Soooo aggrivated...I need to vent

[t1771]

Got my saltwaterfish.com clean up crew yesterday, which was partially a credit from the last crew I got back in 2004 where half of it arrived dead. One of the hermits arrived out of it's shell. I figured no big deal I had ordered 20 of them. This morning I head downstairs and before I hit the bottom few steps I smell this horrible dead fish smell. Like rotten clams or something. Sure enough one of the cleaner clams is wide open in the tank with white cloudy stuff coming out of it. I get that out and start checking everything else. I picked up a few of the scarlet shells and legs fell out, but all the blue hermits seem fine. 4 out of the 20 turbos hadn't moved, so I don't know what's up with those. The conch is doing good and I have no idea where the emerald crabs went b/c they're so small. I'm guessing they're fine b/c I didn't see bodies anywhere. My main concern is the smell and whatever the heck came out of that clam is now in my water, so I am hoping, praying that I don't have an ammonia spike.

My other issue is a green ricordia I had gotten. One of them was on a small piece of rock which was great, the other wasn't. I can't get it to stay put. I shut off all powerheads b/c I figured for sure those would blow the poor guy around, but still everytime a fish swims buy he ends up floating off the rock. Any suggestions?

 

[Miller]

Put the ric in a small tupperware bowl with some rubble. Then float that in one of the following display/sump/fuge, give it a few days and it will attach itself. I have had some success with this working on rics, mushrooms, and mini carpet anemones.

 

[Dragon2115]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Try loosely tying the ric to the rock you want it on. That will give it the time it needs to attach.

 

[Mini4x]

I had a few floaters..

I used super glue to stick em down to some rock or rubble.

 

[t1771]

thanks everyone. I will try the suggestions one by one until something works. I'm a little hesitant on the super glue though, I'd be pretty pissed if someone super glued me to a rock!

Any suggestions about the horrible smell?

 

[Andy O]

Sure enough one of the cleaner clams is wide open in the tank with white cloudy stuff coming out of it. I get that out and start checking everything else.

Not to sound stupid but what are cleaner clams. I don't think that I have ever heard that termanology.

 

[t1771]

here is a pic...

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=574&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4

 

[wbrodeur]

I put the mushroom in a shot glass with some gravel/rubble in it then cover the top w/ mesh and hold it on with elastic band. The mushroom attached in no time. I can then permanently attach the mushroom anywhere I want with superglue to the rock or rubble it was on (and not on the mushroom itself). The mushroom then gets a firmer grip onto the permanent rock I have it on.

As far as the smell and water quality....tons of skimming and water changes!!!

 

[wbrodeur]

Oh and don't febreeze cuz I heard that particles may get in your tank and cause some damage. Maybe stick a fan over the water to let the tank airate??

 

[Jim Tansey]

IMO they are the worst vendor it this market, they have a good reason for not publishing there phone number, and any email response will never give a persons name, they may respond once to your problem but if you continue they just don't reply and you have no options.

After my dealings with them I now always check if the on line vendor has a phone number published, if not I move on.

Jim

 

[t1771]

Yah I agree they're not good. The only reason I placed the order was to use the "credit" I had from 2004. I thought maybe this time around I'd be lucky and things wouldn't die. Wrong again. I did however (to my surprise) get the name of a person when i emailed them. I'm still pissed off though!!!

PS - I did notice my skimmer was going crazy this morning...

 

[t1771]

should I be worried the turbo snails haven't moved? Their operculum (the little white disc) hasn't fallen off so I'm pretty sure they're still alive...but who knows.

 

[JayM]

some turbos are temp sensitive...what are you running at?

BTW, if a turbo dies, the smell you have now will be just an introduction to the stink that they will generate as they rot....so watch em carefully. Also, take a look at your water parameters, because this dieoff cannot be good for them.....

 

[smithcreek]

here is a pic...

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=574&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4

So they sell cold water "little neck" clams, same as you find in any bay around here, as "cleaner" clams? The picture is the exact same as the ones I buy at Shaw's for my Copper Band Butterfly.

I've heard of people using steamer clams from these parts for the same purpose, but never read anything from a reliable source about how well they work, if at all.

 

[t1771]

temp runs btw 79 and 80. i'm very worried I may end up with an ammonia spike and who knows what else.

 

[t1771]

there is a thread under Want To Buy that says they're baby sea clams... but to be honest it wouldn't surprise me if saltwaterfish.com is saying their something they're not.

 

[Cheetos]

So they sell cold water "little neck" clams, same as you find in any bay around here, as "cleaner" clams? The picture is the exact same as the ones I buy at Shaw's for my Copper Band Butterfly.

I've heard of people using steamer clams from these parts for the same purpose, but never read anything from a reliable source about how well they work, if at all.

MMMMMMMM! Little necks!

 

[mchud]

For the smell i would atleast try running some carbon if you are not already it should pull out some of the polutants, good luck . and thanks for the info i was looking at ordering from them.

 

[dad300]

I add little necks every so often to my tank to clean for a while and then to feed the worms.. one at time and not very often... usually they only live a week or two.. also ask where your littlenecks come from.. I was a seafood manager for a shaws competitor and it was not uncommon during the winter to get littlenecks from maryland and farther south... all seafood departments should be able to tell you where your seafood is from and whether it is wild caught or harvested.(farm raised)..

 

[t1771]

Mchud, I think everyone has had a different experience with saltwaterfish.com. It seems like people that get fish are more satisfied than people who get inverts. I was talking to Steve at Skipton's today and he was saying how some online stores don't know how to correctly ship inverts. I know for my hermits and snails they came in barely any water (not even a quarter inch) and apparently that's part of the problem.