measure here before you sell me stuff !!!

seank

seank

Joined
24 May 2007
Posts
11,995
Reaction score
129
Location
North of Durban and South of Mozambique
Guys, I am way past the stage that I complain, instead, I am going to post pics from now on so that anyone I want to buy stuff from, will understand the difference between small and ludicrous.

These are examples of fish that in my view, are too small. It falls under the category: SMALLER THAN MY MIDDLE FINGER

Please understand, the closest LFS that sells Marine livestock is almost 200km from my house, so I do not (unfortunately) have the privelage to see what I buy, instead, I ask the Lfs Owners in a humble manner that I cannot take fish smaller than my (an average human being) middle finger.

I have reasons eg, other fish I have in my system eat them, Pistol shrimp got into my system from who knows where and kills the fish, huge crab got into my system as a hitchiker and catches the fish while they sleep etc etc.

So please, this is not the sizes I am after. I mentioned it earlier, if I have to pay more because the fish/coral/critters are bigger than usual, I do not mind. Please, anyone I want to buy stuff from. Please make sure it is not babies I buy... I ask nicely:

Too small:

1334919a408e30ef.jpg


Too small:


1334919a408db3ef.jpg




I bought this as it was told to me that it is much bigger than 08cm/80mm:

1334919a408d1b9e.jpg



Too small:

1334919a42c4c774.jpg


Too Small:


1334919a42c5f7ee.jpg


And I do think that this is ludicrous. This will be eaten by any wrasse before the lights come on tomorrow morning:

1334919a42c3a243.jpg



I do believe my hands are an average adult man's size:

1334919a447ae715.jpg


And yes Mekaeel. I will phone Cassim tomorrow morning and tell him I am not happy. He is a really nice guy and packs his livestock excellent, but obviously do not understand me when it comes to size. Or am I being unfair here????
 
sean_koekemoer said:
And yes, I will add the prices if the mods say I can, and you'll see these fish do not come cheap
Click to expand...


Maybe best not to name shop or list prices, just for now;)

P.s. Sean, that is a fine middle finger, and certainly above average, it looks most distinguished:)
 
hmmm fella i hear your complaint, really i do.

but getting live stock much bigger doesnt often land in LFS, and if it did you would be waiting a while to get it. I for one know your desire for larger specimins and have gone so far as to phone you if i have seen something i thought you might like.

i just think that some of the species you are holding there dont get THAT much bigger anyway, well not unless in a guys system for a while.

could i maybe suggest a smaller grow out tank that you could place them in untill they are a size you feel are safe in your main tank?

i was going to tease you a little but i can hear your frustration but i think that LFS is possibly doing his best with what he had to send you. But i am miles from him and i dont know what else he had in stock.

Just me? I'd certainly have taken that hawk, that cleaner wrasse i domnt think is going to grow THAT much bigger, nore the hawk really, well not after a while.

they are generally smaller species and often younger specimins are easier to feed and better to get.

i just think for your situation a second tank might be your only bet.

just 2 c worth
 
as to the shrimp, in my system with the hawk i had (whom was much larger than yours agreed) he would have been hammered too, so i would have sumped the fella to grow out a few molts first, not sure if you could place small fish and shrimp in your sump to grow?
 
I do understand Crispin. But to say to someone that this is a big fish, gets taken in as big. Hence the reason I am going for Tangs and Goldies, and yes, we have a **** load full of Goldies in our Harbour, 03 times bigger than the ones I bought, but not for our tanks as no one trust the water these guys swim in.

I understand that the cleaner does not grow much bigger, but I had 02 in my previous system that was bigger. I also understand that the Lfs'es are going out of their way- I never doubted that, but if I speak to a person and explain to them the sizes of fish I am after, then I would expect them to say to me that they do not have such sizes. I did not choose these fish. It was said to me over the phone that these are the fish available that was bigger than normal...

Why put up a growout tank if you can import the bigger specimens.
 
Sean, could you quarantine the locally cought goldies in a temporary tank? ideally for a couple of months just to let any nasties show themselves?
 
Mike, a couple of guys have tried this, the problem is not in the fwlr only tanks, it comes when you have corals. We have a lot of effluorescence in our water that is dumped illegally and the peole that knows about fish etc said that these fish were born in the contaminated water, hence they are used to it, we have also tried copper before, but as soon as these guys mix with lfs fish or coral, the bought stuff dies. And I am not willing to take the chance- whether true or not
 
sorry to hear this sean. it is bad when trying to establish sizes over the phone as i too have had some difficulties. But as you are really far away and as i'm not i cannot really say i know how you feel. But sorry for it anyway. Cassim is a good guy and an understanding guy. i'm sure he'll be able to sort something out
 
scubaninja said:
sorry to hear this sean. it is bad when trying to establish sizes over the phone as i too have had some difficulties. But as you are really far away and as i'm not i cannot really say i know how you feel. But sorry for it anyway. Cassim is a good guy and an understanding guy. i'm sure he'll be able to sort something out
Click to expand...

I never doubted that. He is a very pleasant guy and he knows his hobby, maybe just not the sizes I am after. Thanks for your input;)
 
sean_koekemoer said:
Mike, a couple of guys have tried this, the problem is not in the fwlr only tanks, it comes when you have corals. We have a lot of effluorescence in our water that is dumped illegally and the peole that knows about fish etc said that these fish were born in the contaminated water, hence they are used to it, we have also tried copper before, but as soon as these guys mix with lfs fish or coral, the bought stuff dies. And I am not willing to take the chance- whether true or not
Click to expand...

Damn, that sounds nasty
 
sean_koekemoer said:
Why is this thread hidden??? :p
Click to expand...

Mike said:
You don't see any threads from classified or the sump on the home page - i think that's what you meant?
Click to expand...
:)

Ask one of the mods to put it in General Discussions if you want it to appear on the home page.

Sean - most of those fish you have bought are generally small fish, they don't really get a whole lot bigger than what they are in the pics. I think you may have bought these too hastily (dare I say no patience :p). Perhaps next time you should find out what fish he has, then put the phone down and do a bit of googling or ask on the forum about the sizes of the fish, the fish will still be there in an hour or two. I'm pretty sure you asked him what he had and in the same breath bought everything he had :lol: Yes I know you want big fish and I know the reason you want them, perhaps he did blindside you a little bit.

On a side note, you are going to have to try and get that pistol shrimp out of your tank, my one killed 4 fish in my tank, yet all along I thought they were fairly harmless to fish. How on earth you are going to do that in your tank, I don't know.:p
 
viper357 said:
On a side note, you are going to have to try and get that pistol shrimp out of your tank, my one killed 4 fish in my tank, yet all along I thought they were fairly harmless to fish. How on earth you are going to do that in your tank, I don't know.:p
Click to expand...
Get a Clown Trigger ;)
 
I probably shouldn't say anything since I am not familiar with the livestock availability in South Africa however I think you will be waiting a long time finding just the right sized fish. In my opinion most of the fish you show in this thread should be introduced into an aquarium before other larger more aggressive species so the pecking order is better established.

I also recommend introducing new livestock after lights out, especially shrimp so they can settle in without being harassed. Although if you have an aggresive shrimp eating wrasse I think it's unfair to blame the LFS for sending you a small shrimp as I think it unlikely that any size would be safe & I doubt you can find one that is the length of your middle finger.

If you have some fish that are relentless in chasing new fish try placing a mirror against the glass for a week or so and that should keep the more aggressive fish busy attacking their reflection and let the new fish settle in. You can also float a basket in the water with the new fish for a week so the new fish are protected but can still be seen. This gives the previous occupants time to get used to the new arrivals. Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom