buying new stock

[Nina51]

my lfs is over an hour away. they get shipments every tuesday. by the weekend, everything is pretty well picked over.

i could use some more snails, a shrimp or two and i'd like another couple of feather duster worms.

i'm thinking about going up either this afternoon or tomorrow so i can pick and choose but how do you guys feel about buying stuff that is newly delivered?

[Sugar Magnolia]

I've done it a few times with snails and crabs, never with dusters. I don't see much of a problem though. As long as you see the snails, shrimps cruising around they should be fine. Make sure the duster is out of it's tube if you plan to buy one.

[peasofme]

i like buying stuff that has been there a week. but if i'm buying something new, i will buy it before it hits their tanks. if it hits their tanks, then hits yours soon after, that's just bad. i know for fish, it is recommended to only temperature acclimate a fish that has just been shipped due to waste build up in the bag. not sure for inverts.

[Nina51]

i bit the bullet and ordered a couple of clean up crews for both tanks. supposed to be shipped today. hopefully, priority mail will be just that, and not take 3 or 4 or 5 days to get here which wouldn't be unheard of. called the local post office today and asked them to hold it there and i'll pick it up. if they forget, i'll end up with boiled inverts sitting in the sun on my deck.

[peasofme]

you will likely have to call them everyday to make sure. they probably won't call you.

[Nina51]

that's the plan. i can also check the status of the package online.

i used to feed live mealworms to my bluebirds. during nesting season, i went through 10,000/month. twice i came home to black, dead, smelly mealworms sitting on my deck in 90+ degrees. c'mon...what part of "caution, live animals" doesn't the post office get??

[peasofme]

unfortunately the post office doesn't care about packages at all. they don't even read that stuff written on there. once i shipped a live crab. the guy asked me what it was. i told him it's a live crab. he goes, like a pet? i say yes. he takes the package and throws it into a big box on the ground. i think monkeys are more intelligent. the same thing has happened when i tell them the package is fragile.

[Nina51]

well, after i chewed the post master a new butthole, he did call me the next time i got a shipment. but, i wasn't there so he left a message with my boss..."tell nina she has worms".

i kid you not!