Got frags from Rainbow Corals - Vendor Experience

[Elmo18]

Hey all. Just got some frags from Rainbow Corals, run by Jim Huang. I ordered the 6 frags for 75 bux including shipping, even though it stated that they may have browned out, etc etc.

Well, i emailed him a couple times and his replies are quick, very timely. i asked for several pictures and he uploaded them for me that night. Well i open the package today, and whoala, none of them are really brown, except for an Acropora speciosa that is starting to turn green! No brown corals, received a perfect healthy Acropora loisetteae in bluish hue. That coral and several others had polyp expansion in the bag.

To add to this whole mess (non of which was related to Jim), I waited to Fedex to arrive by 10:30 am. Well so 10:30 am goes by, there i am waiting on the couch...looking at my watch time to time. So just stitting, there, and its 11 am!
and still no corals! So i go out my door, and what do you know there was a Fedex thing hanging on the outside doorknob, basically said we missed you at 10:49 am. So i was freakin out, because the fedex person apparently didnt' knock or maybe tried the broken doorbell. Aye well, so i'm stressing out, called that 1-800 number. Spoke to some lady, who i later forgot to ask for her name because i was franticking for the corals. She says the courier will "try" make another stop again. So then 1:20 pm, corals are here. So about 3 hours later than what I would have hoped.

Also, note that it was snowing the previous night during shipping, and so i was worried. Very very worried.

However, the box was well packed. 3 heat packs (thx Jim!) helped save the corals for sure. However, the bags seemed a bit cooler than I would have thought. Of course, without any heatpacks, i'd be left with dead corals. Well i acclimated each one quickly. Waited 20 minutes for each one to get to the right tank temp, of around 80 degrees. Well i look into each bag, and i see polyps are out (sigh of relief). Spent the next 40 minutes acclimating them with the tank water.

About an hour later, all polyps are out on each coral. I'm just glad they made it, and a job well done for Rainbow Corals and to Jim. All bags were double bagged, and rubber-banded each one which was great. I hate the metal clips. Styrofoam peanuts were there, also. came in a 1x1x1 foot box, and it was filled, so there was no loose bags flying. Provided me with both an online and email invoice, which was a double plus.

And....he threw me in a bonus frag. I don't know how he can call these browned out, because really they are colorful. I can't wait for the speciosa to color up, though. Almost all frags had multiple branches except for a long Acropora formosa piece which was thick and long, say about 3 inches, which was only 1 branch.

I also liked that he shipped the coral frags which did not encrust over to small rubble/live rock separately without the rock. The ones that did encrust, which were 5 out of the 7 frags, he shipped with, and that was great. So yeah, A++ for truly nice captive frags!

I'll post some pics later of the frags. I was franticking thsi afternoon and really didnt' take a picture of the box...the packaging, or i would have. Truly, 6 frags for 75 dollars shipped...and a bonus frag, ah ok, i dont know what can beat that.

have a nice thxgiving!!

- Elmo

[Elmo18]

Hey all. Just got some frags from Rainbow Corals, run by Jim Huang. I ordered the 6 frags for 75 bux including shipping, even though it stated that they may have browned out, etc etc.

Well, i emailed him a couple times and his replies are quick, very timely. i asked for several pictures and he uploaded them for me that night. Well i open the package today, and whoala, none of them are really brown, except for an Acropora speciosa that is starting to turn green! No brown corals, received a perfect healthy Acropora loisetteae in bluish hue. That coral and several others had polyp expansion in the bag.

To add to this whole mess (non of which was related to Jim), I waited to Fedex to arrive by 10:30 am. Well so 10:30 am goes by, there i am waiting on the couch...looking at my watch time to time. So just stitting, there, and its 11 am!
and still no corals! So i go out my door, and what do you know there was a Fedex thing hanging on the outside doorknob, basically said we missed you at 10:49 am. So i was freakin out, because the fedex person apparently didnt' knock or maybe tried the broken doorbell. Aye well, so i'm stressing out, called that 1-800 number. Spoke to some lady, who i later forgot to ask for her name because i was franticking for the corals. She says the courier will "try" make another stop again. So then 1:20 pm, corals are here. So about 3 hours later than what I would have hoped.

Also, note that it was snowing the previous night during shipping, and so i was worried. Very very worried.

However, the box was well packed. 3 heat packs (thx Jim!) helped save the corals for sure. However, the bags seemed a bit cooler than I would have thought. Of course, without any heatpacks, i'd be left with dead corals. Well i acclimated each one quickly. Waited 20 minutes for each one to get to the right tank temp, of around 80 degrees. Well i look into each bag, and i see polyps are out (sigh of relief). Spent the next 40 minutes acclimating them with the tank water.

About an hour later, all polyps are out on each coral. I'm just glad they made it, and a job well done for Rainbow Corals and to Jim. All bags were double bagged, and rubber-banded each one which was great. I hate the metal clips. Styrofoam peanuts were there, also. came in a 1x1x1 foot box, and it was filled, so there was no loose bags flying. Provided me with both an online and email invoice, which was a double plus.

And....he threw me in a bonus frag. I don't know how he can call these browned out, because really they are colorful. I can't wait for the speciosa to color up, though. Almost all frags had multiple branches except for a long Acropora formosa piece which was thick and long, say about 3 inches, which was only 1 branch.

I also liked that he shipped the coral frags which did not encrust over to small rubble/live rock separately without the rock. The ones that did encrust, which were 5 out of the 7 frags, he shipped with, and that was great. So yeah, A++ for truly nice captive frags!

I'll post some pics later of the frags. I was franticking thsi afternoon and really didnt' take a picture of the box...the packaging, or i would have. Truly, 6 frags for 75 dollars shipped...and a bonus frag, ah ok, i dont know what can beat that.

have a nice thxgiving!!

- Elmo

well.....so far.......half are alive They have bleached overnight, formosa is just dead, showing bare clean white skeleton, milleporas are peeling currently. All my other frags and acroporas and SPS are doing fine. Jim has been great all the way, says he will replace the dead frags. Top notch guy. I need to get battteries to take pics of the sad dying frags

Milleporas seem to go so fast once they start peeling

The Loisetteae looks good so far, the speciosa looks ok, and a green mille might be ok. The Formosa, bluish mille, stylo, and a yellow acro have or are bleaching from the bottom up. This is sad for them. I haven't had this many corals die at one time. I will keep you updated.

- Elmo