Copepods order through mail are stinky and I don't see any movement....I shouldn't stick it in my tank right?

[moosepotatoes]

Feel like this kind of stupid question but I've ordered copepods in the past from Algae Barn and they didn't have a smell.

I've ordered two sets of copepods from aquarium Depot and the first ones I returned because I'm pretty sure they were dead in the second ones also showed up dead I think.

The bag smells really bad and I don't see any movement in the bag. They arrived with very little water and mostly just a wet sponge.

This isn't normal right? I shouldn't stick that wet stinky sponge in my tank and some stragglers are going to crawl out of there?

I just don't want to throw these out of it's just the way it looks/smells usually.

 

[Syntax1235]

Call them asap and report the doa. You only have a certain amount of time per their policy.

I wouldn’t put them in my tank if the water smelled foul and there was no movement.

 

[moosepotatoes]

I did report it already with pictures. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't throwing out good copepods or something and that they usually smell bad....I don't know. Thanks for the help!

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

I did report it already with pictures. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't throwing out good copepods or something and that they usually smell bad....I don't know. Thanks for the help!

I definitely wouldn’t add them if they smell…that usually indicates ammonia (dead/rotting). In this heat, vendors probably should be sending pods in insulated styrofoam boxes with ice packs (it’s what we do - expensive but results in happy customers). Anything less will likely result in a high number of DOAs.

 

[moosepotatoes]

I definitely wouldn’t add them if they smell…that usually indicates ammonia (dead/rotting). In this heat, vendors probably should be sending pods in insulated styrofoam boxes with ice packs (it’s what we do - expensive but results in happy customers). Anything less will likely result in a high number of DOAs.

Yeah it was in a Styrofoam box with ice packs too, it just smelled awful and was warm when it came. It was shipped on Monday and just got here today. I tossed them and submitted a claim. Hopefully they honor it. Thanks!

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens]

Yeah it was in a Styrofoam box with ice packs too, it just smelled awful and was warm when it came. It was shipped on Monday and just got here today. I tossed them and submitted a claim. Hopefully they honor it. Thanks!

I'm glad to hear they shipped it well! We have about a 2% DOA rate, and it's usually super random. This entire summer we didn't lose a single Texas order (105+ degree heat) but had random losses in NJ, CO, PA. I think sometimes it has to do with the position of the box on the UPS truck - like sometimes the box is placed right up against the side of the truck, and that side is in direct sunlight all day.

Have a great weekend!