Clam mania

[Fury808]

Same here. Totally out of the blue with no apology or anything taking responsibility for the delay/lack of communication.

I love his videos. But he needs to improve customer service before I buy from him again.

 

[Shirak]

Today, which is 1 month and 2 days after I paid for my order, I got an email saying they would ship next week. No explanation, apology or offer to make it right.

Will be interesting to see what arrives vs what you ordered and condition etc!!

 

[Fury808]

Today, which is 1 month and 2 days after I paid for my order, I got an email saying they would ship next week. No explanation, apology or offer to make it

Will be interesting to see what arrives vs what you ordered and condition etc!!

It is a week later. He has not shipped yet despite saying he would ship this week.

I emailed asking if he was going to ship this week as stated in his email last week.

No response.

 

[Coral Your World]

It is a week later. He has not shipped yet despite saying he would ship this week.

I emailed asking if he was going to ship this week as stated in his email last week.

No response.

Man, you all give way too much leash to crappy businesses. Dude has proven time and time again he completely lacks any regard for customers. File a claim with your bank/cc and move on.

 

[Bitter old man]

@Ryan - Serious Reefs please get him back on your show. I know his poor service isn’t your fault but we would like answers. I would subscribe for that!

 

[Lighthouze08]

@Ryan - Serious Reefs please get him back on your show. I know his poor service isn’t your fault but we would like answers. I would subscribe for that!

+1 i would subscibe for that, actually i would subscribe for a yr.

 

[gigasclam1972]

@Ryan - Serious Reefs please get him back on your show. I know his poor service isn’t your fault but we would like answers. I would subscribe for that!

I wouldn't

 

[Pntbll687]

It's always sad to see someone loose trust in a vendor, they were on serious reefs recently, one would think that they would be trustworthy.

I'll just point out that Ryan had the owner of Vibrant on his youtube multiple times while at BRS. That dude was selling algecide and claiming it was bacteria.

 

[Sean Clark]

I'll just point out that Ryan had the owner of Vibrant on his youtube multiple times while at BRS. That dude was selling algecide and claiming it was bacteria.

And that was also sad to see play out the way that it did.

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

@Ryan - Serious Reefs please get him back on your show. I know his poor service isn’t your fault but we would like answers. I would subscribe for that!

Hi,

John has always been a stand up guy in my interactions, and the reason we invited him on was to share his knowledge of these animals. I have only purchased from him at trade shows, where the experiences were overwhelmingly positive. It is disappointing to hear that online purchases may be different.

I did not have plans for more clam videos, but if that comes up this would need to be resolved first. I understand the expectations of trust for anyone who appears on the show.

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

I'll just point out that Ryan had the owner of Vibrant on his youtube multiple times while at BRS. That dude was selling algecide and claiming it was bacteria.

Being lied to by a stranger online is one thing. Being repeatedly lied to face to face is another. Jeff let us all down. There is no question that the product worked. It produced the desired results and, because of that, most of us never questioned it. At least no more than anything else in this hobby.

This is the conundrum with products like this. The EPA heavily regulates anything that claims to control, kill, eradicate or manage algae or similar organisms. You see that play out in different ways.

• Big companies that serve all aquatics, like API with Algae Fix, can afford the regulation and approval process. No one has a problem with this.
• Smaller companies that only serve reefing often take alternative approaches. Some the community accepts and others it does not.
  • Reef Flux is a good example. The packaging now says its primary use is as an anti fungal fish medication. Everyone I know uses it to eliminate bryopsis. This kind of misdirection is designed to circumvent EPA rules, not deceive reefers, so most of us are ok with it. Sadly it hides the value from the people who need it. If it was called Bryopsis Killer HD more new reefers would know the tool exists and the instructions would be more helpful.
  • Chemi Clean is similar. The packaging claims to treat stains from red cyanobacteria, but cyano does not stain anything. That is a misdirection. The label also clearly states that it does not contain erythromycin succinate, but many believe it contains erythromycin cetyl sulfate. If true, it is not technically a lie but it is clearly designed to deceive. Also states that it works by oxidizing trapped organic sludge and promotes an ideal enzyme balance. I don't know anyone who believes that oxidation is the primary/effective mechanism. The reefing community does not seem to care much and I don't know many reefers who would want to pay more to pass EPA scrutiny.
  • Vibrant took it further. The packaging vaguely claimed to brighten and clean aquariums, but everyone used it to control algae. I used it any time I ran into bubble algae. Jeff explicitly stated it worked through natural bacteria. This isn't materially different than the chemiclean's misdirection. I think the difference is he doubled down on that claim in interviews, including on BRStv, with elaborate backstories. Seeing the face of the person lying to us crossed the line. If he had stayed behind the scenes and simply never said how it worked he may have avoided all this. Coming on the show may have been his downfall.

Did I like Jeff? Yes, he was an old schooler in the local club and would stop by my office every time he picked up an order. That made the betrayal that much harder. In the end I don't think anyone was more explicitly lied to or betrayed than myself.

Would I use Vibrant today? If I run into problematic bubble algae I will try API’s Algae Fix first. If it works, that will become my new tool. If it does not, I will quietly use Vibrant and not say anything about it, because it 100 percent works but it is also 100 percent not safe to say out loud. In the end I hate bubble algae more than I care about any of this.

 

[Fury808]

Hi,

John has always been a stand up guy in my interactions, and the reason we invited him on was to share his knowledge of these animals. I have only purchased from him at trade shows, where the experiences were overwhelmingly positive. It is disappointing to hear that online purchases may be different.

I did not have plans for more clam videos, but if that comes up this would need to be resolved first. I understand the expectations of trust for anyone who appears on the show.

Thank you for addressing this with an unfiltered response.

 

[Fury808]

Man, you all give way too much leash to crappy businesses. Dude has proven time and time again he completely lacks any regard for customers. File a claim with your bank/cc and move on.

Agreed. He still has not shipped. I just filed a dispute claim with my credit card. Basis was vendor failed to provide merchandise with no explanation after a month and a half .

 

[Fury808]

I got an email from Clam Mania today. They said they haven't seen me in awhile and have suggestions for what I can purchase. The irony ....

 

[Danjoethepirate]

For what these guys charge they should get on a plane and hand deliver.

 

[KrisReef]

I got an email from Clam Mania today. They said they haven't seen me in awhile and have suggestions for what I can purchase. The irony ....

I think it’s a sign that he has AI running his site now?

I have not ordered anything from him yet because I couldn’t get a hold of him to drop into his office/ business address to select a clam(s) in person. I have heard and observed the business from afar and I pray that he will get busy and resolve the concerns of his customers this week.

I have items paid for with another vendor that have also not been shipped out after payment. I am hoping that situation doesn’t get sloppy like this one has.

Be Kind!
Be reliable.
It’s what people want along the way.

 

[Staghorn]

Being lied to by a stranger online is one thing. Being repeatedly lied to face to face is another. Jeff let us all down. There is no question that the product worked. It produced the desired results and, because of that, most of us never questioned it. At least no more than anything else in this hobby.

This is the conundrum with products like this. The EPA heavily regulates anything that claims to control, kill, eradicate or manage algae or similar organisms. You see that play out in different ways.

• Big companies that serve all aquatics, like API with Algae Fix, can afford the regulation and approval process. No one has a problem with this.
• Smaller companies that only serve reefing often take alternative approaches. Some the community accepts and others it does not.
  • Reef Flux is a good example. The packaging now says its primary use is as an anti fungal fish medication. Everyone I know uses it to eliminate bryopsis. This kind of misdirection is designed to circumvent EPA rules, not deceive reefers, so most of us are ok with it. Sadly it hides the value from the people who need it. If it was called Bryopsis Killer HD more new reefers would know the tool exists and the instructions would be more helpful.
  • Chemi Clean is similar. The packaging claims to treat stains from red cyanobacteria, but cyano does not stain anything. That is a misdirection. The label also clearly states that it does not contain erythromycin succinate, but many believe it contains erythromycin cetyl sulfate. If true, it is not technically a lie but it is clearly designed to deceive. Also states that it works by oxidizing trapped organic sludge and promotes an ideal enzyme balance. I don't know anyone who believes that oxidation is the primary/effective mechanism. The reefing community does not seem to care much and I don't know many reefers who would want to pay more to pass EPA scrutiny.
  • Vibrant took it further. The packaging vaguely claimed to brighten and clean aquariums, but everyone used it to control algae. I used it any time I ran into bubble algae. Jeff explicitly stated it worked through natural bacteria. This isn't materially different than the chemiclean's misdirection. I think the difference is he doubled down on that claim in interviews, including on BRStv, with elaborate backstories. Seeing the face of the person lying to us crossed the line. If he had stayed behind the scenes and simply never said how it worked he may have avoided all this. Coming on the show may have been his downfall.

Did I like Jeff? Yes, he was an old schooler in the local club and would stop by my office every time he picked up an order. That made the betrayal that much harder. In the end I don't think anyone was more explicitly lied to or betrayed than myself.

Would I use Vibrant today? If I run into problematic bubble algae I will try API’s Algae Fix first. If it works, that will become my new tool. If it does not, I will quietly use Vibrant and not say anything about it, because it 100 percent works but it is also 100 percent not safe to say out loud. In the end I hate bubble algae more than I care about any of this.

I actually was still dosing this stuff up until about a month or two ago when I read all of the backlash. I never noticed any negative effects, but maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough.

 

[Staghorn]

still have a bottle, and now I’m afraid to use it

 

[PlainEnvelopes]

I placed and order last we and the clam was received. Packaged really well. I have met him a few times at a couple shows had no issues so far, but I am glad I did not see this thread before my order.

 

[Fury808]

I placed and order last we and the clam was received. Packaged really well. I have met him a few times at a couple shows had no issues so far, but I am glad I did not see this thread before my order.

Oh good. Maybe he will get on top of it. I still have gotten no response or shipments.