Alternatives to That Fish Place

S

schmidt01

New member
Since I got into the hobby 10 months ago, I've bought all of my fish from TFP. Despite having perfect water parameters, being religious about water changes, and feeding high quality frozen foods soaked in Garlic Guard or Selcon, I can't keep a fish alive. I even had one of the employees from TFP come to my house to look at my tank because I thought I must be doing something wrong, but they said everything looked great.
My foxface and LMB made it 6 months and that's the longest I've been able to keep a fish alive. I bought 2 clownfish last week and they were dead within hours. I've bought several tangs there and they've only lasted a couple of weeks. The only thing I've had any success with are green chromis... and I've still lost quite a few of them. have no idea what I'm doing wrong, so I'm wondering if I'm getting good quality fish from TFP. I'm close to tearing down my tank and walking away from this hobby. Before I do that, I'd like to try another fish store to see if I have any success somewhere else. Can anyone recommend another fish store? Has anyone else had such bad luck with TFP?
 
Sorry to hear about your tank. To lose almost all your fish is disheartening. TFP's livestock has never been their strong suit. I avoid their fish for the most part. Their dry goods are what draws me to their store. Don't give up yet!
Assuming your water parameters are all good, I'm with you....check out another store. Have you been here?

http://www.treasuresfromtheseaonline.com/

I've only been there once, but I was impressed, and my two fish (true percs) I purchased there are very healthy. The owner's name is Trish, and she's very helpful. Let us know what you think, if you haven't been there already.

Oh, by the way, quite a few years ago I had a terrible survivability rate with TFP. I think their wild-caught specimens are captured using cyanide, which renders many fish unable to absorb nutrients, even though they eat.


Joe
 
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I'm glad it's not just me! I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong and I was so upset when my friend from TFP couldn't find anything wrong with my set up. I've already gone through 5 clownfish in 10 months and they're supposed to be hardy! I'm at a loss on what to do! I really want my tank to look like all of the gorgeous tanks on the forum and no matter how much effort I put in I just can't get it there.
I haven't tried Treasures from the Sea yet, so I'll try to check it out this weekend. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
I agree with Joe, Nice to walk through the fish room but I don't buy live stock there either. Just dry stuff. Foster and smith is another good source with a guarantee.
 
I havent had much luck with their fish, especially the corals. I would recommend giving LiveAquaria.com a shot. I have ordered from them 3 times & their livestock is top notch. If anything dies they will replace it with no questions asked
 
I was beginning to think my tank was cursed, but you've given me hope that maybe it's not! :) My husband and I actually call it the "Tank of Death"... everything but chromis and lawn mower blennies die in there...
I've thought about ordering from liveaquaria but I'm nervous about ordering fish online. I'm afraid I won't be home when the fish gets delivered and it will be stuck in the post office overnight and be dead by the time I can pick it up! How does it work if you're not home???
 
I have to take the other side here - no store has THAT bad of livestock. I have a maroon clown and a yellow tang from TFP going on 5 years now.

You've got something going on with your system, but it may be something periodically stressing your fish. Have you looked for isopods or other fish predators? Are you quarantining your fish for at least 4 weeks?

What all have you checked/tested? What are you water parms? Are you getting big temperature swings? What did the dead fish look like immediately upon their demise? Did they die suddenly or decline for awhile?
 
You have to be home to sign for the package. They will not ship it USPS, they use either Fedex or UPS. If you are not there to sign for it then they will take it back to there hub where it will sit for delivery the next day. So most or all your livestock will be dead & you will lose the guarantee live arrival that LiveAquaria offers.

I always take the day off from work & schedule the delivery for that day that way I can get everything acclimated immediately
 
I generally have had good luck with TFP. I just always make sure they're 100% looking healthy, and I'm sure to find the best specimen out of the bunch and request it. That being said, I question their collection practices and I leave there with a slight feeling of guilt like I did the industry a disservice by shopping there. Just nice because they almost always have what I'm looking for.

I've had yellow tangs and ocellaris clowns from TFP live for years without any problems. The one fish that I've had a problem with is Chromis, as I ALWAYS lose almost exactly half of the ones I buy... but that's the same for any supplier. I don't know what it is about chromis specifically that I lose healthy looking specimens within 24 hours.
 
Kim,

I've read your acclimation procedure on one of your other threads (dripping for an hour in a five gallon bucket, except tangs - two hours). I must admit I've done this same one hour drip procedure before, and it's worked for me. One of the latest acclimation procedures is no dripping whatsoever, but a Q.T. in a quarantine tank with a salinity of 14 ppt. (NOT s.g.). for four weeks. At first, offer no food for two or three days and keep the Q.T. tank dark (or wrapped with a dark blanket or some such for up to two weeks). After a few days, offer some live brine soaked in Selcon or Zoe and get the new arrival eating (get a cheap light for feeding time only).
It's best to ask what your LFS has their tanks' salinity at, and then adjust your Q.T down to that level prior to picking up the new fish. Slowly (over two day period) bring your Q.T. water down to 14 ppt. If this can't be done, simply dump your new fish (not the bag water) into the 14 ppt. water immediately upon your arrival home (the temp should be close to the bag water temp). A fish can go to a lower salinity very quickly. Much quicker than to a higher salinity. The theory is that, eons ago, saltwater fishes evolved in oceans that were much less salty than today, and now retain that ability to survive in lower salinity.
Lower salinity greatly increases your tank water's ability to hold higher levels of O2, thereby greatly reducing the stress on your new fish (called osmo-regulation). At the end of the acclimation procedure, slowly bring the Q.T. tank water up to 33-35 ppt. (assuming you keep your display at natural seawater salinity levels), and then add the fish to your display tank.
This Q.T. method is recommended by TerryB, noted marine fish disease expert and author. You can find him on the Fish Disease Forum of ReefCentral.
I suggest you try this new procedure (a suggestion only), and purchase a new fish from a different LFS to see if you can turn your luck around.

Joe
 
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Interesting, hyposalinity is a good treatment for lots of diseases and critters as well...

Hehe - can't believe Joel pulled himself off reefs.com :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12932228#post12932228 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NCNBilly
Hehe - can't believe Joel pulled himself off reefs.com :)
Click to expand...
Hey Bill...

Yeah, used to love Reefs.org... lately though, literally 95% of the discussion is in off topic... and I seem to be about the only one that sees that as a problem. Also w/like 50x the membership, nice coming here and getting an answer within a minute or two :D
 
If your looking for corals covered in algea they got lol actully thats pretty sad to say. Everytime i go there looking for corals (sps only) there tank looks like it hasnt been cleaned forever algea all over the place. Then they want 60 bucks for a sps thats bleaching covered in algea i dont think so. I love there dry good selection and sometimes you can get a good deal on there fish. Its like the people who work there arnt really sure how to take care of the tank. I guess you can say its hit or miss.
 
I too am concerned that with the wide variety of fish you have tried and they have all still died. I would like to hear more background as Bill mentioned...how long it took them to die, what symptoms they had, etc.

I have been buying fish for 8 years or so from TFP. While I have been disheartened lately, they still go into quarantine and I can usually treat them for the typical ich they each seem to have nowdays. If you bought clownfish, and they were their captive raised, they should not have died without an outward symptom (i.e. no cyanide which usually leaves no visible symptom).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13000366#post13000366 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joe
Kim,

Did you get any new fish? I hope you don't close up shop.....

Joe
Click to expand...

I got 2 bangaii cardinals a couple of weeks ago from the place you recommended and they're doing great! I'm not ready to throw the towel in just yet. :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12958965#post12958965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HoopsGuru
I too am concerned that with the wide variety of fish you have tried and they have all still died. I would like to hear more background as Bill mentioned...how long it took them to die, what symptoms they had, etc.

I have been buying fish for 8 years or so from TFP. While I have been disheartened lately, they still go into quarantine and I can usually treat them for the typical ich they each seem to have nowdays. If you bought clownfish, and they were their captive raised, they should not have died without an outward symptom (i.e. no cyanide which usually leaves no visible symptom).
Click to expand...

The 2 clownfish I got about 6 weeks ago died within 48 hours. I never found one of their bodies. The other clownfish I've gotten from there have all lasted a couple of weeks and then they either disappear or die. I have NO luck with clownfish... which really sucks because they're my favorite!

I also got a dwarf lionfish from TFP once and it died after 3 days. It refused to eat for 2 days so I went back to TFP to get some live fish to feed it and they told me to keep trying frozen food. I listened to them and the fish was dead the next day.

The other fish I've gotten tend to make it a couple of weeks and then they die. Two tangs had ich and I tried to save them, but I couldn't.

I've had good luck with chromis and lawn mower blennies from TFP, but that's about it.
 
Captain Nemos near norristown was a huge waste of my time and money. The shark tank is cool but, whatever. Selection is slim. Livestock is healthy to an extent. Staff is hard to find/understand. Shark tank is way too small for the reef tips. 75 Percent of tank is tacky looking fake coral/rock.
 
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