I got a shipment of live rock today, which usually would be cause for celebration. I had to be away for the day, so I left instructions for our very kind and very conscientious postman to ensure that if it came today that it was put in a safe place. He dutifully left it up on the porch, out of all direct sunlight, so all should have been well.
Did you notice I typed, "should have been"?
The packaging for this rock was entirely substandard. It was wrapped in a meager amount of damp newsprint, and tied up in a thin, plastic garbage bag, which was then placed inside a standard USPS shipping box without additional insulation or cushioning. As you can imagine, there was quite a bit of shifting in this loosely packed box. That and the moisture that escaped the substandard wrapping caused a large hole to erupt in one corner while it was in transit.
Now, for those of you who are not familiar with central Texas, we have some of the most tenacious and prolific insects you'll find anywhere. Due to this hole, a veritable swarm of fire ants made their way into the box. When I opened it and peeled back the newspaper, I couldn't even see the rock past the ants. I hosed it off and brought it inside and plopped it into the vat of saltwater I had prepared for it's arrival. Then I sat there with a net, and scooped ants off the top for hours. They're still appearing at the water's surface and I am dutifully skimming them off the top.
