This is sad. Please advise?

[Ratbrow]

I'm looking for comments or advice seeing as how I have no idea what to expect as this has never happened to me before. I had an order shipped from Vivid on Friday that got stuck in the FedEx Memphis facility (we had some ice in the midwest Saturday morning). Anyway, it is still there. Today is Sunday so I can't get ahold of any human since they are closed. I have things shipped on Friday's for Saturday delivery because I am not available to sign during the week. That being said, I'm looking at Tuesday at the earliest to get the box. Here is what was inside: Gold Banded Shrimp, Tile Starfish, torch coral, and two Acropora sps frags.
Based on your experience, will anything be alive spending over 4 days in a bag? I'm also wondering what I should do if they are alive. Drip acclimation seems like it would be more strssful at that point, maybe I should just Temp acclimate and put them in and see what happens? I've left a message at VIVID to see what they think too. Sad, I guess it doesn't matter if the box has live fish written all over it. Makes me sick. Thoughts?

[fishgate]

It all depends on temps in the facility. They can survive 4 days if the temps don't drop too low. You definitely need to drip acclimate especially if your salt level is higher than they are coming from. The other way isn't so important but low to high can kill them.

[asudavew]

I would have a bucket or QT of saltwater ready with salinity that matches the salinity of the water in the bags. Then I would temp acclimate and add them to the bucket or QT.

Then acclimate them to the display.
Ideally they would all go into a QT with salinity that matches the water in the bags.

[d2mini]

More than likely its all gonna be DOA.
They are usually not kept in temp controlled storage.

[lhm nole]

Fedex could care less whats in the package will set with all the other packages .. Been there done that and there is no way they will pull the package to take inside either

[formsix]

That sucks.

Any chance you could call and get them to change the delivery address tomorrow (for an office), or have a neighbor sign somehow? Or leave a nice pleading note on your door for the box to be left w/o signature (given the Sat mistake)? I don't know if it will make enough of a difference, but it's certainly better to try and get it tomorrow if at all possible.

[tkeracer619]

Likely DOA. Sucks, make sure the seller knows.

The shipping company doesn't care what's in it nor will they inconvenience a human to get your package. I've had much larger shipments get delayed and begged them to have someone take the animals to the LFS. It was literally 6 blocks from the package but that didn't matter. 100% loss.

[Cbsailor11]

Dave and Zack @ Vivid are great to deal with, I had a loss in QT. They credited it within an hour of my email. Take pics of any losses, also they ship in 1.025 water. GL

[wrott]

If you can get it held for customer pick up tomorrow, i'll bet all will be alive.
The Styrofoam insulation does its job well. Fish would not survive, but a few frags would.
Drip shrimp and sea-star.

[E_Aquatics]

I have a breeding pair of Picasso clownfish ship overnight via FedEx and they were shipped on a Monday for delivery in Tuesday. Well somehow the FedEx personal at Memphis did not load the box that was covered in labels that said perishable & live animals. Long story short the fish arrived on Wednesday and the box was soaked, apparently they treated the box like **** causing one of the bags to rip and most of the water leaked out. The other bag was intact and the fish was barely alive. Tried to help him come back but it was too late.

[E Rosewater]

I would not drip acclimate. Once the pH begins to climb when the bag is open Ammonium ions will convert to ammonia, the water will quickly become (more) toxic. This is assuming they are alive.

[tkeracer619]

I would not drip acclimate. Once the pH begins to climb when the bag is open Ammonium ions will convert to ammonia, the water will quickly become (more) toxic. This is assuming they are alive.

This

[Vilas]

About ten years ago, various rc folks tried shipping frags by normal mail in thermoses. Pretty much exactly the same thing happened to the one coming to me.
I got it at work and opened it to check. They evacuated the office due to the smell. I am not even making this up.

[campos]

More than likely its all gonna be DOA.
They are usually not kept in temp controlled storage.

hate to say it but I agree with what he said

[JoelA7]

If not dead you must not drip acclimate. pH change will cause ammonia to soar. Get salinity as close as you can. Vivid can tell you their values. Temp close and straight to QT.

[Ratbrow]

So for those of you that are wondering, here is what happened. As luck would have it, my furnace went out Sunday night, so I was "forced" to take a sick day and be home from work on Monday. I checked the tracking and the package was going to show at my door by 10:30...64 hours after the livestock was bagged. By 11:00 I started to worry. I checked the tracking and saw that it had been marked as wrong address! Yes, they had the wrong address. Anyway, I finally talked to some people and the package showed at 1:30. The first bag I pulled had the Yellow Banded shrimp in itt...Alive! I went through normal drip acclimation for the Sea Star and the shrimp, and they "seem" to be doing okay so far. The Torch coral is doing good, but the two Acropora corals look bleach white and brown. I don't think they made it, but since these are my first two SPS corals "ever", I don't know what to look for???
Here is the best part, and this is why I will continue to give my business to VIVID even after this horrible experience. I sent an e-mail and Zach is basically going to re-ship the entire order this weekend! I find that to be extremely good business, and thinking about the customer. I am shocked to be honest. They didn't try and blame FedEx for anything, they simply offered to re-ship at no cost, and are even substituting a Blood Red shrimp instead of another Yellow Banded shrimp! Needless to say the "class" of VIVID will bring me back.

[JoelA7]

Outstanding.

[d2mini]

That's great news.

[whiteshark]

Bleach white for an Acro is bad news and it's probably a gonner. Brown may be salvageable. Any pics? Otherwise really good news!