DOA season and stories

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I’ve been in the hobby for over 10 years and I have always had a hard time shipping and receiving corals in the spring. Weather swings are hard to determine exactly the best way to pack and ship.

Sometimes it feels like DOA is inevitable, but I’d like to hear some success stories. What lengths did the shipper go to make you a satisfied customer?

As a seller, what have you done to ensure a customer is happy?

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I’ll start! First off I believe acropora are the most sensitive to shipping. I’ve personally had 2 DOA purchases and 1 DOA that I have shipped this month alone. I believe that when shipping acropora it’s extremely important to know the weather at all the hubs it will be going to. Sometimes it is difficult because the coral is being packed at a 80 degree hub and going to be sitting at a 40 degree hub over night. In this case a heat pack is almost guaranteed to melt a coral.
I always suggest to wrap the heat pack in paper to slow the release of heat. Using a large amount of water will also help keep temperature and chemistry stable. I’ve recently learned that larger colonies or encrusting acros require more oxygen and some shippers will put oxygen in the bags.

Most importantly is how a DOA is handled. I’ve found most sellers are honorable people and will compensate to make things right. I’ve personally never had a issue resolving a DOA; shipping or receiving.

Another tough area is receiving an acropora that seems okay, but the water has a slight odor. Sometimes the coral will look ok and the next morning it’s all white. What is the correct way to handle something like this? I ask because most sellers use a 2 hour DOA window.