Indo Pacific Sea Farms - great experience!

[Kris 2020]

Today I received my first order from Indo pacific sea farms (IPSF). I’ve actually been window shopping on their site for quite a few years, I’ve missed the micro fauna that my live rock originally came with that disappeared over the years. I wanted micro brittle stars and bristleworms, specifically, some for my fuge and some in the display. You know, some little friends to help keep things tidy. I also ordered pods, strombus grazers, littorinids, and some micro hermits. they do a free 2 day shipping from Hawaii with their mix and match specials. Everything arrived healthy and really well packaged, and I got a freebie blasto. Very happy I finally pulled the trigger and ordered!

 

[flampton]

Mines coming in a week...super thrilled this went well for you. I last bought from them 13 years ago and so I'm glad they're still putting out some healthy livestock

 

[Vette67]

I got a big order from them a little over a month ago. Fantastic and crawling with life. I got everything. Sand, mud, snails, hermits, starfish (asterinas and micro brittle), macro algae... So far, very happy with the order.

 

[lotekfish]

Like the OP, I've been eyeing IPSF for years also and I've been looking them renetly because my tank is a bit low on micro critters. I'm really interested in the micro brittle stars, I used to have tons of them in a previous system. It looks like the only way you can order them is as an add-on the Mix n Match. Is that everyone else's experience? Their webpage isn't exactly obvious. I'd order the Mix n Match tomorrow if I knew I could get micro stars as an option on the base package.

 

[Kris 2020]

Like the OP, I've been eyeing IPSF for years also and I've been looking them renetly because my tank is a bit low on micro critters. I'm really interested in the micro brittle stars, I used to have tons of them in a previous system. It looks like the only way you can order them is as an add-on the Mix n Match. Is that everyone else's experience? Their webpage isn't exactly obvious. I'd order the Mix n Match tomorrow if I knew I could get micro stars as an option on the base package.

They aren’t an option with the “pick 9“ thingy. I added on 2 sets, one with the super mix and match and one as a separate add on, should have been a total of 12. I got at least 15, stopped counting then. Some of them are super tiny, some the size of a nickel. I had wished I could make them part of the pick 9 too, but it all worked out fine cause I got to pick some pods, mat, pod food, coral food, etc.

 

[Rjukan]

Today I received my first order from Indo pacific sea farms (IPSF). I’ve actually been window shopping on their site for quite a few years, I’ve missed the micro fauna that my live rock originally came with that disappeared over the years. I wanted micro brittle stars and bristleworms, specifically, some for my fuge and some in the display. You know, some little friends to help keep things tidy. I also ordered pods, strombus grazers, littorinids, and some micro hermits. they do a free 2 day shipping from Hawaii with their mix and match specials. Everything arrived healthy and really well packaged, and I got a freebie blasto. Very happy I finally pulled the trigger and ordered!

Can you post a picture of the blasto? I placed an order to be arriving next weekend and that was the freebie for me as well. It's my 2nd time ordering from them, first time was super happy so I'm really looking forward to this shipment too.

 

[Kris 2020]

K but I’m not getting out the real camera...I broke mine in half trying to glue it so here are the 2 halves:

 

[Coralsdaily]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Never heard of their website until today... I work for an online retail giant and I have a constructive suggestion for IPSF:
Hire a web-dev engineer (you can find a contractor pretty inexpensively) to redesign your user interphase, the current one is not very user friendly to say the least. And by doing so, you will earn two benefits: 1) Improved customer experience, and customer trust. 2) A well structured website and user experience will help boost your website's SEO, allowing Google to surface your website more frequently to attract more business.

 

[Vette67]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Never heard of their website until today... I work for an online retail giant and I have a constructive suggestion for IPSF:
Hire a web-dev engineer (you can find a contractor pretty inexpensively) to redesign your user interphase, the current one is not very user friendly to say the least. And by doing so, you will earn two benefits: 1) Improved customer experience, and customer trust. 2) A well structured website and user experience will help boost your website's SEO, allowing Google to surface your website more frequently to attract more business.

I ordered from IPSF about 20 years ago or so. Their website is identical now to what it was then. They paid to have that website set up and haven’t changed it in 20 years. They even still use AOL for their email!

 

[Tumey]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Never heard of their website until today... I work for an online retail giant and I have a constructive suggestion for IPSF:
Hire a web-dev engineer (you can find a contractor pretty inexpensively) to redesign your user interphase, the current one is not very user friendly to say the least. And by doing so, you will earn two benefits: 1) Improved customer experience, and customer trust. 2) A well structured website and user experience will help boost your website's SEO, allowing Google to surface your website more frequently to attract more business.

I’ve had a tank for close to 15 years now and never knew of IPSF until recently when I ran across another thread here on the forums.

I agree the website is outdated and not very user friendly but after receiving my first order a couple of weeks ago I’d have to speculate the owner, Gerald, isn’t & hasn’t been captive breeding and raising the marine life as a primary source of income.

I ordered his tank tune up, extra pods & extra worms. Even after the two day trip from Hawaii to Iowa the critters were the healthiest I’ve received from any vendor. Each bag was clearly marked & carefully packed containing the livestock plus macro algae to sustain them on their trip.

Fumbling through the dated website is well worth it! I’d recommend IPSF to anyone wanting to purchase CUC critters.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I ordered from IPSF about 20 years ago or so. Their website is identical now to what it was then. They paid to have that website set up and haven’t changed it in 20 years. They even still use AOL for their email!

Old school to the bone

 

[rc1626]

I've ordered from them twice and probably won't ever start a new tank without them again.....especially a tank started with dry rock. I recently made my second purchase of the live sand activator and miracle mud to add to my already established tank just to boost biodiversity.

 

[William Morris]

I tried ordering from their website and nothing happened. No reply and it's been 3 days.
Has that been the experience of others here?

 

[Tumey]

I tried ordering from their website and nothing happened. No reply and it's been 3 days.
Has that been the experience of others here?

I’ve ordered twice and it did take several days the first time before I received shipping confirmation/arrangements.

With the current events and recent holidays it might possibly be reason for the added delays.

 

[William Morris]

I wonder if you can just order specific items - most of their packages include things I either don't know anything about or would never use.
Seems counterintuitive to add bristle worms - maybe that's just me. Watched to many videos of people trying to get rid of them.

 

[Tumey]

I wonder if you can just order specific items - most of their packages include things I either don't know anything about or would never use.
Seems counterintuitive to add bristle worms - maybe that's just me. Watched to many videos of people trying to get rid of them.

Shoot them an email. Gerald ( the owner ) is a great guy and will gladly help you with questions or catering a mix of critters best suited for your tank.

 

[Heart of Dixie]

I bought the Live Sand Activator Plus package from Gerald to help a tank along that was started with BRS dry Pukani. I emailed on a Sunday and got an immediate answer. I ordered off their website and received everything on Thursday. Everything was well packaged, alive and in great condition. I will not hesitate to purchase from Gerald again.

 

[William Morris]

Gerald replied to my email and is suggesting to use the Live Sand Activator Plus Package.
Here is the link: Package
Not exactly sure what everything in the package is geared to do.
Would like some input from other's experiences using Gerald's packages.
Specifically:

1. using the activated sand that is added to the substrate
2. Liquid N-Reducer - concentrated solution of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria
3. Wondermud: A seawater-based slurry of fine-grained calcium carbonate-based sediments, shell fragments, aerobic organic detritus, beneficial bacteria and marine micro-invertebrates.
4. With the Wondermud there is also: Reef Amphipods, Mama Mia Worms, Baby Bristle Worms, baby shrimps, baby snails and as a very diverse assemblage of reef phytoplankton and zooplankton.
5. Reef Amphipods

Will any of the above create more of a problem than a solution in my 32G Biocube? Or is there anything in this package that you would be hesitant to add to your display or sump? Thinking of the critters mostly - have read many stories about Bristle Worms creating nightmares for people. Maybe his worms are different?