PoggiPJ October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 I've been to three stores this weekend. I can't find a place that has disease free livestock. Do any of the stores in the area quarantine / medicate their stock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 You're in MD, right? I've been to three stores this weekend. I can't find a place that has disease free livestock. Do any of the stores in the area quarantine / medicate their stock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoggiPJ October 25, 2011 Author Share October 25, 2011 Yes. I am. Can you recommend a place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Unfortunately, no. Our sponsors in NoVa have very healthy fish and good QT practices. Why not go to the BRK social on Saturday? Yes. I am. Can you recommend a place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoggiPJ October 25, 2011 Author Share October 25, 2011 I might do that, especially if the weather isn't nice. I've never been to one. Can you give me some particulars? I'm tethering on giving up on this hobby for good and stop throwing good money after bad. It would be refreshing to see healthy fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 What would you like to know? Ble Ribbon koi sells healthy livestock. Everything I've ever bought from them is pest free and thrives. Same with fins and feathers and Marine scene. What's been your experience? Why do you say you're throwing good money after bad? At one time or another we all get bit by the pest bug. We don't all Qt the way we should. I lost 16 fish within 10 days because I neglected my tank and I didn't QT. It wasn't from anything I purchased from any of our vendors.. Even if it was, it still would have been largely my fault for not practicing good QT habits. Not with my fish, that is. I dip and inpect ALL corals. Setting up a QT for the fish and waiting is a PITA but it's really necessary. I'd set up a QT for a few days and that was that. Well it wasn't enough and I paid for it. I'm sure John will have healthy livestock for this event. I've seen nothing but healthy livestock at sponsoring vendros stores. Don't throw in the towel just yet. I was there a couple of weeks ago. It was one issue after another, after another. The few fish I had left went back into the main display today. The hair algae is slowly going away and I've got more knowledge under my belt as a result of it all...a little lighter in the wallet, but hey i can't put a price on what I've learned. I might do that, especially if the weather isn't nice. I've never been to one. Can you give me some particulars? I'm tethering on giving up on this hobby for good and stop throwing good money after bad. It would be refreshing to see healthy fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 I might do that, especially if the weather isn't nice. I've never been to one. Can you give me some particulars? I'm tethering on giving up on this hobby for good and stop throwing good money after bad. It would be refreshing to see healthy fish. Get them from other members who have had them in their tanks for a while without any illness, fat and healthy. Or get scaleless fish - they don't easily get parasites. Gobies, dartfish, dragonettes. Usually if they die, it's from starvation or carpet surfing. They do not do well in QT... the longest I QT them is a couple days, but the last few I just put them right in the tank. Or get captive bred fish that have not been in tanks with wild caught fish. The above options will give you plenty of choices. I have never had a problem with fish from Aquarium One getting ich or other parasite in my tank. Then again, they have all been dartfish and gobies, except for a clownfish I got from there several weeks ago, but he is healthy. I would never ever ever buy a fish from Congressional. Have you been to Tropical Lagoon in Silver Spring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 The differences between MD and VA are striking when it comes to buying fish. The 3 big stores in the MD area all say the same thing when asked, "Do you QT your fish?". The standard answer seems to be, "No, we don't QT our fish." One of them said, "You'd have to have a completely separate system for QT- who has room for that?" Another even went so far as to say, "Anyone who says they are QT'ing fish is lying." It seems that MD stores only care about the almighty dollar instead of the actual care and treatment of the livestock. This is unacceptable to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&Fmgr October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 poggiPJ, if you've never been to a social i suggest you go. I know John keeps healthy stock, and has a system adequate for receiving, observing, treating and isolating any fish that they get. What i don't understand is, yeah it might take some extra effort to preventatively treat incoming fish, but its worth it. some stores/people don't have the resources to QT or hold fish for observation, but im my mind there is no other way to condition fish to be as healthy as possible before going into a tank with several hundred dollars worth of other fish... its your dime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainMorgan October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Hey Pete. I saw a post on SMMAS about a new store in Southern MD. A ways from you but. Don't know where, but i'll log on and see. Supposedly they quarantine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltwaterworx October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 (edited) Lets not paint all md vendors with the same brush, or turn this into a md flaming session. I can't speak for many of the states stores, but we quarantine. I understand this is mainly geared toward the "big 3", but for those misinformed, there are more than 3 places in md to get quality livestock. Anyone thinking that md stores basically have bad practices, are uneducated on how to care for livestock, or just in it for money is totally off base or has some sort of bias. We carry healthy livestock at competitive prices. With that being said, I don't know any retail business whose goal isn't to make money, regardless of what state. Edited October 25, 2011 by Saltwaterworx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Puckstable October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 I've never had any problems with the One. All the fish I got from there were great. The other place down the street, not so much. This is just from my personal experience. I have considered exploring LFS down in VA, but the drive is devastating. One of these days, I will make my way down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocko918 October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Lets not paint all md vendors with the same brush, or turn this into a md flaming session. I can't speak for many of the states stores, but we quarantine. I understand this is mainly geared toward the "big 3", but for those misinformed, there are more than 3 places in md to get quality livestock. Anyone thinking that md stores basically have bad practices, are uneducated on how to care for livestock, or just in it for money is totally off base or has some sort of bias. We carry healthy livestock at competitive prices. With that being said, I don't know any retail business whose goal isn't to make money, regardless of what state. do you have a store front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltwaterworx October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Unfortunately because of leasing issues and my maintenance schedule, I'm finding it hard to acquire and maintain a full storefront. Good help is hard to find. We do however have the means to house and quarantine a plethora of livestock which we try to do bi weekly. Not to mention fair pricing. You want it? If I don't have it, I'll get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtoreef October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 BRK is great ! Marine scene and fins and feathers are awesome too ! You should go to BRK this weekend and check it out, John is a great guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoggiPJ October 25, 2011 Author Share October 25, 2011 What would you like to know? Just where and what time. What do I mean by "throwing good money after bad"... i think most members here can relate to 1, the freaking magnitude of $$$ that we invest over time into this hobby for equipment and livestock. and 2, despite all that money spent for vitamins, medications, pumps, backup systems, and backup to backup systems, and quarantining, and nurturing, something is BOUND to happen that negates all of that time, care, and expense. It seems like all I have to do is get at least halfway to wherever I'm going on vacation and somehow, someway, something goes wrong. OK that's enough whining. I will definitely try the VA stores. I keep hearing good things about "Fins & Feathers" and "Blue Ribbon Koi" livestock. I also heard of a Fins & Feathers in Germantown MD and was wondering if they were affiliated. Help me understand something - Even if a particular fish or group of fish are captive bred, once they are placed into a tank that shares the same plumbing system aren't they going to acquire the same parasites that are in that system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daharley October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Wayne at SaltWaterWorx does what he says quality fish and always locates the hard to find. From my specifically Hawaiian moorish idol golden dwarf moray to koi for my pond, lol, he always comes through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daharley October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 He's actually the only place I have gotten fish this last yr or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 I'm thinking I might have to PM you soon Wayne. I need some fishies I can't find anywhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daharley October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 I may actually have to call him about the ever elusive firefish soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Very nice choice Can someone answer for me real quick: what's the difference between a reg. firefish and an african? If they look the same, why the price hike for the different collection area and is it possible that they just told me they were African and I got ripped off? Either way I love them and would pay that much over and over for my pair. Just curious. And just so I don't derail the thread too much; I believe that the good thing with captive bred fish is that they tend to be hardier when they come into contact with our tank's various diseases/parasites. And that they aren't disrupting the ocean's ecosystem or being caught with stressful and potentially deadly techniques. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Help me understand something - Even if a particular fish or group of fish are captive bred, once they are placed into a tank that shares the same plumbing system aren't they going to acquire the same parasites that are in that system? Yes, as soon as they come in contact with water that contains a parasite they can indeed catch it. The reason newly introduced captive bred fish seem to catch it less is because they are not as stressed as wild caught fish and their immune system is in better shape to ward off infections or parasites. QT is still the best thing you can do to prevent sickness and it lets the fish recover from a stressful shipment before it is thrown into a new tank where it must immediately defend itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind October 25, 2011 Share October 25, 2011 Can someone answer for me real quick: what's the difference between a reg. firefish and an african? If they look the same, why the price hike for the different collection area and is it possible that they just told me they were African and I got ripped off? Either way I love them and would pay that much over and over for my pair. Just curious. If you are talking about N. magnifica then I have seen both names for the same fish in local stores. As the end consumer it is hard to know where they really come from. The store can only tell you what he or she was told by the shipper. It is kind of like the corals labeled as "Japanese Deepwater" as there has been a few debates on where they really come from. Mostly it was a name used to jack the price up on the corals. That could be the same for the fish, I'm not sure. Here is a map showing N. magnifica's range: http://eol.org/pages/223602/maps FYI - LiveAquaria has them for $8.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&Fmgr October 26, 2011 Share October 26, 2011 Just where and what time. What do I mean by "throwing good money after bad"... i think most members here can relate to 1, the freaking magnitude of $$$ that we invest over time into this hobby for equipment and livestock. and 2, despite all that money spent for vitamins, medications, pumps, backup systems, and backup to backup systems, and quarantining, and nurturing, something is BOUND to happen that negates all of that time, care, and expense. It seems like all I have to do is get at least halfway to wherever I'm going on vacation and somehow, someway, something goes wrong. OK that's enough whining. I will definitely try the VA stores. I keep hearing good things about "Fins & Feathers" and "Blue Ribbon Koi" livestock. I also heard of a Fins & Feathers in Germantown MD and was wondering if they were affiliated. Help me understand something - Even if a particular fish or group of fish are captive bred, once they are placed into a tank that shares the same plumbing system aren't they going to acquire the same parasites that are in that system? not if you have 120,000 + microwatts sterilizing the water that return to the tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoggiPJ October 26, 2011 Author Share October 26, 2011 "not if you have 120,000 + microwatts sterilizing the water that return to the tanks. " How does a sterilizer kill parasites? I was under the impression that they only killed bacteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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