Oceanrider banded pipes
- Thread starter HndMafia
- Start date
Most pipes are wild caught and for the price ORA is asking I can't believe that they are true captive bred.
What stock ORA sells anymore is not ALL bred and raised in house, so you don't know what might be true captive bred and what might be what is considered to be "TANK RAISED", or, like the pipe fish could be, wild caught.
While I don't deal with them, posts on forums tend to run both to being very satisfied to very unhappy so it's a crapshoot as to how you will feel if you buy.
What stock ORA sells anymore is not ALL bred and raised in house, so you don't know what might be true captive bred and what might be what is considered to be "TANK RAISED", or, like the pipe fish could be, wild caught.
While I don't deal with them, posts on forums tend to run both to being very satisfied to very unhappy so it's a crapshoot as to how you will feel if you buy.
mikencarol
Damn My Avatar Buggs Me
ORA and Oceanrider are two VERY different suppliers.......
I've mixed them up before so you think I'd remember by now. My apologies to ORA and Ocean Rider and the readers, for the misinformation. I was unable to edit the post to remove the offending information.
However, it still stands, my comment that it would only be a remote possibility that the ORA claimed captive bred pipes are true captive bred.
On their website, ORA says they raise six families of fish, with seahorses being one of them, and nowhere that I could find was any mention of raising pipefish, even on the seahorse page.
Ocean Rider lists some pipefish but I didn't see any claim that they were captive bred and for the price, I doubt it.
I guess it's always possible that an LFS may be claiming they are ORA captive bred when in fact they are not. Some stores aren't too ethical unfortunately.
Anyone out there with documentation that ORA indeed is raising pipefish?
I don't know if Ocean Rider sells through LFS's but if they do, the same possibility could occur.
You could always e-mail them and inquire.
I've e-mailed ORA about seahorses and they replied with no problem.
Also, ORA recommends conditions for seahorses that are not accepted any longer as being suitable for for keeping seahorses so I don't know about anything else they raise/sell.
However, it still stands, my comment that it would only be a remote possibility that the ORA claimed captive bred pipes are true captive bred.
On their website, ORA says they raise six families of fish, with seahorses being one of them, and nowhere that I could find was any mention of raising pipefish, even on the seahorse page.
Ocean Rider lists some pipefish but I didn't see any claim that they were captive bred and for the price, I doubt it.
I guess it's always possible that an LFS may be claiming they are ORA captive bred when in fact they are not. Some stores aren't too ethical unfortunately.
Anyone out there with documentation that ORA indeed is raising pipefish?
I don't know if Ocean Rider sells through LFS's but if they do, the same possibility could occur.
You could always e-mail them and inquire.
I've e-mailed ORA about seahorses and they replied with no problem.
Also, ORA recommends conditions for seahorses that are not accepted any longer as being suitable for for keeping seahorses so I don't know about anything else they raise/sell.
Last edited:
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
Banded pipes sell for about $15 online, so it is possible what they're selling is captive bred. They don't raise all the seahorses they sell, so its possible they're getting them from somewhere else. However, their description does say:
I'm excited to see a cb pipefish in the us, but saddened that its through Ocean Rider, who has notoriously bad customer service.
The Seahorse Sanctuary in Australia has been raising different flagtail pipefish for a while, so it isn't impossible to think they might. I had some initial early success with blue striped pipefish fry but before I could tweak my set up, lost the pair - I suspect with the right feeds that raising them is not all together too difficult, but not a lot of people put energy into raising them. In fact, bandeds will probably the next pipe I try, but I have some more building in my fish room to do before I have the space.
I'm excited to see a cb pipefish in the us, but saddened that its through Ocean Rider, who has notoriously bad customer service.
The Seahorse Sanctuary in Australia has been raising different flagtail pipefish for a while, so it isn't impossible to think they might. I had some initial early success with blue striped pipefish fry but before I could tweak my set up, lost the pair - I suspect with the right feeds that raising them is not all together too difficult, but not a lot of people put energy into raising them. In fact, bandeds will probably the next pipe I try, but I have some more building in my fish room to do before I have the space.
wdt2000
Member
Wonder if they are coming from down under?
Regardless its a deal if you ask me, a few extra bucks and they are trained to eat mysis and living in a captive environment their entire life.
Anyone know if their Hippocampus abdominalis Brumbie are the smaller fat looking H. abdominalis?
Regardless its a deal if you ask me, a few extra bucks and they are trained to eat mysis and living in a captive environment their entire life.
Anyone know if their Hippocampus abdominalis Brumbie are the smaller fat looking H. abdominalis?
It's also possible that an LFS could see ORA/Ocean Rider and just assume captive bred when it really isn't.
ChadTheSpike
Reef Engineer
I noticed the pipefish at oceanrider a couple of months ago and sent an email to inquire about them although I have not ordered any. (I will see if I can find the email and post it when I have acces to it) Carol at oceanrider told me the banded pipefish are bred on site at their facility in hawaii and mentioned that they were eating frozen mysis.
Tami, it is interesting that you mention they have notoriously bad customer service... I know these types of things are individual, but I have been dealing with them for ~10 years (or almost the whole time they have been in business) and have had nothing but positive and responsive customer service. IMO, for their prices, they should have AWESOME customer service and they have meet my expectations. Perhaps I have been lucky, but my experiences have been good.
Tami, it is interesting that you mention they have notoriously bad customer service... I know these types of things are individual, but I have been dealing with them for ~10 years (or almost the whole time they have been in business) and have had nothing but positive and responsive customer service. IMO, for their prices, they should have AWESOME customer service and they have meet my expectations. Perhaps I have been lucky, but my experiences have been good.
ChadTheSpike
Reef Engineer
It is wierd how it works like that...
I really can't say anything bad about them, though: in dozens of orders over the years I have never lost anything during shipping (or within a couple of months upon arrival); questions are always answered promptly; the few issues I have had were all shipping related (usually NOT sending priority when requested), and these were handled by freebies and reinbursement; sure the price is higher, but I have always been willing to pay for high quality product and good customer service as it is worth it in the long run.
I know experience varies, but mine have been good. The next time I order, it will be from them.
I really can't say anything bad about them, though: in dozens of orders over the years I have never lost anything during shipping (or within a couple of months upon arrival); questions are always answered promptly; the few issues I have had were all shipping related (usually NOT sending priority when requested), and these were handled by freebies and reinbursement; sure the price is higher, but I have always been willing to pay for high quality product and good customer service as it is worth it in the long run.
I know experience varies, but mine have been good. The next time I order, it will be from them.
How do you determine that the OR seahorses are higher quality than say Seahorse Source seahorses that are definitely cheaper.
I can't believe there is any company in our hobby that is better than Seahorse Source for quality AND service.
Not that it affects me personally because I live in Canada and can't buy from either company anyway.
I can't believe there is any company in our hobby that is better than Seahorse Source for quality AND service.
Not that it affects me personally because I live in Canada and can't buy from either company anyway.
ChadTheSpike
Reef Engineer
I didn’t determine that they are higher quality, nor would I, I am not even sure how that could be determined. But I do know that they are high quality. Seahorse source is an outstanding company and I agree, they also have a high quality product, great customer service, and a great reputation. I recommend them to folks locally quite frequently.
That being said, I wasn’t answering a question about seahorsesource since it wasn't asked. I was answering the question that was asked about ocean rider. Please don't misunderstand me or put words in my mouth; it was not a comparison, but the experience that was asked for in the OP.
As far as the cost piece goes, if you keep an eye on it and buy when there are sales, cost is quite comparable between the companies (like now, for example $72.50 at one with free shipping, and $64.95 at the other for four SHs). Most of the time OR is significantly higher priced, though.
That being said, I wasn’t answering a question about seahorsesource since it wasn't asked. I was answering the question that was asked about ocean rider. Please don't misunderstand me or put words in my mouth; it was not a comparison, but the experience that was asked for in the OP.
As far as the cost piece goes, if you keep an eye on it and buy when there are sales, cost is quite comparable between the companies (like now, for example $72.50 at one with free shipping, and $64.95 at the other for four SHs). Most of the time OR is significantly higher priced, though.
Sorry Chad, you're right. I didn't realize it until you mentioned it. Hopefully I won't do it again.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
I must say that I've known Dan (seahorse source) for several years now, and he is knowledgeable, friendly, and really goes the extra mile, but I digress.
I wonder if OR is actually breeding the pipes, or if they're getting them from a breeder as they usually don't say which of their offerings are bred by them or if they come from a supplier.
I wonder if OR is actually breeding the pipes, or if they're getting them from a breeder as they usually don't say which of their offerings are bred by them or if they come from a supplier.
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
Ocean Rider has a long history of horrible customer service; from failing to fill orders (but keeping the money) to sending out seahorses too small to really be ready for the home aquarium, and everything in between. They have a D on bbb.org, and it used to be an F a few years ago.
They also used to be very aggressive with how they tried to eliminate the competition, both in their support of CITES (as in, we got ours, no one else can get theirs) and claiming that it was illegal to resell the offspring of any seahorses they sold. I also recall they forced another breeder in Hawaii to stop selling seahorses through some local political nonsense.
I haven't heard much in the last couple years, but I sort of assumed it was because everyone can get better seahorses at better prices with better service elsewhere. If they weren't supported by tourism I'm sure their business would have failed because of their service.
Some people love them, and have great experiences with them. To those people, I'm glad you've never had any trouble and I hope you never do.
Anyway, just to clarify what I meant by notoriously bad customer service.
They also used to be very aggressive with how they tried to eliminate the competition, both in their support of CITES (as in, we got ours, no one else can get theirs) and claiming that it was illegal to resell the offspring of any seahorses they sold. I also recall they forced another breeder in Hawaii to stop selling seahorses through some local political nonsense.
I haven't heard much in the last couple years, but I sort of assumed it was because everyone can get better seahorses at better prices with better service elsewhere. If they weren't supported by tourism I'm sure their business would have failed because of their service.
Some people love them, and have great experiences with them. To those people, I'm glad you've never had any trouble and I hope you never do.
Anyway, just to clarify what I meant by notoriously bad customer service.
