How many of these have you had? It's got to be at least one...right?

[Bcdjoe]

I have been in the hobby for 19 years and I can not count the many online orders I have had, if I were to take a guess I would say over 500. I do not have a local store to go to so I order online.
Every once in a while I travel about an hour and a half to a fish store and take all my boxes to them.

 

[dennis romano]

I started in freshwater in 1968 and had my first 10 gallon salt water in 1972. Back then, every town had a pet shop. Some even had two or three. Today, the good ones are few and far between. So, if you want something different, you have to look on-line. You just have to look at reviews and try different vendors. Simple, if you don't like their product or customer service, don't go back.

 

[Deaf clown]

Approaching 6 years in October. I’ve only ordered 3 x’s. I live in the Midwest and weather fluctuates too much-I ordered 2 clowns in March the weather was good EXCEPT for the day it came in it was 30 degrees that week. 1 barely made it and the other died. I got to replace the one that died-had to pay shipping though...the vender told me it would ship in 3 weeks after I made the deal; they shipped it the very next day and that fish was frozen. I was livid. They did nothing to solve that issue.

Plus shipping is ridiculous. I get that a lot of vendors have deals where you spend X amount then it’s free shipping. But to me it’s still not worth it. Most corals on my wish list are considered “high end” and I’m not paying $300+ for 1 fricken coral plus shipping and dealing with weather.

I personally wait until someone in my area has the coral I want or when my family and I Travel I usually check local FB pages and see who’s got coral.

This is where I get “hated on”-I rather go to local reefers homes than than LFS. Why, because WAY better prices, I can make reasonable offers that works for both parties, most of the time the corals look healthy, and they seem to have more passion for the hobby rather than just making profit.

 

[reefbozos]

1. How long have you been in the hobby and how many online livestock orders have you had?

Been in the hobby since 1987/8 …. online livestock since about the early 2000s. Must be hundreds ….. how many specifically …. no clue

2. What do you do with the empty styrofoam shipping boxes?

Recycled.

I second this. If you google where to recycle styrofoam near you, you may find a list of places that take it. It's so bad for the environment so it's really the only responsible way to handle it. I did some googling and found out there was a place within a mile of my house- you just go drop it off and don't have to speak to anybody. Definitely worth looking into!

 

[rusty hannon]

I recently received a couple livestock orders this past week and I was left with the shipping boxes and wondering what to do with them. I hear you....KEEP THEM right? Well that was me too about 1000 orders ago! Ok maybe not that many but it's been a lot and I have too many boxes now.

It did get me thinking though, not about boxes, but about online livestock orders and how many I have had over the years. I don't know exactly but I'll take a guess and say since 2004 it's been around 200 or so. 170 is a conservative bet I would think. So what about you? Let's make this a two fold question of the day.

1. How long have you been in the hobby and how many online livestock orders have you had?

2. What do you do with the empty styrofoam shipping boxes?

I've been in the hobby more than 20 years And started useing a computer for my way of life.fortunatly only blatantly ripped off once.And I too have a collection of boxes I seriously need to get rid of.

 

[MartinWaite]

Never have and never would buy livestock online, prefer to see what i am buying first.

You will have a good journey to get to a decent aquatic shop as I'm Carlisle and I travel 120mile round trip, you are in middle of God's country and must have another 100 miles added on to your round trip.

 

[Doh Boy]

Have never ordered livestock online because I have several very good LFS near me, but have had several of the styrofoam boxes that I got from buying rock from the LFS. I have only kept one of the boxes that I use in my laundry room to organize things.

 

[windemerejack]

You will have a good journey to get to a decent aquatic shop as I'm Carlisle and I travel 120mile round trip, you are in middle of God's country and must have another 100 miles added on to your round trip.

I usually travel to Burscough Aquatics or Marine Aquatics in Walsall

 

[Lucyintheseawithdiamonds]

I don't have a choice due to where I live, so all of my livestock orders have come via online orders. The only issues I have had was from a popular CUC site that uses USPS. Multiple DOAs both times. Everything else; fish, CUC, corals, and macro algaes have shipped fine with no problems. I do hate the styrofoam boxes. Having to pay a boxing fee is not much of an issue to me, but I would be much happier to pay a return fee to send it back and have it reused. Instead I have thrown them all away. I believe there has to be a more environmentally sound way to ship livestock.
I have only had my tank up for 6 months.

Sad about the DOA’s, I definitely agree with your thoughts on reusing boxes by shipping them back. It wouldn’t be that difficult to set up for companies. If the livestock is properly bagged/packaged the contents and box should be in shape to reuse. I just recently tossed out 5 boxes from past orders myself. Green Cell Foam makes this biodegradable styrofoam. You would think that all aquarium livestock and hobby supply companies would’ve already started to utilize this alternative. Given that it’s better for the environment and all.

 

[kritquilt]

WOW three very different perspectives here!



Do you have really good local fish stores?



This is something I hadn't thought about happening. Very cool!




Very understandable and it happens for sure. I have had it happen too but mostly over the years has been good. If I were to grade it I would give it an 80% B-. This gives me an idea for a new thread!

I recently received a couple livestock orders this past week and I was left with the shipping boxes and wondering what to do with them. I hear you....KEEP THEM right? Well that was me too about 1000 orders ago! Ok maybe not that many but it's been a lot and I have too many boxes now.

It did get me thinking though, not about boxes, but about online livestock orders and how many I have had over the years. I don't know exactly but I'll take a guess and say since 2004 it's been around 200 or so. 170 is a conservative bet I would think. So what about you? Let's make this a two fold question of the day.

1. How long have you been in the hobby and how many online livestock orders have you had?

2. What do you do with the empty styrofoam shipping boxes?

I have only been doing this for second time for about a year. Last time I was keeping marine aquariums, there was no www.anything ( 1975 -1980) LOL
I have bought some great stuff from Live Aquaria, Marine Depot, Arc, Topshelf, Salty Bottom, and Seahorse Savvy. Still keeping the mini coolers but that has to stop. I also make art cars and some people use the styrofoam as a base for building up the car, so will probably put a call out to those other art car peeps who might want them.

 

[fuelman]

i have only ordered online twice, but have two pretty nice lfs within a hour drive. was just at one last week to get a few fish & they said they are asking people to bring in styrofoam boxes, with the covid they have been getting less orders in & still have a lot going out. might be able to just drop a bunch off at your lfs & do them a favor at the same time.

 

[radsdad]

Started reefing in 1980. Went multi tank in 1990. Started online ordering corals in 2004 for myself and friends. I'm guessing maybe 75+ orders total. I recycle the boxes.

 

[dantimdad]

Between being in the hobby for 30+ years, having a breeding facility at one point and owning a store, I have had hundreds of orders shipped to me and by me.

While the store was open, we gave away as many coolers as we could, the rest went by the pickup load to the recycling center.

 

[BCSreef]

5-10 shipments a year over 25 years adds up!

 

[oldbob50]

3 1/2 years. About fifteen online orders due to being 70 miles from the nearest marine LFS. 3 coral orders, two orders with fish the rest macro algae and cuc. Not looking to do too much with corals or fish online unless i can not get what I want from my LFS. Now selling coral frags to them and building up store credit so it is more cost effective to work with them. Saved a few shipping boxes to use as acclimation vessels. The rest I gave to the LFS.

 

[KWT]

Just a little over one month now, 1 order online, to see how it works out. So far so good.

 

[drblakjak55]

Until the middle piece was represented above. Done buying online.

 

[lavoisier]

45 years in the hobby...'nough said.

 

[Biokabe]

1. How long have you been in the hobby and how many livestock orders have you had?
I've been in the hobby 12 years now. For the first 6-8 years, I didn't order anything online. Money was very tight in those days, and I couldn't order enough to get free freight... and without free freight, it would've been $50 + $25 for shipping for a single coral, definitely more than I could justify back then. For years I didn't have anything above $25 in my tank.

Starting about five years ago, I began ordering more online. 1-2 orders a year back then. Starting three years ago, when we moved into our first house, I really started picking up. I love online orders now... at least half a dozen every year since we moved here, ranging from small CUC shipments from Reefcleaners, Berghia orders from Salty Underground, live sales from TCK or WWC or regular orders from my favorite vendor, Pacific East.

2. What do you do with the empty styrofoam boxes?
Curse their existence and their necessity. Then I offer them up as a sacrifice to G.A. Rage, before eventually sneaking them into a trash bag on its way out. Our city doesn't recycle styrofoam, so they all end up with an ignoble death.

 

[Bruce I]

I have been in the hobby on an off for about 45 years. I started with fresh water (african cichlids) and after a break moved to saltwater. I used to live near Vancouver, Canada and never ordered on-line as I had a great LFS. I recently moved to a small community in the interior of British Columbia where there are insufficient saltwater hobbyists to support a strong LFS with the variety of products (including livestock) that I seek.
My first on-line order of livestock was shipped via UPS. They placed my order, in mid winter, on the loading dock overnight. The temperature was about -10C overnight and needless to say, all perished. UPS even afterward couldn't understand the problem. Every order since then, shipped by other overnight couriers has been fine.