125 - Took Forever But Here It is!
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Maybe they need better policy before accepting orders for shipping live animals. It won't be perfect, but there have got to be better ways to ensure (and at least insure) these deliveries.
At least it is not quite as bad as the time I talked with a representative from a large fish vendor due to the following issue:
1. Original shipment schedule delayed since fish were not available (fine with me, tried to reschedule the shipment for the next week).
2. Checked through email that next earliest shipment would be at least as late as next week, since I did not want fish delivered while I was away travelling from Friday through Monday, confirmed the shipment would be next week.
3. Got confirmation Wednesday morning of same week saying fish was available and was shipping out for Friday delivery... called immediately to get shipment delayed/rescheduled for the next week since I was going to be gone on Friday!
4. They said the order was already being processed and could not be delayed or rescheduled, so delivery would be on Friday while I was gone... I asked about guarantee and they responded that if I found the fish dead on Tuesday after sitting on the delivery counter at work over my long weekend, they would send the refund... no regard for the loss of the fish, just a financial transaction...
Needless to say, I was not happy about it, but I was able to get a QT set up on my work desk with my manager's permission and had a co-worker receive the delivery and acclimate the fish while I was flying on Friday. The fish survived the process and did well, so it ended up okay, but I'm still not happy with the vendor's outlook on care for the individual fish.
At least this initiated having tanks at work, and I have been quite happy with that aspect!
OP
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tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Even not just for live animals - people pay for all kinds of things and pay the extra for next day or same day deliveries or even 2nd day deliveries and those deliveries end up being late. Most shipping companies refuse to even partially refund the shipping because it was something out of their control - I'm sorry, but how is equipment malfunction on their equipment my fault? I understand sometimes things fail but there's no backup plane/train/truck available? It has to sit exactly where it is for the next 24-48 hours because the original attempt failed? Why bother trying to make things right when we can just shrug and say "Expect it later" and "Please let us know if you receive it"...
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tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Ok, ranting and raving over for a bit at least. Back to important reefing things. Long post with lots of pictures to come shortly.
Another thing was done
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OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Ok, at @rmorris_14 suggestion of lots of horrible pictures, I decided to go ahead and make another Aragocrete Rack for up to 3 Bowers or 3 of my Blastos or whatever I decide - maybe Favia or something? Ok, enough delay - pictures and instructions!
I started with a piece of egg crate lighting diffuser and cut a piece big enough to hold what I want:
Then, using a heat gun I heated the egg crate at the points I wanted to bend and bent the legs at a 90⁰ angle (don't over heat the egg crate or it will warp, don't under heat it or it will crack while bending):
Next, I added a base of moist aragonite sand (not soaking wet, not dry - just enough to stick together) to the curing container so that it will touch the base of the rack, placed the rack in the sand and filled in around the edges for where I want the Aragocrete to be and add the dowels:
Next I clean the old, dry Aragocrete out of the mixing bucket (set aside for later projects!), added about a cup each of Portland cement and aragonite sand and mixed well:
After mixing well I add water a little at a time - you want the consistency to be chunky but stuck together good - not enough water and it'll be crumbly, too much and you'll have pudding with no texture on the rack. I then add some water softener salt (smaller pieces make smaller "craters", bigger pieces bigger "craters") and mix thoroughly, then coat the exposed egg crate:
Now, the work is basically done so I remove the dowels and cover the rack with moist aragonite sand fully at least an inch over the top, replace the lid on the curing container, and wait 24-48 hours for it to dry enough to handle (this picture is VERY important):
Usually, after 24 hours I'll go ahead and pull the finished project out to air dry for a couple of days before putting it in a bucket of water to start the leaching process.
Even if this was TLDR, at least it had some pretty (ugly) pictures!
I started with a piece of egg crate lighting diffuser and cut a piece big enough to hold what I want:
Then, using a heat gun I heated the egg crate at the points I wanted to bend and bent the legs at a 90⁰ angle (don't over heat the egg crate or it will warp, don't under heat it or it will crack while bending):
Next, I added a base of moist aragonite sand (not soaking wet, not dry - just enough to stick together) to the curing container so that it will touch the base of the rack, placed the rack in the sand and filled in around the edges for where I want the Aragocrete to be and add the dowels:
Next I clean the old, dry Aragocrete out of the mixing bucket (set aside for later projects!), added about a cup each of Portland cement and aragonite sand and mixed well:
After mixing well I add water a little at a time - you want the consistency to be chunky but stuck together good - not enough water and it'll be crumbly, too much and you'll have pudding with no texture on the rack. I then add some water softener salt (smaller pieces make smaller "craters", bigger pieces bigger "craters") and mix thoroughly, then coat the exposed egg crate:
Now, the work is basically done so I remove the dowels and cover the rack with moist aragonite sand fully at least an inch over the top, replace the lid on the curing container, and wait 24-48 hours for it to dry enough to handle (this picture is VERY important):
Usually, after 24 hours I'll go ahead and pull the finished project out to air dry for a couple of days before putting it in a bucket of water to start the leaching process.
Even if this was TLDR, at least it had some pretty (ugly) pictures!
OP
OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Work iPhone with orange safety glasses.
OP
OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
This is growing off the side of one of the tentacles below the bubble. Kinda weird.
I don't know what we're making, but looks like a cool process.Ok, at @rmorris_14 suggestion of lots of horrible pictures, I decided to go ahead and make another Aragocrete Rack for up to 3 Bowers or 3 of my Blastos or whatever I decide - maybe Favia or something? Ok, enough delay - pictures and instructions!
I started with a piece of egg crate lighting diffuser and cut a piece big enough to hold what I want:
Then, using a heat gun I heated the egg crate at the points I wanted to bend and bent the legs at a 90⁰ angle (don't over heat the egg crate or it will warp, don't under heat it or it will crack while bending):
Next, I added a base of moist aragonite sand (not soaking wet, not dry - just enough to stick together) to the curing container so that it will touch the base of the rack, placed the rack in the sand and filled in around the edges for where I want the Aragocrete to be and add the dowels:
Next I clean the old, dry Aragocrete out of the mixing bucket (set aside for later projects!), added about a cup each of Portland cement and aragonite sand and mixed well:
After mixing well I add water a little at a time - you want the consistency to be chunky but stuck together good - not enough water and it'll be crumbly, too much and you'll have pudding with no texture on the rack. I then add some water softener salt (smaller pieces make smaller "craters", bigger pieces bigger "craters") and mix thoroughly, then coat the exposed egg crate:
Now, the work is basically done so I remove the dowels and cover the rack with moist aragonite sand fully at least an inch over the top, replace the lid on the curing container, and wait 24-48 hours for it to dry enough to handle (this picture is VERY important):
Usually, after 24 hours I'll go ahead and pull the finished project out to air dry for a couple of days before putting it in a bucket of water to start the leaching process.
Even if this was TLDR, at least it had some pretty (ugly) pictures!
OP
OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Aragocrete frag rack.
I can't picture the final product.
OP
OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
This one's a hanging one.
OP
OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Here's the rest of the rocks I've made.
They've been in the tank for a couple months now.
They've been in the tank for a couple months now.
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
Nice new profile pic!
Stang67
KEEP CALM AND REEF ON
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Ups sucks. I'm sorry. If $ to ship wasn't bad enough this kind of thing is only going to cause it to increase, so they can recoup some losses.
Eggcrate rock is cool. Only concern with the haning one is will the weight be too much for the one square width to handle?
Avatar is interesting but Cinco de Mayo is still a ways off. Are we allowed to start celebrating now?
Happy friday.
Eggcrate rock is cool. Only concern with the haning one is will the weight be too much for the one square width to handle?
Avatar is interesting but Cinco de Mayo is still a ways off. Are we allowed to start celebrating now?
Happy friday.
steveschuerger
I love Gonis and Euphyllia. Maybe too much
Nice avatar. Though a Mexican Zebra isn’t some thing you see everyday
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
I thought it might have been a dig on UPS. As though to say, “UPS would have better delivery times if they used Mexican zebras.”Nice avatar. Though a Mexican Zebra isn’t some thing you see everyday
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steveschuerger
I love Gonis and Euphyllia. Maybe too much
This a typical UPS delivery persons day—
Needless to say I’ve had a few rounds in the rodeo with them
Needless to say I’ve had a few rounds in the rodeo with them
OP
OP
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
UPS Customer Service called wanting to discuss my "chat" from yesterday. I kindly asked them to call back AFTER the delivery arrives. It's out for delivery now even though it's still preparing for delivery...?
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