The idea of tranship, or trans-ship, and trans-shipping, is
to get the corals from the exporter to a client across the
country as fast as can be done. The duration is great enough
that the corals or fish must be re-acclimated and re-packed
in L.A., which is commonly just called "re-ox."
We do a pH-controlled re-acclimation, with everything getting
new bags, water, and ox. This allows you to get corals directly
from the exporter just like the wholesaler or retailer,
rather than after much has been cherry-picked at each stop
on the way. Some corals might look differently when
they come in from tranship than how you usually see them
in the store.
The corals are packed nearly 24 hours by time they arrive
in L.A., and then another 18-24 from L.A. to you. By the time
you get them they have been in the dark for most of nearly
two days, in full-blown, inside a box, blackness. Some corals
may temporarily lose some color from the experience.
When they arrive, some will still look great in the bag; some
will look okay; some might not be so impressive. At the two days
in a bag point, most things are in full regression. Mushrooms are
a tenth of their expanded size or less, zoos and star polyps are
closed so tight it might take a day or two to open. Softies and
LPS often do pretty well in shipping other than fully contracting,
often beyond anything you have seen or thought possible. Usually
over the first night they blow up, rehydrate, and double or more
in size. A little leather when you went to bed is a large one in
the morning.
SPS sometimes suffer a fading of color; some will not, but some do.
Generally there will still always be traces of the neon blue, pink,
or green, or yellow, etc. You will be able to tell they are good
quality Acros from the colors right out of the bag. Although some
are likely to be only a hint of what they really are, others will
be mind-blowing awesome. Usually the ones that seem least
impressive at first, turn out to be the best ones.
With a couple weeks to 30 days of TLC they will be at their former
pre-shipping glory.
We want to share with you a perfect example of this. Francisco M.
of Miami sent us this picture showing a mixed box of Kupang tranship
he received from us. Note the pale, creamy Stylophora, just a little
pink, not particularly impressive of color the day after arrival in
quarantine, though the size and shape are clearly excellent. There
is admittedly only a hint of color on it. Except I know better.
Look at the same coral one month later in the "after" picture
when it graduated from quarantine to display tank. It is somewhere beyond
spectacular and astounding. It is the same piece. Many of the polyps are
neon purple in close-up. It is hard to imagine such when you were dreaming
of getting something like that, and see the creamy coral when you open
the bag. There was really no indication of that upon arrival, as is often
the case. Our suppliers are the cream of the crop, we don't do brown
unless you special order it, the pieces are almost always the real deal
A-1 5-star, sometimes even when they don't look it upon arrival.
To be honest, some customers have complained about some pieces not being
colorful enough out of the bag, and plain, upon arrival. This
is the difference between a coral in a retail store for a month,
and one out of the bag just in directly from the exporter after
48 hours in the dark. Often an outstanding piece of stunning
beauty might not appear so obviously right out of the bag after
two days in the dark. And such is the case often with a couple
or a few corals in a box, depending on what you order.
Obviously, Francisco knows what he is doing and took great care
of this piece during quarantine, and we appreciate him sending us the
picture of it graduating to the display tank! Great work F.M.!
We wanted to share it with everyone because it shows so well
something normal to expect when ordering direct from exporters,
tranship. These before and after pictures do say ten thousand words.
(Another customer of ours sent us a photo shortly after
receiving, and then another months later ... thanks to Jason
for the following.)
Here is a before and after photo of a Fiji Acropora. The first image
(on top) is from when it was first received. A nice pink Acro,
seemingly nothing extraordinary. The larger photo is after six months or so ...
note the blue tips on the new growth.
I can just about guaranty it had those blue tips when it was collected.
But over the couple of weeks of acclimation to tank life, and then going through
shipping, it has lost the color from the fresh recent newest growth areas.
In a few months with proper care, a rather large percentage of single
color Acros 'out of the box' will respond the same way. So
to a degree, especially with Acros, even when you open the box, what
you see is not what you will end up with. Usually they get much much
better than at first light after a couple of rough days in the dark. Most
will reacquire their full original colors. They still have some of that
dna in there. Often as not, that green Acro will end up with some other
color on the tips or polyps. A good supplement (trace elements) regimen
is very important, fast growing Acropora can really eat it up.
~ birdfish
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