Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

[nacra99]

I have been waiting for this day for the past month and a half and alas... it was a heartbreak....
I thought i'd share some pics to grieve....


Package at doorstep



Uh oh... cloudy water + double bagged with kordon breather bags = trouble



I am disappointed that such an experience shipper would double bag breather bags.


$60 shrimp lying at the bottom


I'm working on getting compensated. We'll see what happens....

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

That sucks. Were they all dead? How long were they in the mail?

[nacra99]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

Yep.. all dead.
'They were only in the bag for less than 24 hrs. They arrived in the U.S last week or so and spent some time recuperating at the transhipper's.
Perhaps they are still stressed from the intercontinental journey.

I suspect it might have been the double bagging of the breather bags.

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

It is cause of the double bagging.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

ditto on poor shipping.....

Non-breathable if you gag it.

[Mzungu]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(



You know, I read about the double-bagging concept, and I was confused...I guess I was correct in assuming that double bagging in breather bags wouldn't work too well.

I'm really, really sorry. That's very sad. But I'm sure you'll be able to work something out. Good luck, and keep us posted.

EDIT: I was a little curious, so I looked at Kordon's site. It said this about multiple bags:

For spiny fish and aquatic invertebrates that tear the Kordon Breathing Bags, it is recommended to use a vegetable produce bag perforated with holes, such as those used for grapes, fitted inside the Breathing Bag to help with the puncture problem. For most smaller spiny fishes it is sufficient to multiple bag them, Breathing Bag within Breathing Bag, preferably with the inner bag wrapped in one or more layers of wet paper.  Another way with less breathability is to have water in both the inner and outer Breathing Bag.  There is a proportionate loss of breathability (up to approximately 50%) for one bag inside another, which will affect different animals differently. The user should experiment to find acceptable conditions for multiple bagging.

Still seems strange to me.

[JStrider]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

bummer!

I wouldnt think that the shrimp would really pose much risk to puncturing the bag...

[nacra99]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

I have shipped and received hundreds of shrimp in single kordon breather bags and have yet to have any losses due to puncture. In fact, i had some crayfish imported from Germany that spent a week in a single layer of breather bags with no problem.

Mzungu, from their website, kordon seems at first to allow double bagging but i guess they exonerate themselves from any blame with the phrase
"which will affect different animals differently. The user should experiment to find acceptable conditions for multiple bagging."

Seems like they are admitting in a roundabout way that double bagging is risky.

Still i would not recommend double bagging for breather bags. Most of the losses that i encounter using these bags is leakage through the knot at the top of the bag. But this is easily solved through double knotting about 1/2" apart. Larger spiny fish like discus or some catfish should never be shipped in breather bags.

[Mzungu]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

They also say "Small punctures such as from fish spines often do not penetrate the plastic, and if they do, the molecular structure of the plastic tends to realign and reduce the size of the holes or reseal itself."

Again, sorry about the spongicolas, hope you get things worked out.

[mahoro]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

so any more updates?  did they do a full refund?

[nacra99]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

still working on it.
The market rate for sulawesis have come down quite significantly since i placed my first order 2 months ago. So we're trying to work out the details.
I might end up with 30 cardinals instead of 15 spongicolas, which i don't mind either.
I'll definitely keep everyone updated.

[mahoro]

Re: Newest New Arrivals - Spongicola didn't make it =(

ah, good luck, cardinals are sweet looking, looks like they got white panty holes on...  for my next tank its really hard to decide what i want, i want a 20L fowlr tank with high fin and pistol shrimps... but i also want to set up another planted tank for sulawesi shrimp...