Quality Marine???

[Mr Neon]

Well this evening, I am going re-check my tank for everything I can, then I am going to the LFS and getting some specifics regardless if the owner is there or not..on a mission to figure this out!

[Reef1121]

What all are you checking your tanks for? And what type of test kits are you using?

Also Iwould recommend when you go investigating your LFS take a jar or empty container with you that you cleaned out with some RODI water and take a sample of their water home with you and check it with your test kit to see if they have something wrong with their water.

[Allmost]

you do have RO/DI water right ?

if LFS has copper in his tank and you use prime for tap water, that can make the copper toxic !
just a thought

[albano]

Originally Posted by Reef1121

Also Iwould recommend when you go investigating your LFS take a jar or empty container with you that you cleaned out with some RODI water and take a sample of their water home with you and check it with your test kit to see if they have something wrong with their water.

+1...although they may not like that idea!

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Reef1121

What all are you checking your tanks for? And what type of test kits are you using?

Also Iwould recommend when you go investigating your LFS take a jar or empty container with you that you cleaned out with some RODI water and take a sample of their water home with you and check it with your test kit to see if they have something wrong with their water.

what would that show ?
Im just curious ...


lets say he does it, and po4 is 3 PPM, no3 is 120 PPM and CA is 250 PPM .... all off ... does it mean anything ? should it cause death for no reason after a couple of weeks ?

[E36328i]

I work for a LFS as the main guy for saltwater and we order exclusively from QM. We have ordered from numerous other suppliers and there is not a single one that comes close to the "quality" of fish that they supply. Our mortality rate has gone down significantly and if we do lose fish from them, it is usually in transit and due to shipping stress not due to disease or mishandling on their end.

I would call QM personally and ask if the store you are ordering from is actually getting all their fish through them. They may be misrepresenting the name with old tags. Also, the quality of fish is entirely dependent on acclimation at the hands of your LFS. It may be they are not properly acclimating them to their systems.

[Mr Neon]

Originally Posted by E36328i

I work for a LFS as the main guy for saltwater and we order exclusively from QM. We have ordered from numerous other suppliers and there is not a single one that comes close to the "quality" of fish that they supply. Our mortality rate has gone down significantly and if we do lose fish from them, it is usually in transit and due to shipping stress not due to disease or mishandling on their end.

I would call QM personally and ask if the store you are ordering from is actually getting all their fish through them. They may be misrepresenting the name with old tags. Also, the quality of fish is entirely dependent on acclimation at the hands of your LFS. It may be they are not properly acclimating them to their systems.

I have been the LFS when their shipments are arriving and I watch them take the fish in the bag and put it in the tank. I I did see them dump the bag water as well into their tanks by a few helpers..did make me wonder what they were doing and why. I also seen them take a huge order of peppermint shrimp and pour it into a salt bucket and then scoop them up and put them into a main tank right away.

I also did see some fish in the same system that had issues...again..maybe I wasn't really paying attention at times and ignored certain signals...but the owner comes with a good following and has many years background in the hobby; however, the manager that is there 90% of the time supposedly work at box store for pets and fish and had previous knowledge..

Again a lot if things from the shipper, to their tank, to mine...could be the reasons...I do know you can buy the fish one day after they get it in..no really good waiting period..and the sad part is that they do get in some very nice fish but they are scoop up before the week is out..basically the store sells out mostly each week both in fish and corals...

[sandwi54]

Someone raised a good point. What is the store keeping their salinity at? Have you ever checked their salinity?

One of the LFS in my area keeps their fish tank salinity at 1.014. I am pretty sure it would kill the fish if I try to acclimate it into my 1.024 QT.

[Mr Neon]

Have to see..maybe sneak a test while their not looking...

[29reef]

If I'm reading correctly you don't wait for the fish to settle in before you buy them because they sell out too fast?

If that's the case, do your research first and then special order the fish still in the bag from QM/LFS. Take it home and then acclimate as needed.

It still doesn't make sense why something is dying after weeks unless you've got a predator, aggressive fish, or high/low salinity in your tank.

I'd say your a gluten for punishment at this point I would have started ordering from DD or another reputable online source.

[nonimmigrant]

Originally Posted by Mr Neon

Why is that? Reasons being??

They frequently have sent fish that are in poor health. I've personally lost money on QM fish that I had to pre-pay for and they were in horrible health when they arrived. This is not a shipping or LFS acclimation issue either as I was in the shop when they opened the shipping boxes. I've boycotted QM.

[Fishfirst]

Some cases of which a fish was in poor condition means very little... what species are we talking about? did you ever ask your lfs to order a different fish? They have great customer service and have never really "denied" a valid reason for a refund on a fish. All places have issues with quality sometimes, however, as someone who has recieved probably tens of thousands of fish from QM and other places, I have to say their quality is top notch and possibly the best in the country.

[geaux xman]

Originally Posted by nonimmigrant

They frequently have sent fish that are in poor health. I've personally lost money on QM fish that I had to pre-pay for and they were in horrible health when they arrived. This is not a shipping or LFS acclimation issue either as I was in the shop when they opened the shipping boxes. I've boycotted QM.

Perhaps with you being overseas, their fish quality suffers. Or their quality control outside the U.S is not as good.

[E36328i]

Originally Posted by Mr Neon

I have been the LFS when their shipments are arriving and I watch them take the fish in the bag and put it in the tank. I I did see them dump the bag water as well into their tanks by a few helpers..did make me wonder what they were doing and why. I also seen them take a huge order of peppermint shrimp and pour it into a salt bucket and then scoop them up and put them into a main tank right away.

I also did see some fish in the same system that had issues...again..maybe I wasn't really paying attention at times and ignored certain signals...but the owner comes with a good following and has many years background in the hobby; however, the manager that is there 90% of the time supposedly work at box store for pets and fish and had previous knowledge..

Again a lot if things from the shipper, to their tank, to mine...could be the reasons...I do know you can buy the fish one day after they get it in..no really good waiting period..and the sad part is that they do get in some very nice fish but they are scoop up before the week is out..basically the store sells out mostly each week both in fish and corals...

Well there is the issue... They are not properly acclimating their fish. The chemistry, temperature, and salinity between those bags and their systems may be drastic. We acclimate all of our fish and invertebrates with a drip method in isolated darkened vessels to keep stress at a minimum. Fish get acclimated at least 2 hrs. All invertebrates get acclimation of over 2 hrs. Our losses are very rare since we adopted this methodology.

I would not purchase even "bulletproof" fish from a company that doesn't acclimate and tosses livestock around. Handling determines the majority of the mortality rate on marine animals. These are highly sophisticated and specialized creatures, they should be handled with care and respect.

[reefjunkie42]

I've had many qm fish die..they can't control all the issues form collection to distribution but they do a good job imp

[illcssd]

Quality marine is the live aquaria of wholesalers. Excellent fish, selection, and losses through them are drastically lower than most other suppliers. Your lfs may be doing something wrong, or it's your tank, but its not QM.

[SDguy]

I've been to QM a few times. The fish are in outstanding condition. The lengths they go to when acclimating newly imported fish is mind blowing. I've been to many other wholesalers too, so I have a good frame of reference. I would look into other reasons for loosing fish, to any that posted, not just the OP...not QM.

[Mr Neon]

Thanks for the posts..I assume partial blame but still feel the LFS has some responsibility to figure this out along with me..

Cheers!

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Mr Neon

Thanks for the posts..I assume partial blame but still feel the LFS has some responsibility to figure this out along with me..

Why?

[savemyreef]

*FWIW I probably would have stopped buying from them after the 2nd or 3rd death...

Agreed or at least wait a while and try again.