was a bit excited. This was my first piece of SPS and yes, i should have looked deeper into RTN etc... and educated myself a bit before i dove into SPS corals. Instead i took a picture of it and sent it to a college friend in PA (RCscreen- BlackHeart), he told me the coral was in awful shape and i should frag it (which i did and the frags are taking off). I also posted a thread on RC in the "sps coral forum" to let people know of my first SPS purchase (the day after i bought it because i was excited), in that thread i mention the white on the bottom of the coral. I dont have access to do a search on RC but if you do, check into that (my RCscreen is the same as here). If you want you can go as far as taking my email and checking the records of when i bout the coral and when i made the post.

 

the intention of my post was not to make people upset

Im not trying to bash MS, just sharing my experiences...take it for what it is worth

 

to answer your questions, i have 8 months experience in this hobby with the help of a vet, who has held my hand thru the process, not sure what this has to do with me getting a dying coral from the marine scence though

 

and

 

my parameters are also on point. I now have a bunch of healthy sps in my tank...including the frags i got from the MS coral.

[BeltwayBandit]

Cool, glad to hear it is working out.

 

Sorry if Gatortailale came off a bit gruff. We have had some issues with some folks doing drive by bashing of stores in the past and the threads sometimes degenerate into chaos. We are just trying to keep it under control and keep the content of this forum directed to objective reviews of stores and online vendors.

 

I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with your initial posts, its just some of the topics that you hit on have started flame wars in the past. I realize that you have no way of knowing that, since the offending threads no longer exist or are buried. Please don't take Craig's comments the wrong way, while they were directed at you it was more of a preemptive strike to keep you from unknowingly touching off a flame war. (We had that happen recently with another new member in one of the other forums. She made a post, unknowingly touched a few wrong buttons, and some of our more....vociferous members jumped in and it started a flame feeding frenzy. ) I think you can agree that such behavior is bad form at best and an unconscionable way to treat a new member. Please accept my apologies if Craig's words came across as harsh, we are reef geeks and not all lit majors after all (although I think there might be 1 or 2 of them running around here). Sometimes our words don't convey the intended tone.

 

Welcome to WAMAS and hope that we can help each other enjoy this great hobby!

 

One other comment, I don't know if you noticed or not, but Gatortailale is the club President.

 

Beltway Bandit

(one of the other Craig's)

WAMAS forum moderator

[Guest Undercoverdork]

Cool, glad to hear it is working out.

 

Sorry if Gatortailale came off a bit gruff. We have had some issues with some folks doing drive by bashing of stores in the past and the threads sometimes degenerate into chaos. We are just trying to keep it under control and keep the content of this forum directed to objective reviews of stores and online vendors.

 

I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with your initial posts, its just some of the topics that you hit on have started flame wars in the past. I realize that you have no way of knowing that, since the offending threads no longer exist or are buried. Please don't take Craig's comments the wrong way, while they were directed at you it was more of a preemptive strike to keep you from unknowingly touching off a flame war. (We had that happen recently with another new member in one of the other forums. She made a post, unknowingly touched a few wrong buttons, and some of our more....vociferous members jumped in and it started a flame feeding frenzy. ) I think you can agree that such behavior is bad form at best and an unconscionable way to treat a new member. Please accept my apologies if Craig's words came across as harsh, we are reef geeks and not all lit majors after all (although I think there might be 1 or 2 of them running around here). Sometimes our words don't convey the intended tone.

 

Welcome to WAMAS and hope that we can help each other enjoy this great hobby!

 

One other comment, I don't know if you noticed or not, but Gatortailale is the club President.

 

Beltway Bandit

(one of the other Craig's)

WAMAS forum moderator

 

 

Thanks Beltway Bandit!

ahahah, i didnt realize that he was the prez untill i re-read the thread..oops. Sorry Gatortailale, thanks for all the time and energy you put into WAMAS!

I'm here to learn and be a part of this organization. I didn't know you guys existed until a month ago and was very excited to send in my dues and support the cause in any way possible. I attended my first meeting this month and had a great time. I cant wait to be more involved.

No need to apologize, i completely understand what you are saying.

[dbartco]

Just a suggestion, but you also might want to start with captive grown corals. The are hardier and less apt to rtn/stn. Acros are the hardest to deal with IMO. Look into things like poccilloporas and montiporas to start out with. And, really, from the pic I don't think the coral is in "awful" shape. Alittle tlc and corals like that can still be phenomenal.

 

Hopefully all frags will be fine and you will be able to trade and get some more variety in your tank without buying wild (or unknown) colonies. Prices and policies of the stores will also seem to make more sense the longer you are in the hobby as well.

[Rascal]

Just to add to what Dbartco said, buying captive grown sps also has less of an impact on natural reefs, if you're into that sort of thing.

 

IMO BRK & Fins & Feathers are the best places locally to buy sps frags. Nothing else even comes close. Scales is also nice but a bit of a drive for us NOVA folks.

 

If you are quick on the trigger, you can also get phenomenal deals on great, healthy, growing corals just by keeping your eye on new posts here. I would say at least a few times a month someone here puts up some nice frags for sale. Just browse the For Sale / For Trade forum and you will see what I mean.

 

Welcome to the club.

Edited March 29, 2007 by Rascal

[Gatortailale]

Hey Undercover,

 

Didn't mean to be as gruff as I was (although details of this reply may come off the same). As Bandit point out, things get out of hand at times with posts. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to get to all the facts so I can make informed judgment on how to value your opinion. Since you are new to the club, and have limited posting reputation and I don't know your hobby experience, I was trying to find out more about you so I can make and informed choice on how to value your opinion of the store. In the past we have had people post their views on the store only to get an entirely different story posted either by the store, or one of its employees, or I get a PM from store describing their side of the story - but they didn't post response because the store didn't want to start any problems. So I'm just trying to learn the exact details of events.

 

A lot of the details of your 1st post gave me the appearance that you are on new side to the hobby simply by the fact that you purchased the corals without a good inspection and/or sounded to me like you were more excited about the color of it than to look it over for health. No harm, we all have been there when were new. Again, I was just trying to get out all the facts so I can make an informed judgment on how to value your review.

 

As for posting that your water parameters are fine/perfect - well most vets in the club will ask you for more details than the simple perfect answer. We like to know brand of test kit used and actual #'s. Most of us use Salifert brand as a more trusted reliable brand. Also, water quality has a lot to do with coral health. I have seen first hand and read many a post where people get a healthy looking coral and put in their tank and either over night or in a few days it dies. In my opinion a lot of the reason for death has to do to the fact that the persons alkalinity was way low. If you don't believe me on this, ask flowerseller about this low alk theory.

 

As for me asking about purchase date: Well, I'm trying to learn how long you had the coral and when you first saw signs of problem. You don't say in your post that the coral died. You still didn't say when you purchased it other than to send me off to RC to search your history [which turns out to be Feb. 19 of your post]. Now that I searched, I also see that it wasn't until March 1 that you made a post there that your 1st piece of sps is dying. Not being mean, but these are the facts and I still don't know (since photo attached to your first post on RC does not show base/ detail of coral as you posted here) whether your coral was ill at time of purchase. I have to take your word for it - and you didn't say when the photo in this post was taken. Finally, it's hard to tell from photos here whether there was RTN on Feb 21, but you do say in post there is.

 

So to sum up, basic point of my post is/was to learn more about the exact details of when you spotted RTN on the coral and to try to figure out if it was in fact that way at time of purchase or if the coral started to RTN shortly after being put in your tank. Sorry to grill you, but when someone posts about their experience with a vendor, I just want to make sure all the facts are out so the readers are properly informed.

 

On a positive note, if you make the social on April 28, I'll bring you a frag of Orange branching montipora digita to add to your collection of captive frags.

[Guest Undercoverdork]

Hey Undercover,

 

Didn't mean to be as gruff as I was (although details of this reply may come off the same). As Bandit point out, things get out of hand at times with posts. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to get to all the facts so I can make informed judgment on how to value your opinion. Since you are new to the club, and have limited posting reputation and I don't know your hobby experience, I was trying to find out more about you so I can make and informed choice on how to value your opinion of the store. In the past we have had people post their views on the store only to get an entirely different story posted either by the store, or one of its employees, or I get a PM from store describing their side of the story - but they didn't post response because the store didn't want to start any problems. So I'm just trying to learn the exact details of events.

 

A lot of the details of your 1st post gave me the appearance that you are on new side to the hobby simply by the fact that you purchased the corals without a good inspection and/or sounded to me like you were more excited about the color of it than to look it over for health. No harm, we all have been there when were new. Again, I was just trying to get out all the facts so I can make an informed judgment on how to value your review.

 

As for posting that your water parameters are fine/perfect - well most vets in the club will ask you for more details than the simple perfect answer. We like to know brand of test kit used and actual #'s. Most of us use Salifert brand as a more trusted reliable brand. Also, water quality has a lot to do with coral health. I have seen first hand and read many a post where people get a healthy looking coral and put in their tank and either over night or in a few days it dies. In my opinion a lot of the reason for death has to do to the fact that the persons alkalinity was way low. If you don't believe me on this, ask flowerseller about this low alk theory.

 

As for me asking about purchase date: Well, I'm trying to learn how long you had the coral and when you first saw signs of problem. You don't say in your post that the coral died. You still didn't say when you purchased it other than to send me off to RC to search your history [which turns out to be Feb. 19 of your post]. Now that I searched, I also see that it wasn't until March 1 that you made a post there that your 1st piece of sps is dying. Not being mean, but these are the facts and I still don't know (since photo attached to your first post on RC does not show base/ detail of coral as you posted here) whether your coral was ill at time of purchase. I have to take your word for it - and you didn't say when the photo in this post was taken. Finally, it's hard to tell from photos here whether there was RTN on Feb 21, but you do say in post there is.

 

So to sum up, basic point of my post is/was to learn more about the exact details of when you spotted RTN on the coral and to try to figure out if it was in fact that way at time of purchase or if the coral started to RTN shortly after being put in your tank. Sorry to grill you, but when someone posts about their experience with a vendor, I just want to make sure all the facts are out so the readers are properly informed.

 

On a positive note, if you make the social on April 28, I'll bring you a frag of Orange branching montipora digita to add to your collection of captive frags.

 

I bought the coral Friday feb 17th and asked about the white area on the 21st . This was on the coral the day I bought it., I have no reason to lie. I noticed it but didn

[Guest Undercoverdork]

here are my parameters

 

2/20

 

ph 8.2

nitrite - 0

nitrate - 0

ammonia - 0

Ca - 400ppm

Alk - 6.5 dkh 2.35 meq/L

 

3/27

 

same except

ph 8.3

Ca- 420

 

 

i did 5% - 10% water changes on ..2/13, 2/22, 22/23, 3/1, 3/2, 3/7, 3/9, 3/13, 3/16, 3/17, 3/26 (some are 10%, some 5%)

[Rascal]

Alk seems just a bit low to me. Opinions on this (like everything else) will vary of course, but I think most would agree that somewhere between 8 - 12 dKH (and steady at whichever # you choose) is better for SPS.

[Guest Undercoverdork]

yeah, i have been working on that. I bumped up my Ca and alk with tlf 2-part suppliment and trying to keep the levels stable using kalkwasser.

i currently have some grn tort, purple/grn pracilapora ,hydnapora, birds nest w/ grn polyps, and samoensis. They were added to the tank on 2/24 after i purchased them from gadgets(chris) and one form the last meeting. They are all doing great..cool to notice them grow!! wish i could fast forward time..ahah

 

i've been reading and educating myself as fast as possible..and i love it !

[Guest tgallo]

Undercover, i would like to add to your post by saying that most stores in the area that i have been to, will sell you anything, get my drift. IMO, charging you $80.00 for that coral was wrong.

 

it's up to us to know better, thats were joining a club and research comes in, welcome to the club .

[lanman]

I purchased my 1st piece of SPS at the Marine Scene. The piece was recommended to me by a sales person at the store. It was a tan acro colony w/ blue tips. After i got it home i noticed that at the base and about 1" up the coral there was bleaching going on. I guess i should have check it out in the store better but i figured a sales person there wouldnt sell me a dying coral or in this case recommend me one!!!. I wrote an email to melissa, they are not willing to do anything what so ever for me.

I decided to give them another chance. I went and bought a ricordia frag...it was on the sandbed of a the nano frag tank so it was 10 bucks. They had it kinda pinched against the egg crate so it looked like it was attached to the piece of LR next to it. I get in my car and the rico is not attached to the LR. Another misleading trip tp the marine scene.

 

i have taken my business to blue ribbon and wallys

 

I guess I'm just lucky - they like me or something. Always helpful and friendly. Of course, I always visit on the way home from work - maybe I LOOK like I have money! I do wear nice golf sweaters. Or maybe they just like having my Rolls-Royce parked out front. Hahahahaha!

 

I have never bought an expensive coral - guess it's just my way. I'd rather take a little frag and grow it into something. Several times I've had them 'add to inventory' so they could sell me a piece that fell off of something. "I want that leather coral." "Oh - that big one right there?" "No - that baby one that fell off the bottom of it!" (that sucker was SO small - after two months, it's about an inch in diameter - a nano-coral for my nano-tank)

 

Nonetheless, I have very good luck shopping there - especially lately with the new employee's; they are more than happy to drop whatever they are doing (putting about 1,000 margarita snails into tanks on Tuesday) and help me. Sorry to hear you didn't have a good experience. And Melissa is a sweetheart, but perhaps a little afraid of the boss.

 

bob

[Finding Nemo]

I purchased my 1st piece of SPS at the Marine Scene. The piece was recommended to me by a sales person at the store. It was a tan acro colony w/ blue tips. After i got it home i noticed that at the base and about 1" up the coral there was bleaching going on. I guess i should have check it out in the store better but i figured a sales person there wouldnt sell me a dying coral or in this case recommend me one!!!. I wrote an email to melissa, they are not willing to do anything what so ever for me.

I decided to give them another chance. I went and bought a ricordia frag...it was on the sandbed of a the nano frag tank so it was 10 bucks. They had it kinda pinched against the egg crate so it looked like it was attached to the piece of LR next to it. I get in my car and the rico is not attached to the LR. Another misleading trip tp the marine scene.

 

i have taken my business to blue ribbon and wallys

 

That is an excellent decision!!!!