Vendors! Take care of the live rock!!!

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Myka

Ohhhhh, another Skatchie that's ripped on this. I get it now!! You guys think this thread was started in regards to a particular local vendor don't you? It's not! If anyone thinks I was talking about a specific vendor that's not the case. The original post was a general comment regarding practices I have seen in the last few years all over western Canada including some of the largest vendors in the business.

Now I understand why I got PMs from a bunch of Skatchies.

Not really, perhaps people from Saskatchewan just have a little more class and respect for vendors in general because we do have such a good one in the province.

Personally if I wanted peoples opinions on rock I would say "Hey guys how do you like your rock?" not "Hey vendors what's wrong with you?"
You didn't even ask for peoples opinions only why vendors don't do things the way you think it should be done.
I don't see how anyone could consider this a friendly conversation stater on live rock.

Besides if you want to bash vendors or just complain fine but don't get so uptight when people disagree and talk back. Doesn't make much sense to say you can complain about others but they can't complain about you.

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

[Scythanith]

Originally Posted by Myka

The point of this thread was to start a discussion on live rock not business plans. The thread got rather off-topic rather quickly.

Originally Posted by Myka

Ok, this has been a long standing complaint of mine...

Why do vendors always get in a bunch of live rock from overseas plop it in a holding tank, and not give a popcorn fart if the ammonia spikes to 4 ppm?? Why oh why do you guys do this? Most vendors don't even have a skimmer on the holding tank, some don't put a heater in it, and some use tap water!!! Like seriously Mr Vendor, don't you know you're charging a PREMIUM for this stuff which happens to be the most important filtration "device" we will invest in often spending more money on rock than our skimmer, and you're not taking any procedures to promote a HEALTHY, LIVELY, CLEAN rock??

One day, I'm going to have my own store...things will be different!!!!

Seems like a straight forward complaint on the business practices (the way a place conducts it's business...ie take care of it's livestock).

Originally Posted by Myka

...The original post was a general comment regarding practices I have seen in the last few years all over western Canada including some of the largest vendors in the business.

Originally Posted by sphelps

Personally if I wanted peoples opinions on rock I would say "Hey guys how do you like your rock?" not "Hey vendors what's wrong with you?"
You didn't even ask for peoples opinions only why vendors don't do things the way you think it should be done.
I don't see how anyone could consider this a friendly conversation stater on live rock.

Besides if you want to bash vendors or just complain fine but don't get so uptight when people disagree and talk back. Doesn't make much sense to say you can complain about others but they can't complain about you.

Myka, I know where you're coming from and I think I know what your trying to say. I also know where Steve is coming from. It's easy to throw a blanket statement about husbandry practices out but you had to have expected some debate on the subject. And the debate has both been on the actual husbandry (which you were trying to stimulate) and the business side of it (which was inevitable).

Of course people are going to protect a business they are proud to shop at. But people are naive if they think that a LFS is infallible. Of course they do things wrong, and it's usually not due to ignorance but economics in my experience. That doesn't make it right. Discussion is needed between the customer and LFS to express concerns and maybe even help them develop a new technique. If a LFS owner was receptive to this approach, you may also learn some of the constraints that they need to operate within to maintain a successful business. Everyone can learn from each other, and there is no way of doing that without dialogue. Good on you Myka for opening that dialogue. I think people need to get together to have a rum and eggnogg. Tone is lost in the internet and it's way to easy to misinterpret someones comments.

Good topic, bad approach, but overall mission accomplished.

Scott

[sphelps]

Well said Scott, I don't have a problem discussing the best ways to store or cure rock as some of us already have but obviously there's a better way to do this.

I don't think vendors get neatly enough credit for what they do for the hobby, they are our support line. It's really easy for us to complain and act like it's so easy to do things perfectly to our own standards or beliefs but when it comes down to it, it just isn't that simple. Until the world is perfect we have to support those who support us, even if we don't approve of everything they do, and show a little more respect. We have freedom of speech but ethics and morals still apply so in other words let's not bite the hands that feeds us.