reefsandrotts
NJRC Member
Looking to buy a cleanup crew,not thrilled with reefcleaners.org after my last 2 orders.
Looking for input
Thanks
Looking for input
Thanks
-
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Best place for cleanup crew???
- Thread starter reefsandrotts
- Start date
radiata
NJRC Member
I got an order from RC last week. I'm not sure if I'll ever be using them again. I will be the first to admit that the variety of "cleaner" livestock they carry is really varied, and that you won't find their variety anywhere else that I know of. I'll also admit that the livestock descriptions on the site are unusually good, even mentioning when there is some negativity to owning a particular species.
I placed my order with them when RC got a shipment of Tectus Snails* (Tectus fenestratus), which I had been looking for. Additionally, I ordered two Pithos Crabs (because I'd never tried them before) and then I padded the order with a few additional pieces to get it up to their required amount for "free" USPS delivery. Then I got an email from John saying that I needed to upgrade to UPS because the USPS where he was located had become, in effect, unreliable. The UPS shipping was going to be additional dollars, but hey, I wanted my Tectus Snails! The additional USP rate would cost an additional $50. (I apparently misread the site thinking the additional rate would be $30 for a USPS to UPS conversion, but John said it would be $50.)
I find the RC web pages to be unusually unfriendly. When I tried to upgrade my shipping from USPS to UPS, the site wouldn't accept New Jersey as a bona fide state. I had to ask John to send me a PayPal invoice for the additional shipping charges. Because of their site error, I was unable to proceed and upgrade my shipping address to a local UPS Customer Center. Luckily for RC my shipment was delivered to my home before noon. I usually have to wait for UPS delivery between 4:00 and 6:00 PM when it is a next day live shipment, while a UPS shipment usually arrives around 9:00 AM at the local Customer Service site where I can pick it up without 7 to 9 hours delay.
Finally, I don't understand why John didn't make a reasonable business decision and offer to lower the additional $50 UPS charge by the amount he was saving by not having to pay for "free" USPS delivery. What is he thinking?
So It goes...
FWIW, if I were desperate for some specific cleaners critters, I would try Something Fishy in Northampton, PA. (Something Fishy) For an LFS, their cleaner critter inventory is pretty good, including some discounts for multiple amounts of the same critter. That said, call ahead! (I like them because they carry Sand Dollars, while no other LFS that I know of does.)** I've known the owners since they were selling out of their garage (maybe 25-30 years back), and I think they're decent people. I've had just one issue with them in the past, but then no business relationship is ever perfect.
* RC's cost for them was $3/each. The only other place in the USA that I could find them was (duh) Live Aquaria for $6.99/each.
** A DSB without a Sand Dollar simply fails to use livestock for sand bed cleaning. ("Sand Sifting Starfish" aren't doing you any favors - they're eating the microfauna in your DSB, and you should really be trying to keep this particular microfauna alive!) The Sand Dollar I have in my 180 has been traversing the front six feet of sand in the aquarium, back and forth from end to end, for several years now. If it isn't cleaning my sand bed, just what has it been surviving on all this time? I can always tell exactly where this Sand Dollar is because it has a thin layer of sand covering it as it moves near the sand's top surface, where it appears to look like a slowly moving 4" diameter bump on the surface of in the sand. I also recently added (18 months ago) a Sea Biscuit to the tank, but it is moving around at a much deeper depth in the sand bed than my Sand Dollar. I had one many, many years back and the only time I saw it was when it moved to the front of the glass under the sand, and was actually visible through the glass. I've also added a Sea Biscuit to my DT 16 months ago. It quickly disappeared into the sand bed and, as expected, hasn't been seen since. If I live long enough, I'll find the telltale solid calcerous remains when I clean out the tank.
I placed my order with them when RC got a shipment of Tectus Snails* (Tectus fenestratus), which I had been looking for. Additionally, I ordered two Pithos Crabs (because I'd never tried them before) and then I padded the order with a few additional pieces to get it up to their required amount for "free" USPS delivery. Then I got an email from John saying that I needed to upgrade to UPS because the USPS where he was located had become, in effect, unreliable. The UPS shipping was going to be additional dollars, but hey, I wanted my Tectus Snails! The additional USP rate would cost an additional $50. (I apparently misread the site thinking the additional rate would be $30 for a USPS to UPS conversion, but John said it would be $50.)
I find the RC web pages to be unusually unfriendly. When I tried to upgrade my shipping from USPS to UPS, the site wouldn't accept New Jersey as a bona fide state. I had to ask John to send me a PayPal invoice for the additional shipping charges. Because of their site error, I was unable to proceed and upgrade my shipping address to a local UPS Customer Center. Luckily for RC my shipment was delivered to my home before noon. I usually have to wait for UPS delivery between 4:00 and 6:00 PM when it is a next day live shipment, while a UPS shipment usually arrives around 9:00 AM at the local Customer Service site where I can pick it up without 7 to 9 hours delay.
Finally, I don't understand why John didn't make a reasonable business decision and offer to lower the additional $50 UPS charge by the amount he was saving by not having to pay for "free" USPS delivery. What is he thinking?
So It goes...
FWIW, if I were desperate for some specific cleaners critters, I would try Something Fishy in Northampton, PA. (Something Fishy) For an LFS, their cleaner critter inventory is pretty good, including some discounts for multiple amounts of the same critter. That said, call ahead! (I like them because they carry Sand Dollars, while no other LFS that I know of does.)** I've known the owners since they were selling out of their garage (maybe 25-30 years back), and I think they're decent people. I've had just one issue with them in the past, but then no business relationship is ever perfect.
* RC's cost for them was $3/each. The only other place in the USA that I could find them was (duh) Live Aquaria for $6.99/each.
** A DSB without a Sand Dollar simply fails to use livestock for sand bed cleaning. ("Sand Sifting Starfish" aren't doing you any favors - they're eating the microfauna in your DSB, and you should really be trying to keep this particular microfauna alive!) The Sand Dollar I have in my 180 has been traversing the front six feet of sand in the aquarium, back and forth from end to end, for several years now. If it isn't cleaning my sand bed, just what has it been surviving on all this time? I can always tell exactly where this Sand Dollar is because it has a thin layer of sand covering it as it moves near the sand's top surface, where it appears to look like a slowly moving 4" diameter bump on the surface of in the sand. I also recently added (18 months ago) a Sea Biscuit to the tank, but it is moving around at a much deeper depth in the sand bed than my Sand Dollar. I had one many, many years back and the only time I saw it was when it moved to the front of the glass under the sand, and was actually visible through the glass. I've also added a Sea Biscuit to my DT 16 months ago. It quickly disappeared into the sand bed and, as expected, hasn't been seen since. If I live long enough, I'll find the telltale solid calcerous remains when I clean out the tank.
DangerDave
NJRC Member
I've used mysaltwaterfishstore.com a bunch of times, it was a good experience each time.
mickeysreef <*))))<
NJRC Member
Just got an order in from reefcleaners about an hour ago and everything was good.
Looking over his packing, I'd say weather is the big issue you probably had.
He did have a single icepack in there so who knows how that can go depending on what the temps are.
It's currently 82 on the shore, but things might have been a lot different if UPS did a late day drop off as its expected to hit 88 today.
I have no reservations to order from him again once the weather breaks to around 80.
Wish I could have gotten more nudibranch, hopefully next time.
Looking over his packing, I'd say weather is the big issue you probably had.
He did have a single icepack in there so who knows how that can go depending on what the temps are.
It's currently 82 on the shore, but things might have been a lot different if UPS did a late day drop off as its expected to hit 88 today.
I have no reservations to order from him again once the weather breaks to around 80.
Wish I could have gotten more nudibranch, hopefully next time.
SKU | Qty | Product Name |
|---|---|---|
LN1QZG | 20 | |
BK1QZL | 1 | |
LA9QZI | 10 | |
IJ7QZG | 10 | |
JH1QZC | 50 | |
IJ1QZG | 5 | |
AA1QZN | 1 | |
IF1QZG | 10 | |
JG3QZG | 10 | |
HS3QZP | 1 | |
BB1QZC | 20 |
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mickeysreef <*))))<
NJRC Member
I just put in another order but from reeftown, wanted to get more nudibranch. They usually ship very well so I'm not very worried. Will let you know how it goes.