Found in overflow [Archive] - Reef Central Online Community

kass03

08/04/2006, 08:30 PM

So you just find baby fish in your tank? unreal lol good job.

I think the problem with the clowns is they get too big for most peoples tanks and usually become territorial.
I think if you raised perculas or ocellaris alot more people would want them.

I always loved the bigger clowns until I had a tomato that killed hundreds of dollars worth of fish (had it like 13 years was glad when it died lol).
I have one in my 150 though that came with the tank thats always been a model citizen.

kass

FEEDERFISH

08/04/2006, 11:18 PM

Usually the male cardinal keeps the fry in his mouth for protection, if they are startled or when the fry are large enough they spit them out, keep an eye out in the cardinals mouth you will see the babies ! Coolest thing I have seen !

kass03

08/05/2006, 03:44 AM

ohhhh I did'nt know they were mouth brooders.
I never had any cardinals.

kass

gooch

08/05/2006, 06:44 AM

Thanks Mike......I will definately take some bangii's from you. There is no rush though. My tank is still dry.......but getting closer.

I know how you feel about breeding your fish. Believe me I know.

gooch

jmkarcz

08/05/2006, 09:04 AM

Mike, I'd still be interested in at least 1 of your maroons. I wanted to conduct and experiment with a former pair. I lost the large female in that upper left tank in the wall in the basement. Darnedest thing... no explaination, just dead.

With the larger of the pair gone, I would add a very juvenile and neutral (gender) tank mate. Since clowns change sex, to form pairs, and the male is supposed to become the female,... And the female is usually the larger of the two, my hope and observation would be that the samall male would grow faster, while the juevinile would become the male partner when it becomes mature...

If your interested in letting another go, let me know.

Otherwise, I have been considering changing species a bit and picking up something that could be a cummunity kept fish if bred. With my 300, I could keep... 30-50 clowns in there... till they sized up. As you have found out, You can only keep 1 or 2 maroons in a tank, before you start running into trouble.

Jason

Kelly68

08/05/2006, 02:22 PM

I used to have a bengaii cardinal forever then something start picking on him and he died. I only have a hawkfish and a firegoby left in my tank. I miss Benny. I always read you can only have one cardinal. Is this not true? How do they form pairs then? I would love to have a couple and add that to my reef. Providing, Floyd...my hawkfish...isn't an a-hole to them. So whenever you find anymore or get anymore, please shoot me a pm. Thanks. Kelly

mako56

08/05/2006, 02:27 PM

I didn't have the bad yellow stripped clowns everyone worries about mine seem really mellow towards the other fish. In the grow out tanks there are like 20 in one tank 40 in the other tank and 25 in the last tank they all scrap a little but they all have all there fins. I have read how people with perculas or ocellaris clowns have problems with them biting off each others fins. Just don't stick your hand in by ma and try to mess with the rocks around there home :eek2:.

But Kass you are very right perculas or ocellaris would sell allot better but I think you would still need to sell them to a wholesaler.

Jason, there are allot left, that would be interesting it is the way it is supposed to work but that is a little hard to swallow.

I brought a couple into the Aquatic Imports he gave me a good price for them in store credit but says he doesn't like tank raised fish or corals. They have no immune system and are not as hardy because of it is what he thinks. He thinks wild stuff is the only way to go and if you stop people from taking stuff off the reef that they will be poor and use the rocks to build there homes and make cement. I got to stay out of there or one day I will blow a nut and tell him what I think of his thirty years of experience :lol:

The male cardinal has a mouth full right now all I gota do is figure out how to collect the youngins.

Kelly my son got me two for my birthday this year and I guess I just got lucky and they were one male and one female and they are getting along real fine. They seem to be hard to tell apart I did some searching and it said something about the long fin is different but when I look at mine the female should be the male.

Kelly68

08/05/2006, 02:53 PM

Thanks for the info. Did you try Advanced Aquariums? That is a place that I am selling my angels too. They prefer home raised fish...they say they are a lot hardier. And I do agree with that. I am finding markets for my fish. I can always ask people around here too......about your clown and help you market them around here if you are interested. Shoot me a pm and we can discuss it more if you would like.

As for the Cardinals......if you ever have any to sell what do you want for them?

gooch

08/05/2006, 04:01 PM

Mako.........you should have no problem getting rid of your cardinals.

Only thing I dislike about tank raised clowns is the fact they do not always host in anemones. I also prefer the true percs and most stores sell tank raised false percs.

I will definately take 3 cardinals from you. Maybe more.

Scott

jmkarcz

08/05/2006, 05:49 PM

I remember reading, that in the absence of a mature female, that the male changes to the female, and the next most mature becomes the male... but the more important part that the male,now changine into female begins to grow out quickly... anyone who has a pair knows that there is an obvious size differential between the male and female. Once a year I ponder... when I am short a large female... how long does it take to grow out a female to the sizes that I have... I've had males that are only 1.5 inches, that I've had for 8 years... Appearntly, when they are male, their growth stops.

huh....

Is that what jeff has... 30 years? We could just had out flyers... join FVRS and get more experience online than jeff could ever dream up... I'll never forget him telling me that RO water is just something that is a bunch of internet hooy... and to save my money, but in the same breath, could not explain how to get rid of hair algae, or stop corals from dying.... I've been a active poster on this board / forum for a little over 1 year, and in that time I have only lost 1, maybe 2 frags... but have located, purchased, more and learned more in any single day than I have in ALL the time I have ever talked to jeff combined. Special thanks to people like you mike, and scott, and a few others.

Sorry, reading that bit got me going again, I'll go lay down and be quiet for a while again...

Scott, can I give you a call? I've been turned all around on some water Chemistry stuff again and need someone to sort it out... I'll call during some FNAW (free nights and weekends)... I was talking to Kevin again, and I'm all turned around again.

Mike, have rou ever thought about contacting ORA or someone who advocates tank raised, for a possible outlet to brocker your clowns or cardinals... perhaps they could set you up with a wholesaler... or dealer.

Jason

J

Aquabucket

08/05/2006, 06:06 PM

Cute little fella! BTW your 2 little maroons found good homes rather quickly!

I have always preffered captive grown clowns. They have faired much better than wild caught ones hands down. As far as hosting ~ the local true percs I was getting for awhile took to RBTAs at the store almost instantly. I would often demonstrate to many customers them feeding the RBTAs food placed at opposite ends of the tank.

I admire anyone who can raise marine life in captivity! Its too bad there is very little to proftit from your time and work unless you can sell them direct to the hobbyist.

Thanks for sharing!

nellie54914

08/05/2006, 10:36 PM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7884772#post7884772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mako56

The male cardinal has a mouth full right now all I gota do is figure out how to collect the youngins.

Just tell him he better spit them out right now, and have your net in front of his mouth when you tell him that. Seems like an easy way to catch them, and a perfectly good idea to me. :D Now if you could only get the fish to agree with that...

kass03

08/06/2006, 12:46 AM

Sorry Mike I did'nt mean to imply your clowns were mean.
I personally think it's great you can raise them and commend you.

As far as Jeff goes I'll say it he's an idiot lol.
He told me frag is a dirty word in his place. Like you say he'd rather rape the reefs.
On the same visit he took my xenia frags lol and it was the last time I was in there over a year ago.
He also threw the 30 yr experience at me and I said so do I lol.
Another dumb thing he tried to tell me was PC's are brighter than T5's cuz he had like 1 T5 bulb on a big tank and it was dim.
I think he just likes to fight with people.
Mike don't worry about it. I'd listen to your advice any day before him lol you know way more then he does.

I love my tank raised perculas. They were in a RBTA in the store but love my xenia and ignored a RBTA in my tank.
I wish more people would breed fish but I know it just does'nt pay to do so which is sad.

kass

kiowascout

08/06/2006, 01:42 AM

I know that I will not spend any more money in Jeff's shop. EVERY single fish I ave purchased there, save one has died in little to no time after acquisition!

I too do not care for his views on the hobby. It seems to me that he is very much an "it's my way or the highway" type of person. And, that isnt my type of person.

So, there's my two cents.

jandlms

08/06/2006, 08:04 AM

Most of you that know me also know that I share your feelings about that particular store and its owner. My only question is why do so many people keep going back to him time and again. I am sure his policy (feelings) would change if it started to affect his business. Either that or he would find it difficult to stay in business. There are plenty of other shops that are more in keeping with an environmentally responsible way of promoting our hobby. Between Spike's place, Coral Boy Farms and our ability as a club to put together fairly large mail orders I think it is possible to "shop" at businesses that don't have the lack of concern about the safety of natural reefs that is prevalent at "that" store.
Just my two cents to stir up the pot.
jandlms

Limpit

08/06/2006, 12:20 PM

Is Jeff's place (Aquatic Imports) the block building off of the main street a block or two, is east of the river and has no windows in it?

jandlms

08/06/2006, 02:42 PM

That's the place.
jandlms

Limpit

08/06/2006, 04:14 PM

He used to work at a store in Milwaukee (Hoffers Tropic Life) years ago.
He was very opinionated then, guess he still is.

DebsSisterFlo

08/06/2006, 10:17 PM

haha, well yeah he told me that wild caught seahorses are more hardy than captive bred.... uh huh, tell me another one. That's flat out FALSE. I do buy my salt there cuz it's $5 cheaper than Advanced, and darn I prefer Advanced but, well it's $5, and $15 cheaper for a pail.

Mike, I wish I could have a baby clown of yours but in my tank I don't know if it would get too aggressive with the horses and cardinals. If you ever have a couple baby banghaii's to spare I'd definitely come on down to get them! You lucky duck, just finding babies in your tank! :lol:

gooch

08/06/2006, 10:40 PM

I think his attitude has hurt his business already. He use to only be salt. Now he does fresh as well. A lot of things have cut into his business over the last couple years.

As more people in the area become educated his business will decline. What is sad is he will blame it on something else or someone else. Or the internet telling people misleading information and selling illegal corals and fish.

I remember seeing him on the news one night when a couple of stores in the area got pinched for selling exotic land snails, I think. Why he got the interview I do not know but he was saying that never happens at mom and pop stores and is more common on the internet and you should never trust anything you read on the net. And many of the people selling on the net are doing it illegally..........lol. If you guys only found out half the stuff I know about the guy you would try running him out of town.

Anyhow the reporter was the guy that looked like eddie munster. I emailed the station with a letter arguing everything Jeff said. Invited them to my place to show him the difference between a hole in the ground shop with the philosophy of get it in get it out and an internet business that sells captive grown livestock(not that my place was anything special, but better than his).............they declined interest.

I gotta stop I am getting worked up again........breath in..............breath out.............breath in............breath out.

I do not wish bad things on anyone. But I never feel sorry for guys like him when it does.

mako56

08/07/2006, 12:12 AM

No apology needed Kass they do have a reputation :lol: its just that mine don't show it the other fish swim around them even when there are eggs there and they don't pick on them but they don't hang around there either.

Ya Jess I don't really think I would try them in a small tank with sea horses either. Mine might just be working out because its a larger tank and they have plenty of room I don't know. When I figure out how to catch the little cardinals I will raise them instead I guess.

Nellie You need to show me how that's done I really like that idea.

nellie54914

08/07/2006, 01:57 AM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7892086#post7892086 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DebsSisterFlo
[B]haha, well yeah he told me that wild caught seahorses are more hardy than captive bred.... uh huh, tell me another one. That's flat out FALSE. I do buy my salt there cuz it's $5 cheaper than Advanced, and darn I prefer Advanced but, well it's $5, and $15 cheaper for a pail.

I don't know what kind of salt you use, but if you get IO you can probably pick it up cheaper at PetSmart. Their price in store is high, but they price match their own website prices ($31.99 for a bucket). You just have to look up what you want on their site and print it off, bring that in with you and tell them you have a price match. I have done that many times with no problems.

I have only been to AI a few times. A couple times when we were first starting up, looking at fish. I didn't know much then, just what I'd been reading/reseraching on the web. Even though I didn't know much some of what he told me still seemed strange. Luckily gooch helped us when we started so we got CORRECT info from him! I actually bought something there once, we were in desparate need of turbos when we had a bad hair algea problem, and that was the only place in the area (in Appleton or GB) that had them.

nellie54914

08/07/2006, 01:59 AM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7892522#post7892522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mako56
Nellie You need to show me how that's done I really like that idea.

Well I came up with the idea, now YOU have to figure out how to make it work, lol! :D

kass03

08/07/2006, 02:27 AM

First of all calm down Gooch it will be ok think happy thoughts lol.

On with the "lets change Mikes thread to Jeff bashing week" it's like shark week on Discovery hehe.

That was actually the only time I was at Jeffs new place since he moved. I could'nt even find it again if I tried lol.

I used to go buy salt from him many yrs ago when he was on Broadway and it was the small house with the cute bulldog.
Back then before alot of people had the internet I mentioned something about it's nice now to have and you can learn alot and he hit the roof about it.
We know he won't ever read this cuz the internet is bad it's real bad.

I can't really remember buying any corals or fish from him but what he had seemed nice as far as healthy. I think he was a little more pricey than the other stores around here though which is prolly why I did'nt buy much.

Anyway last year when I was there and traded my xenia I got a mandarin and it is still alive.

kass

jmkarcz

08/07/2006, 10:13 AM

I have had a long standing request for Jeff to call me anytime he got large maroon clowns in... or any pair for that matter. Except, I was in his store when it was in the house, and I spotted 2 large maroons... I waited for him to finish up, and told him I was interested in buying those 2 he had... I was "informed" that I was 10 minutes too late, and the packer player that had just left had taken them. I questioned Jeff a bit about how that could be, and called attention to that he had taken my name months ago... when he needed the business, and I was looking... After checking his notebook, I found how I rated. My name was in the book, from 9 months earlier, and I didn't rate.

Lately the only reason I will go in there is to buy the latest copy of CORAL Magazine, that I send to Daddavis, in Kuwait. I have a subscription, but I was told I couldn't have 2....

I agree with jandlms. I think that there is no reason why the club couldn't get monthly buys... or orders going for places we all agree with the policies and how we're treated. I for one, would hold off placing an order personally, for a bit, if I could group buy, or support someone with better practices. I wanted to buy all my salt from spike a couple weeks ago, but Scott does not stock pails. I actually have a couple people that travel to Reinlander once and a while, sometimes the brickyard delivers up there... we could get pallets of salt if it could be arranged...

Mike, have you tried contacting Foster and Smith? It would be a drive, but with the internet sales... and the retail outfit... I had to think all that stuff thru when I started the wall of 40's - incase I was successfull... I have not been.

Jason

kass03

08/07/2006, 01:51 PM

I don't think Dr.Fosters would want them either because they sell their fish from Cali not here. You never know though until you ask.
I think the drive would end up costing more than any profit though.

Theres a few problems with group buys. Someone has to pay and get it shipped to their house. If someone says yeah I want this and that and then backs out it's a problem (its happened to me selling corals several times). Unless whoever orders has them pay by paypal or cash before the order.

kass

jmkarcz

08/07/2006, 02:14 PM

Unless whoever orders has them pay by paypal or cash before the order.

I don't think this is a problem, at least for me. It's simple enough, if you back out, your always required to prepay, or better yet, whoever preps the order, gets paid paypal prior to shipping, or your stuff will not ship.

I know this is all in theory, but if someone wants in, they'll pay. It's a chance, but the positives outweight the one negative.

Jason

Limpit

08/07/2006, 02:27 PM

My opinion on it is that prepay is the way to go. That way the person putting in the order is not out any of their money for someone else backing out.

Jason is right, if someone wants in, they'll pay.

DebsSisterFlo

08/07/2006, 04:33 PM

speaking of a group buy, is there one in the future for our club? I may want to get in on the next one.

jandlms

08/07/2006, 07:07 PM

As a stay-at-home dad starting up a new business (Yes, I am a kept man- clean the house, have meals on the table, sex on- nevermind), I am able to broker internet purchases. I do, howevr live out in the pickers in Suamico (as some of you know).
If you are willing to get to me for a quick pickup, I am willing to help with the internet order situation. My only concern is that we agree on quick pickup of livestock as my system is no longer large enough to store extra critters for long. Debssisterflo- A net order is definitely in order. Were you thinking livestock or drygoods?
jandlms