Vendors! Take care of the live rock!!!

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Salt is fairly cheap to a vendor and could always use water changed from other systems for the live rock tank. I can guarantee you that any skimmer on a live rock tank will be more trouble than it's worth. Plus the skimmer seems to be the easy way out, using a skimmer and doing less water changes may be cheaper depending on how you look at it but certainly not better than changing all the water frequently. In terms of quality what is best? I would bet many vendors through little skimmers on there live rock tanks which are more decorative than anything, with the main purpose to impress customers.

Salt is by no means cheap to any vendor. To ship salt (which is bought by the pallet) is very expensive.

The last IO order I got in on with a local vendor the salt came to roughly $32/bucket by the time it got to the doors. This was the sale price at the large vendor expo in vancouver. If your buying many more pallets at a time I can see it being cheaper but we just dont have that turn over. BTW this was shipped right from the factory.

As for the skimmer we have them on our LR tanks and your right the amount of stuff actually pulled by the skimmer is very little. We have a big Vertex on our rock tank but it is still pulling some protiens out.

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Who cares?

Just buy the rock from wherever you want and let the vendors do what they want. It's the same as buying anything, if you don't like a product, don't buy it. Simple.

Very well said. I couldnt agree more.

[randy123]

I think some people like their live rock fairly dead and clean (except for bacteria), and some like it with more life. When I got mine some months ago, I decided to try an experiment. I controlled the spikes with prime to preserve as much life as possible. (and yes, my tank still did cycle...it is 6 months old and doing super). Now I have some zoos, sponges, tons of coraline algae and lots of feather dusters. One has a 2" span and is one of my favorite things in my tank. I did have the side affect of a few unwanted hitchhikers, but you have to take the bad with the good. I've caught most of them.

But yeah, this thread got way too serious. Just let people do what they want.

[muck]

Originally Posted by Myka

Why are you guys all getting so caught up and peed off by this thread?? I don't understand why it's a big deal...?? Maybe I should have worded it differently. Sorry I thought you guys could be my bitching coffee buddies. I guess I will have to keep it to my bitching coffee buddies. Seriously though, you guys are way too serious.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Myka

Why are you guys all getting so caught up and peed off by this thread?? I don't understand why it's a big deal...?? Maybe I should have worded it differently. Sorry I thought you guys could be my bitching coffee buddies. I guess I will have to keep it to my bitching coffee buddies. Seriously though, you guys are way too serious.

Well I don't appreciate people actually going out of their way with the sole purpose to bitch and complain about vendors especially when you don't plan on buying from them anyway. This serves no purpose what so ever except in giving vendors a bad name. I think canreef vendors are good at what they do, they may specialize in different parts of the hobby but that's just good business.

Open your own business and put everything you got into it and then see how you like people complaining and bitching about it.

This isn't a perfect world, I say get over it and try to show a little respect.

[Myka]

What did you say that you decided to edit 3 hours later?? You took the first post way to serious Steve.

If you have a retail store people WILL complain and bitch about it. That's a fact of business. Don't like it? Don't own a store! Better yet, listen to the bitches and complaints and try to improve the store the best you can. You can't get rid of all the complaints, but you can always do your best. Am I some great influence that I can single-handedly give the vendors on these forums a bad name? Come on now! Are you joking? There are many vendors on these forums that put their best foot forward everyday, and are continually trying to improve themselves.

The point of this thread was to start a discussion on live rock not business plans. The thread got rather off-topic rather quickly. I find it interesting that it's not the vendors that have such a strong resentment, just a few ordinary reefers who sit on each side of the fence. Seriously though, why is there a fence anyway? It's not that big of a deal.

[aoc230]

[Scythanith]

Originally Posted by Myka

The point of this thread was to start a discussion on live rock not business plans...

Originally Posted by Myka

Why do vendors always get in a bunch of live rock from overseas plop it in a holding tank, and not give a popcorn fart if the ammonia spikes to 4 ppm?? Most vendors don't even have a skimmer on the holding tank, some don't put a heater in it, and some use tap water!!! Like seriously Mr Vendor, don't you know you're charging a PREMIUM for this stuff which happens to be the most important filtration "device" we will invest in often spending more money on rock than our skimmer, and you're not taking any procedures to promote a HEALTHY, LIVELY, CLEAN rock??

One day, I'm going to have my own store...things will be different!!!!

I'm sorry but this does sound like a slam to someones business practices, not just a conversation starter. I think if you were to have a conversation with the business they'd be more than happy to supply you with exactly what you are looking for. Most people are content with "live" rock, connoisseurs want fresh rock. Just like a connoisseur wants a BK skimmer, ELOS tank, and RD DC pumps. You pay for premium goods and selection of livestock. It's nothing new.

I tend to make it to a LFS when new products arrive and buy them before they even hit a store tank. This bypasses the issue all together.

I like coffee!

Cheers

[Myka]

Ohhhhh, another Skatchie that's ripped on this. I get it now!! You guys think this thread was started in regards to a particular local vendor don't you? It's not! If anyone thinks I was talking about a specific vendor that's not the case. The original post was a general comment regarding practices I have seen in the last few years all over western Canada including some of the largest vendors in the business.

Now I understand why I got PMs from a bunch of Skatchies.

[Scythanith]

Haahaa you have it all wrong. I'm not defending any business in particular, I felt you were trying to backtrack on what you said earlier lol. Maybe you coasters are too spoiled being so near to the ocean that you don't appreciate the fact that there even is a reef shop in Skatchie as you so eloquently put it.

Its no skin off my butt for you to complain, I just think its too easy to point out how things should be in a perfect world.

I too am upset with improper light cycles, tank temperatures, flow patterns, food regimes and tank mates found in home and business tanks alike for most if not all livestock... Mobile or sessile. I'd say live rock would be on the bottom of my list for concerned husbandry. But that's just me.

...where's my americano?

[o.c.d.]

I read this and I can see that Myka isn't singling any vendor out more like "if you do this she thinks it sucks" Which is her view and right to say it. Many of you DEFENDER of the Vendor's are bitching at her bitching. If you don't like her bichen just stop reading. You guys are acting like she's trying to take down companies here. Not very christmasee people. Put your relentless attacks to use, go to the mall and get your shopping done. Merry x-mas