Review on my initial Saltwaterfish.com and reefs2go.com orders

[kailuahoosier]

First off I want to preface by saying I am a liveaquaria and bluezooaquatics guy and before that I loved flyingfishexpress. I decided with my next few orders I would be trying out multiple other online shops to see which one could compete/possibly beat liveaquaria or bluezoo. I figured that the doa rate with liveaquaria based on my past 10 orders was roughly <10% and bluezoo was very close to that figure as well. The mortality rate within the first 2 weeks for these 2 shops was probably around the 10% mark as well. I will throw some quite specific details of my order at saltwaterfish, doa rate, mortality rate, customer service, etc. I also have an order from reef2go.com coming tomorrow as well which I will also update with the same level of details. (BTW The parameters are all great before arrival, I have no bias towards any vendor, I just thought it would be helpful for those of you deciding on where to buy livestock.)

Saltwaterfish.com

Order placed on December 15th
Shipped on December 18th (I asked for a delay to my shipment due to schedule conflict)
Arrived on December 19th at the FedEx facility (they would not allow a delivery to my house due to the winter weather +1)

The order:


[TABLE="width: 605, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Item
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]# Bought
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Arrived Alive
[/TD]
[TD]Lived for >7 days
[/TD]
[TD]Rating
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Red Leg Hermit Crab- Mexico
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]20
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]16
[/TD]
[TD]16 ?
[/TD]
[TD]C
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]There was a large number of empty shells, not just with this item but with the cerith too
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Bubble Tip Anemone
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD]A
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]This guy looked great from the get go and still looks great, he opened up right away and hosted the clowns within an hour
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Pistol Shrimp - Randalli
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD]A
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]This guy arrived great, still is doing great
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Shrimpgoby - Yellow Watchman
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD]A
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]Likewise, he is in great shape, a good size for a ywg
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Mandarin Dragonet - Green -
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]0
[/TD]
[TD]D-
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]This little guy didn’t look that great from the get go. He was skinny and didn’t eat any of my live pods at all. He died after a week, I assume he starved as I never saw him eat.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Nassarius Snail - Group of 10
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]20
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]22
[/TD]
[TD]22?
[/TD]
[TD]A+
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]Great shipment of Nassarius
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Turbo/Astrea Snail - Group of 10 -
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]20
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]20
[/TD]
[TD]20?
[/TD]
[TD]A
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]Great shipment of Turbos
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Cerith Snail - Group of 10
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]20
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]12
[/TD]
[TD]12?
[/TD]
[TD]D
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]This shipment was lacking a number of live snails, they had a number of empty shells.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Peppermint Shrimp -
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]2
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]2
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD]B
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]These guys looked great from the get go. 1 was very large for a peppermint and the other was very small. The very small guy died within 24 hours.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Flame Angel
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]0
[/TD]
[TD]F
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]This guy arrived weak, stressed out and had an abcess of some sort on his gill. He died within 12 hours.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]ORA False Percula Clownfish - Aquacultured
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]2
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]2
[/TD]
[TD]2
[/TD]
[TD]A+
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]These guys are possibly the best clowns I’ve ever owned in regards to quality. They ate right away, hosted the anemone right away and look great.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Scooter Blenny
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]A+
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]This one sort of shocked me. He arrived perfect, he ate right away with frozen foods, I’ve seen him eat pods as well. Best scooter ive owned so far.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sand Sifting Starfish
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"]1
[/TD]
[TD]A
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]Arrived well, large size, still in great shape and moves quite a bit.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 8"]All in all I thought the experience was adequate. I felt the customer service started off great, the prices are definitely competitive and the quality was hit or miss. I would give them a B overall and would suggest getting hardier fish from saltwaterfish.com for now. I am awaiting a credit for the doa and 14 day window deaths, I will update when that comes through as well. [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]




















[TABLE="width: 621"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 3"][TABLE="width: 100%"]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="colspan: 3"]


[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]






















Now for my order from reefs2go.com which is on its way and will arrive tomorrow, I will update this as it arrives and in a weeks time too.

[TABLE="width: 93%, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Item
[/TD]
[TD]# Bought
[/TD]
[TD]Arrived Alive
[/TD]
[TD]Lived for >7 days
[/TD]
[TD]Rating
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Green Coral Goby Fish
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Black Ray Shrimp Goby
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Green Pistol Shrimp
[/TD]
[TD]2
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Starter Refugium Pack
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Orange Sun Coral
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]False Perculas
[/TD]
[TD]2
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Scopas Tang
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Feather Duster
[/TD]
[TD]1
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Copepods
[/TD]
[TD]250
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]FREE 10+ Heads of Zoos
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Dave A]

Well?