to get onyx clowns, would you do this?

[montanabay]

for a pair of Rods-Reef juvenile onyx clowns (have not displayed 100% color) with overnight shipping from Rods-Reef for ~$170, with a live arrival guarantee. Is this crazy to try? Shipping is next day, 10:30am delivery UPS coming from IL. Before I throw money at this does anyone have any recommendations suggestions? In terms of genetics it would be great to get another colony of onyx clowns in the Bay Area.

 

[racrumrine]

Since you've asked, I'd say you're crazy. At this time of year, lots of things could go wrong and the clowns will suffer.

Contact Fingerwrinkles and see how his babies are doing. He's local and his captive bred clowns are excellent.

If he doesn't have any ready right now, let the locals know what you are looking for. Someone will probably have it, or have seen it.

Best of luck,

Roy

 

[fingerwrinkles]

Roy, thanks for the shout out ...

I have to echo Roy's advice ... now is not the time of year to be shipping fish in / out of the upper midwest or east coast. You'll be much better off waiting even 30 days until mid March when the chance of winter weather is reduced. Just remember, whatever we get out here, they get 2-3 days later and often much colder. While you may be sorely tempted to give it a try, you'll be much better off being patient (as is true with many things reef!).

Rod has a good history of putting out nice fish, so I think you should be able to get some good stuff from him. As for the price, that is really up to the market and what you're willing to invest. If he is now selling 2 guaranteed onyx plus shipping for a total of $170, then his prices have dropped a bit since that used to be what the fish alone went for.

Note also that the fish will not have their full onyx coloration as they are still juveniles. If Rod's fish are in the 6-8 month range they'll probably be around 3/4 - 1" and will have darkening between the first two bands, possibly between the second and third at this age. The full color will probably not come in until they are 12-18 months old.

I'm fresh out of onyx babies at this point but do have a couple pairs working on it. However, I'd have to guess it'll be end of the summer earliest before I've got any that are ready for new homes.

Robin

 

[montanabay]

Thanks for all the feed back guys, pretty much what I was telling myself all along the way, just needed someone else to play "bad cop" so I don't get in an internal fight with myself

I found a young pair down in L.A., if I wait for a nice weather front through Cali I should be good to go over nighting instate right? I hope I'm not sounding hasty, 1 year is a long time to wait for fish, considering I have built this wonderful reef over the last 7months with no finnie creatures to enjoy it!

fingerwrinkles, I'd love to catch up with you to chat about breeder tanks and also Onyx Perc genetics. I think my hobby interests are taking a new road! Let me know next time you are in the Berkeley area, I literally live a block from NewReefLady.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Horizon Canopy]

I ordered three pairs of onyx clowns from rod back in May of last year with no problems. The water the clowns came in dropped to 60 degrees, but the clowns still made it and are doing fine to this day. They are quite hardy, but I do concur with everything the above posters have said. If you want to get a pair, its best to wait until spring.

 

[Ooulophilia]

private message

 

[montanabay]

Ooulophilia, did not recieve your PM, sorry about that, looks looks like my box was full, please try again.


Cheers,

Josh

 

[snabss]

i have been looking at the onyx pic in various threads and i think they look awesome. i want a pair as well. but i just dont like ordering animals online and i agree with everyone its too cold for the fish to be shipped right now. plus i hate to pay 60 bucks for shipping

josh, did you find the pair in la from a lfs or a reefer?

 

[montanabay]

I ended up holding out because all above mentioned. I was going to have them sent from L.A. midweek last week, but that big snow storm that hit New England was screwing up flights in Cali, so I decided to wait till spring and keep trying the Bay Area. I also decided that I need to set up a QT tank for when they get here too.

"So much to learn young Jedi"

Cheers,

Josh

 

[africangrey]

Josh,
Please be patient and wait for Robin aka fingerwrinkle's offspring from his onyx pair, I got a pair from him three months ago, couldn't be happier, the color is just simply amazing with clear definition of intense blood orange, black and white.
Africangrey

 

[montanabay]

thanks african grey, I actually just picked up a bunch of old furnature to refinish to distract me from my fishless tank! I would love a pair of fingerwrinkles, but it looks like they would be ready for at least 9months-to a year. Might need to find a third hobbie.....hmmm RC helicopters anyone?

 

[snabss]

montanabay, i used to fly RC helicopters. i got into reef tank to get out of RC world lol, how naive of me btw, you got PM

africangrey, can you post pictures of your fish from Robin?

thanks

 

[africangrey]

Here is one of the onyx with the RBTA I got from Robin 3 months ago, sorry about the blury picture. The clown are much bigger now and showing even more intense black than appears on the photo.

 

[snabss]

the pic didnt show up for me

 

[africangrey]

 

[snabss]

this time nothing showed up in your post i guess somethings wrong with the settings on my browser

 

[montanabay]

i don't see it either

sometimes that happens to me if I don't delete the extra http//: from when you copy and paste from photobucket, so it ends up doubled up http//:http//:(your picture) [IMG] because they automatically add it in when you use the IMG widget.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[snabss]

ah! and here i was tinkering with all possible settings on my mac

so if anyone wants to join an order of onyx from Rod. let me know. i would like to order sometimes end of march. i would love to get them locally from fingerwrinkles but i am too impatient cant wait another 6-9 months.

 

[klam114]

i order a 2 pair of onxy from rod on jan 07. it was for my b-day gift to myself. he warned me about the weather but rod pack it up really nice for me. he is a great guy to deal with. i am really happy with my clowns shippin in one day. they are super healthy and eat everything i feed them. right when i took them out of the shipping bags they started eating flakes right away. i was suprised!! it was the most expensive clowns i ever bought, but i don't regret it. everyone who has seen them so far was really impressed. i did lose a clown two week later to unknow sources. 4 clown in a 10 gallon was too much for them. the smalles clown was being pick on so bad i move a pair to my display and next day it went missing. what a bummer it was an expensive clown. so now i have three rod's clown plan to get a onxy clown from robin when ready. (thank for all your help robin on the anemone). i don't regret getting my clown from rod, but i was expensive for shipping. well it is up to you what you decide on doing good luck.

klam114

 

[montanabay]

klam114,

Do you have pics of your clowns? I'd love to check them out.

Cheers,

Josh