View Full Version : Pacific Island Aquatics
mbauma
09/10/2014, 08:41 PM
Anyone ever bought a fish from them?
dh7922
09/10/2014, 08:56 PM
I ordered a black tang and a pair of flame wrasse from them before, all the fish ate within hours after acclimation. Never heard anything bad about them and I know a lot of folks buy from them as well.
Mikefallen13
09/10/2014, 09:03 PM
Just recently got a pair of schooling heniochus butterflies and they were extremely healthy and ate almost immediately. Definitely recommend them!
mbauma
09/10/2014, 09:05 PM
Thanks. I was going to get one of the Gold Flake Angels from LA, but they were not DD and were 420.00. PIA had one come in wysiwig for 300.00 and the same size. I just ordered it after emailing Kevin a few times.
Wish me luck.
mbauma
09/10/2014, 09:08 PM
Thanks for the quick replies, he had only 1 in and the ones from LA were gone and I didn't want to spend that kind of cash without seeing it :)
I had to move fast.
Mikefallen13
09/10/2014, 09:13 PM
They are gorgeous as adults, really miss mine since I took down my fish only tank a few months ago. Good luck with yours!
mbauma
09/10/2014, 09:13 PM
They are gorgeous as adults, really miss mine since I took down my fish only tank a few months ago. Good luck with yours!
Thanks Michael, I am also a Michael :lmao:
mbauma
09/10/2014, 09:29 PM
Just recently got a pair of schooling heniochus butterflies and they were extremely healthy and ate almost immediately. Definitely recommend them!
What are they like? Easy to take care of?
I have a 140 and currently have 4 chromis, 1 yellow coris, 5 banggai cardinal and 3 lyretail anthias.
ingtar_shinowa
09/10/2014, 09:30 PM
PIA is a great company. Full levels of trust. Got a Zebra tang from Kevin.
mbauma
09/10/2014, 09:35 PM
I'll have him on Friday and post some pics in my QT. He seems really nice by email at least :) He was also really fast to respond and didn't mind all my questions.
sreefs
09/11/2014, 05:56 PM
I bought a 1.5" Gold Flake from PIA about six months ago. I had him in Qt for 3 months treated twice with prazi pro, the baby is doing great. The eye spot is just starting to disappear and the tale and top fins are starting to turn black. I never saw a baby for sale except occasionally on DD. I have had good luck with my purchases from PIA.
mbauma
09/11/2014, 05:59 PM
I get my 5" gold flake from them tomorrow morning. I will post some pics in QT.
jschultzbass
09/12/2014, 07:37 AM
Looking forward to the pics! I've done a couple orders through them and have had excellent luck. You won't be disappointed.
ArmanS
09/12/2014, 08:03 AM
PIA is top notch. Kevin is great, replied to emails quick, they have a 7 day guarantee, he ships them very nicely and securely, and his stock list is always changing with lots of common fish as well as rare ones.
+1!
mbauma
09/12/2014, 08:09 AM
Good news to hear, thanks everyone.
I should have him/her in about an hour, then acclimate and then into QT. I like that Kevin always does a fw dip and treats with prazi too.
SDguy
09/12/2014, 08:14 AM
I got a pair of tinkeri butterflies from them for an incredible price. Both came in eating pellets.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 08:29 AM
LA had their goldflake for 420, PIA was 300. Plus, PIA was wysiwyg, whereas LA was from the california site and you don't know anything about the fish as far as what it was eating etc and no pics.
sc50964
09/12/2014, 08:39 AM
I got a gold flake angel and a blue boxfish from Kevin. Good experience thus far. Will do business again.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 11:55 AM
Just put him in QT after acclimation and he is already eating mysis and pellets. Great looking, healthy fish I think. Here are a couple pics.
Dmorty217
09/12/2014, 11:59 AM
I got a pair of tinkeri butterflies from them for an incredible price. Both came in eating pellets.
I was looking at trying to get one from them very soon, and about 5-7 pyramids except they never seem to have that many at once
Dmorty217
09/12/2014, 12:00 PM
Just put him in QT after acclimation and he is already eating mysis and pellets. Great looking, healthy fish I think. Here are a couple pics.
Great to hear the fish is already eating!
mbauma
09/12/2014, 12:04 PM
I was looking at trying to get one from them very soon, and about 5-7 pyramids except they never seem to have that many at once
I think he has 3 right now.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 12:06 PM
Great to hear the fish is already eating!
yeah, he snarfed up the mysis immediately and even a few pellets of Neptune CD.
I gave him 1/4 of a cube and he ate it all :)
sc50964
09/12/2014, 12:14 PM
Just put him in QT after acclimation and he is already eating mysis and pellets. Great looking, healthy fish I think. Here are a couple pics.
Beautiful fish! IMO it's the best looking angelfish.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 12:22 PM
Thanks, I agree, it's my first one actually.
Kevin has been great and his prices are much lower that LA. I have bought plenty of fish from them too, but they were so much higher on this guy.
sc50964
09/12/2014, 12:26 PM
I got one looking just like yours from Kevin. Really can't believe the colors and the contrast. It is one fish whose common name doesn't disappoint.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 12:32 PM
For sure, the electric blue outline on the fins is amazing. It's hard to see in the pics I took, but it is really sharp.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 02:57 PM
How much and often should I feed this guy in QT?
sc50964
09/12/2014, 03:04 PM
Feed as much as your QT can handle. Try twice a day to start and check water quality.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 03:06 PM
I have a 20L QT with a HOB filter and keep it running, so it's always cycled.
sc50964
09/12/2014, 03:43 PM
I have a 20L QT with a HOB filter and keep it running, so it's always cycled.
What? 20 L? 5 gallon? As the QT for a $300 fish? Are you serious?
mbauma
09/12/2014, 03:44 PM
20 gallon, long, get a grip!
SDguy
09/12/2014, 03:46 PM
20 gallon, long, get a grip!
:lol:
sc50964
09/12/2014, 03:56 PM
20 gallon, long, get a grip!
That's 20G, L. You get a grip.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 03:58 PM
Get a life and worry about your own tank.
sc50964
09/12/2014, 03:59 PM
Get a life and worry about your own tank.
Get a life and stop asking dumb *** question.
SDguy
09/12/2014, 04:06 PM
Alright, let's just relax.
Here at Reef Central, we believe that dialogs between participants should be conducted in a friendly and helpful manner. If you disagree with a posting, please express yourself in a way that is conducive to further constructive dialog. Conversely, when you post on any given subject, you must be willing to accept constructive criticism without posting a hostile or inflammatory response. Personal attacks of any kind will not be tolerated. Please let's work to insure that Reef Central remains a friendly and flame free site where everyone, especially newcomers, can feel free to post questions without fear of being unfairly criticized. Thank you for your cooperation.
sc50964
09/12/2014, 04:08 PM
That's right mbauma. I accept your apology.
humaguy
09/12/2014, 04:31 PM
really??
ibtl
SDguy
09/12/2014, 04:53 PM
So.... back to the awesome fish? :)
Glad to hear it's eating.
To your question... honestly, unless there is a thinness issue, I feed sparingly in QT...
mbauma
09/12/2014, 04:55 PM
Ok, thanks Peter. My first expensive fish and was just looking for some good advice.
He is not thin at all, but went right for the mysis and a few pellets even. Kevin sent me a really nice fish.
SDguy
09/12/2014, 04:58 PM
I know Ted will disagree, but I like to use pellets in QT if I can... it's just "cleaner"... you know? No left over Mysis heads and antennae and stuff. I'm so used to butterflies eating the main body and leaving the rest, with Mysis, so maybe it's just specific to me. Same reason I use minced diver scallop if I need to use frozen.
mbauma
09/12/2014, 05:18 PM
He did eat some Neptune CD pellets and I also have Elos and New Life Spectrum pellets. I also have Reef Chili which the chromis like.
humaguy
09/13/2014, 10:51 AM
I know Ted will disagree, but I like to use pellets in QT if I can... it's just "cleaner"... you know? No left over Mysis heads and antennae and stuff. I'm so used to butterflies eating the main body and leaving the rest, with Mysis, so maybe it's just specific to me. Same reason I use minced diver scallop if I need to use frozen.
I wont disagree because if it is working for you, go for it...
I personally avoid dry foods as I believe it may lead to buoyancy issues, bloat, or death. I have also seen bloat with frozen foods, though not nearly to the extent that I have with dry.
When I lost the Cortez a few months back, it confused me big time. She had been doing so well for many years. When I went back thru my notes, I saw that I had given the tank some flake food that I received for free when I bought some fish. (In my notes I actually wrote down, "I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me.) I had like 10 cans of the stuff, from a well-known company. The Cortez ate it like crazy but I think she was eating it so fast much of it was totally dry while she inhaled it...after 2 feedings, over 2 days, she was hiding, not eating and died 3 days later. I am sure the dry food was the cause.
I shared this with a diver friend in SA and he mentioned that he had just lost a small conspic and baby Kingi after also feeding dry foods..and the food he used was also from another very well-known company, tough it was not the same brand I used.
What works for my and the wonderful health of my fish is frozen food..if what you are doing works for you, excellent! I have spoken about the risks of dry food in the past and it led to the death of my cortez. I keep kicking myself for using the flake and am confident in saying that if I hadn't, I would still have the cortez today...
mbauma
09/13/2014, 10:58 AM
Thanks for the input. I respect everyone's ideas and as you say, there are many things that work for different people. I feed primarily frozen mysis, but have some high quality pellets that I got for my Neptune AFS for vacation.
I found a girl from the vet to stay at the house and take care of the dog, cat and fish so I don't have to feed using the AFS as much as I was planning.
SDguy
09/13/2014, 10:58 AM
I am sure the dry food was the cause.
I don't think I have to point out, that as a scientist yourself, this is not proven, simply assumed. The other comment I would add is that if dry food caused such issues consistently, we'd be hearing way more about it here. How many accounts of bloat have you read here? Just saying..... not trying to be argumentative (and frankly respect your views very much!), but pellet food is a great, concentrated food source, especially with new, skinny-ish fish. BTW I ALWAYS presoak my pellets... maybe that helps?
humaguy
09/13/2014, 11:32 AM
I don't think I have to point out, that as a scientist yourself, this is not proven, simply assumed. The other comment I would add is that if dry food caused such issues consistently, we'd be hearing way more about it here. How many accounts of bloat have you read here? Just saying..... not trying to be argumentative (and frankly respect your views very much!), but pellet food is a great, concentrated food source, especially with new, skinny-ish fish. BTW I ALWAYS presoak my pellets... maybe that helps?
I agree...the fish did not undergo a necropsy.
The cause of death is totally my assumption solely based on years of having the fish and only feeding her frozen.
pellets can be an outstanding source of nutrition but I chose to avoid...
there were some semi-soft pellets that I did like but I cant find them anymore...
I am not sure though about the "if dry food caused such issues consistently" comment...we read about unexpected fish deaths in here all the time and I wonder how many are in fact caused by dry foods...you know those comments like "I lost a fish and everybody else in tank is okay, parameters are consistent and within range, and nothing has changed."
I would also agree that the soaking of the pellets prior to feeding may in fact help lubricate them and allow for an easier digestion of the product.
My dt has a feeding port. So, when I added the flake food it was not dispersed into the tank but was held within the port itself. So when the cortez inhaled the flake as she did she was sucking in flake that was wet on the bottom as it was sitting on the surface of the water. However, the flake that sat on top of that layer was probably totally dry....
SDguy
09/13/2014, 11:40 AM
I am not sure though about the "if dry food caused such issues consistently" comment...we read about unexpected fish deaths in here all the time and I wonder how many are in fact caused by dry foods...
While I understand the concept, I don't want anyone on these forums to be afraid of pellet food.....fish die for all sorts of reasons. While I think your reason may be valid... it's a stretch, and certainly not what people deal with with a new fish, IMO. I have yet to loose a fish to dry food bloat in the many years I've been keeping fish. Can I prove it? No. Do I think it? Yes.
sc50964
09/13/2014, 11:43 AM
Pellet form of food is a great way to pack in all the nutrients that fish need in a small package that does the minimum contamination to the water, and is my first choice in any tank, QT or not. Frozen food is a good treat/snack and a supplement for color retention. Some pellets float longer than others. Problem with that is some fish could get in trouble/sick by accidentally taking in too much air while taking the floating pellets. Flakes to me are the worse since they break apart the easiest.
SDguy
09/13/2014, 11:47 AM
Pellet form of food is a great way to pack in all the nutrients that fish need in a small package that does the minimum contamination to the water, and is my first choice in any tank, QT or not. Frozen food is a good treat/snack and a supplement for color retention. Some pellets float longer than others. Problem with that is some fish could get in trouble/sick by accidentally taking in too much air while taking the floating pellets. Flakes to me are the worse since they break apart the easiest.
Honestly I never use flake any more. Presoaked pellets that always sink are my go to.
humaguy
09/13/2014, 12:18 PM
Pellet form of food is a great way to pack in all the nutrients that fish need in a small package that does the minimum contamination to the water, and is my first choice in any tank, QT or not. Frozen food is a good treat/snack and a supplement for color retention. Some pellets float longer than others. Problem with that is some fish could get in trouble/sick by accidentally taking in too much air while taking the floating pellets. Flakes to me are the worse since they break apart the easiest.
frozen food should not be viewed as solely a treat or snack...
humaguy
09/13/2014, 12:20 PM
Honestly I never use flake any more. Presoaked pellets that always sink are my go to.
agree...imo, there is a tremendous difference between pellet and flake...
sc50964
09/13/2014, 12:27 PM
frozen food should not be viewed as solely a treat or snack...
Yes. Also a supplement for color retention.
humaguy
09/13/2014, 04:18 PM
Yes. Also a supplement for color retention.
so, frozen food should only be used as a treat, snack, and for color retention?
sc50964
09/13/2014, 04:39 PM
so, frozen food should only be used as a treat, snack, and for color retention?
That's what has been working for me.
stunreefer
09/13/2014, 05:32 PM
Isn't forum banter great? :D
As all of us know, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and if it's working for you (meaning very high survival rate with thriving fishes) then, don't fix it if it ain't broke!
Feed as much as your QT can handle. Try twice a day to start and check water quality.
For a freshly received fish I highly recommend feeding as many times as possible throughout the day. I generally feed every time I pass the tank, which equates to 10-12 times per day. If properly feeding and observing, feeding this often will not cause any issues with water quality.
I should add that I perform good size water changes every 48 hours with freshly mixed SW (RO/DI with 0 TDS + ESV salt) for the first two weeks. This is where having an overly filtered small QT/conditioning (10 gal tank with AquaClear 70 is perfect ratio - of course upsize that for larger fishes) system helps keep costs low and fishes happy.
Pellet form of food is a great way to pack in all the nutrients that fish need in a small package that does the minimum contamination to the water, and is my first choice in any tank, QT or not.
In a QT/conditioning situation it's incredibly important, no matter what your food choice is, to observe and ensure every piece of food that goes into the tank is consumed. Of course you will have a piece here and there get sucked into the filter, but I base food additions down to the individual number of shrimp when it comes to a particle size of say, P.E. Mysis. I'll literally feed two Mysis to the tank and observe. If it's eaten quickly, feed again. It's that's eaten quickly, feed again. And continue until they start to stop hitting the food so fast. Repeat several times per day. This style of feeding will ensure that there is minimum waste, no matter your food choice. If it's an incredibly oily food, perhaps consider rinsing in RO/DI water to remove some of that "waste" if that's a concern.
While I feed both frozen and pellets, I feel frozen is always going to be most natural for fishes to consume. Pellets can be great, but there's always fillers in them that no fish in nature would consume. Ever. Again, I feed both, so it comes down to what works best for you, IMHO.
sc50964
09/13/2014, 06:01 PM
I think I did a little more than bantering in this particular thread. Probably not gonna get an invitation to hit a pinata or drink a dos Equis any time soon. And yes I also do feed more when I'm at home and frozen is more natural than pellet.
stunreefer
09/13/2014, 06:13 PM
Probably not gonna get an invitation to hit a pinata or drink a dos Equis any time soon.
Dude you can come drink Dos Equis while hitting a piņata any day of the week with me :D We're all on the same team!
I wasn't calling anyone out, just adding my $0.02 :thumbsup:
sc50964
09/13/2014, 06:22 PM
Thanks stunreefer. Are gills required at your place?
stunreefer
09/13/2014, 06:25 PM
Indeed :fish2:
However I have a nice sundeck as well for terrestrial folk :smokin:
humaguy
09/13/2014, 06:55 PM
agree with everything Austin said...
lol, a grill must be involved with the dos equis and piņata...
I'm in...
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