My first JAG, first order from Rapps, HATE UPS!

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Damon0306

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 6, 2006
469
19
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New Jersey
I received my first Jaguar Cichlid yesterday from Jeff Rapps. Only other large cichlids I have kept previously were Oscars, and a GT.

My main interest is KOI, but with winter upon us in Jersey, most of my fish outside are just ready to go into hibernation. And I think I would crazy with no fish inside to keep me going through the winter.

The JAG a wildcaught adult male is a monster, he has beautiful markings and is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

But I hate UPS!! I thought since this fish was being shipped from NJ to another location in NJ that shipping was the last thing I was going to be worried about.

Well when I received the box it was chewed up so bad it looked as if it went through a war. Dripping water and everthing I was sick to my stomach. :cry:

I found this fish on it's side in a small puddle of blue water. At first I thought it was dead, I was able to pick it up with my bare hands, then I saw the side fin gently flapping in my hand.

No time to waste, I placed the fish in a rubbermaid box with the little puddle of blue water, and started adding mild temp water from the tap with Prime..

The fish started to right itself and I gently moved it back and fourth, helping it right itself.

A few minutes later I netted it covered it with a wash cloth just incase it decided to hop and placed it in the tank.

This morning he is still alive and looks a lot better. A little rocky, but atleast not lying on his side. I sure hope he pulls through.

Man I hate UPS, I've never had luck with them. I've purchased KOI from California before shipped via FedEX across the country to me and never had a problem.

I hope to have some pictures of this magnificient beast if he holds on. Right now I don't want to disturb him in anyway.

BTW this fish makes my 6 inch Green Terror look like a big guppy :naughty:
 
Holy smokes, glad your fish is doing OK!

It sucks because UPS (or any shipper for that matter that I'm aware of) doesn't insure live fish, so even if they completely crush the box they will refuse insurance claims.

I'm sure your fish will pull through with your TLC!
 
glad to hear he's doing ok

i used to breed and sell most reptiles, ups always screwed up, when i was the shipper, or when i had another reptile shipped to me, it was madness.

i can't wait to see some photos of this monster.
 
Now i'm dying to see a picture of him.
 
its not any of my buisnes,but how long did it take for the fish to come to your house,and did the water in the bag seem crystal clear, or full of waste.:confused:
 
The water in the bags is blue due to the chemicals Jeff puts into the water to ease stress, relax them, and sometimes, put them to sleep for the trip.

I'm sorry to hear about the jacked up box tho. My fish arrived from NJ to Los Angeles the very next day and in perfect condition. My Male Midas was groggy and kinda out of it for the first week or 2 and would lay under a peice of bogwood. After about a week and a half, he became a beligerent bad-ass and started sporting the typical Red Devil Complex behaviors.

As long as your Jag didn't suffer too much in transit, once the medication (or whatever chemical Jeff puts in the bags to turn the water blue) wears off he should recover and do fine. Best of luck man, I hope he pulls through.
 
I too ordered some fish from Rapps around two weeks ago. My order include 5 Vieja species and they too arrived with water spilling out of the bags and the box a bit banged up. When I opened the box I thought that all the fish would be dead but they are healthy and doing really good. I know exactly what you went through. UPS sucks.
 
UPS sound like they don't take care of live shipments and i'm pretty sure some where ont he box is going to say live fish handle with care but they have on regards to what us as fish hobbist hold so presious so i say UPS should be more aware of what they are doing.
 
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