IPSF Mix N Match

[starsbravo]

I was wondering what you all think about this deal. Is it a good one? Reason Im asking because Im planning a planted tank and want something to seed it. Thanks

 

[skeeter-doc]

I have been wanting to try the pack for years now, but never have, .. go ahead and get it and tell US if it is worth it, ...

 

[starsbravo]

Sounds like a good deal.... Ill try it and tell you about it. You really cant beat the free shipping!

Thanks


Josh

 

[skeeter-doc]

keep in mind it comes all the way from Hawaii, ...

 

[piercho]

It has been 5 years since I've gotten a shipment from IPSF but when I did they provided good product. The small conch-looking Strombus snails are especially good, they easily propogate in your tank and stay small. My only negative experience was that I had Aiptasia anemones come in with my shipment.

 

[bencozzy]

i just got a order from ipsf very good company to deal with, customer service is unparrelled.

and the products were as advertised, only a quick word their tang heaven yellow is just tang heaven red from a low sun area of the growing pond.

my strombus laid 3 egg cases two days after i added them.

 

[starsbravo]

Will the strombus or other snails they offer eat the macroalgae i would put in the tank??

 

[starsbravo]

also how fast was the shipping? Thanks

 

[skeeter-doc]

I have a question, does anything eat the strombus snails?

And are the strombus the "sea-bunnies"?

 

[graveyardworm]

The Strombus are actually Columbellid snails not sea bunnies, they are some thing completely different.

I'm not sure if the sand bed clams are part of the mix and match, but I would suggest avoiding them. They tend to not do very well without ample particulate food, they may do well in a skimmerles system

 

[bencozzy]

The strombus wont eat macros.

its shipped 2 day express through fedex. so it took 2 days.

graveyardworm- is there any hard evidence that they are actually columbellid snails, besides someone saying their eyes werent developed enough to be a strombus sp.??

 

[graveyardworm]

To the best of my knowledge Strombus sp. are conchs. Awhile back I asked Ron Shimek where I could find a particular grazer named Euplica Versicolor he indicated that the snails sold by IPSF are in fact Euplica, aka Columbellids.

 

[bbehring]

I ordered the mix and match plus a few additions from IPSF about a month ago. Everything did fine except the small stars. They are a creat company to deal with. They actually sent me a new batch of stars and doubled the count and added another bag of small bristle worms. Very happy overall. Great costomer service. I highly recommend.

 

[bencozzy]

alright that makes sense now they do fit that discriprion better as well.

did you mean Euplica Scripta??

 

[graveyardworm]

Euplica Versicolor was mentioned in an article I read, but I believe it is now not used anymore or something in favor of new names. I can try to find a recent discussion where the differences were explained.

edit: Found it

Hey David,

Actually, nothing would separate Euplica versicolor from E. scripta. E. versicolor is a synonym, so they are the same species. Euplica scripta is the name in current use, until/unless someone resurrects the versicolor name and shows why it's actually a different species from E. scripta.

As for interbreeding, I don't think E. scripta and E. varians will interbreed in the wild, though you might be able to cross them in an aquarium. They can be found in the same areas, and I haven't really seen any that didn't appear to be one or the other. In the locations I've collected, E. varians is always smaller, looks "sharper" and less glossy, and the color has been darker. Even though lighter forms apparently occur in some locations, you can usually tell them at a glance by the size and color. The outer lip on E. varians is also supposed to be more concave.

Take care,



Don Barclay

 

[bencozzy]

ok cool heres a e-mail from gerald about it. basicly he say he doesnt know either.

Ben, in the marine invertebrate world in general and in the marine
aquarium
hobby in particular, taxonomic opinions are as numerous as grains of
sand on
the beach.

Your opinion is at least as valid as any of the others out there,
including
ours. If you are willing to share your research on the subject with
us, that
would be appreciated. But keep in mind that even professional
taxonomists
frequently disagree on what is what. As James E. (Charlie) Veron of
the
Australian Institute of Marine Science famously said at a recent
conference, "Never
believe a taxonomist." These days many marine scientists don't even
agree on
what the word "species" means, let alone what scientific names to hang
on them.

That's why trade names are so important. When you buy Strombus Grazers
TM
from ipsf.com, you know that you're getting one heck of an effective
algae
grazer. A grazer that will reproduce in your tank and create a little
army of
beneficial cleaners. People may disagree on the taxonomy, but we ship
them
nationwide daily and no one has ever expressed disappointment with the
product
itself. It's a winner!

Best regards,

Gerald Heslinga
ipsf.com

 

[graveyardworm]

There is no doubt how effective these little grazers can be, and the fact that they reproduce is even better by helping to reduce the need for wild collected grazers.

 

[starsbravo]

Well I think Im sold on the Mix N Match deal. Now what to get?? Has anyone tried their wondermud??

 

[piercho]

Wondermud: yes, more of a very fine carbonate sand than what I would call mud. Its a very fine live sand and I would recommend it for seeding or recharging tanks with sandbeds.

 

[piercho]

Of the snails IPSF has the Strombus, Turbos, and Trochus are all good, IMO/IME. The Turbo and Trochus arrived as babies and grew and they are long-lived snails IME. Avoid the Nerites as these crawl above the waterline and dessicate/die: they are tidal and the tide never "comes back". I also like the little teeny hermit crabs. They do grow bigger than when you recieve them but not as big as some other hermits. I got the sandbed clams, as well, and they also arrived as babies. They are very similar to a steamer clam introduced to Puget Sound that we call "Manilla" clams. The clams grew quickly when my aquarium was young but as the aquarium got leaner over time they started starving. Recommend Tridacna clams instead of these.