feedback re: www.garf.org

[tiffmail]

Hello!

Does anyone have any feedback about doing business with www.garf.org? They are also knows as: Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation, Inc. and are located in Boise, Idaho.

 

[ChrisRD]

If you do a search on the board I think you'll find a variety of opinions on GARF. The topic has come-up a lot in the past... :wink:

FWIW, I bought some inverts from them (years ago) and had no problems. Never purchased corals from them.

 

[Anonymous]

What Chris said, :lol:...people either love them or hate them. I won't disclose to you my opinion except its the second one .

What were you thinking about buying Tiff?

 

[tiffmail]

Oh, you hate them? That's not good. Might I inquire about why you dislike them? I was just reading some of the other posts about them (as per Chris) and I haven't stumbled across many opinions...just people either suggesting their plastic rocks, propagation techniques or others saying that they are going to follow their fool proof reef set up.

I was thinking about getting some more snails. We just got the new light a few weeks ago and have some green algae growing pretty rapidly at the bottom of the tank.

I was also going to get some hermit crabs. I wasn't going to get one of their janitor packs because it seems to be a bit overkill. I was most curious about the grunge and maybe one Ricordia.

Oh BTW, I'm trying to recreate your recipe for the torch coral. Also, last night, I introduced the Pygmy Angel to the display tank and used the "lawdawg drip" to acclimate him.

Thanks,
Tiffany

 

[Len]

I've ordered from GARF twice, but this was more then a decade ago. One package arrived with poor packaging and the wrong address (I had to drive 20 miles to pick it up at the Fedex station ..... guy on the phone was concerned about a "wet" box he has addressed to me).

In any event, GARF has a dubious reputation. They recommend methodologies that are not regarded by most as sound, and they offer advice that most of us would consider questionable at best. They're also known for doctoring their photos (photoshopping photos is often referred to as "garfed" by reefkeepers ). They aren't all bad, but take their advice with a big grain of salt.

 

[Anonymous]

My experience, and thought pattern is similar to Lens, only not so nice .

My advice re: the clean up crew is to shop around to different online sources for your critters, compare prices and shipping, check around your area locally also see what they are charging for them to help you make up your mind. As far as the "grunge", I wouldn't bother IMO only!

I will say as far as online sources that I have used (almost) all of the RDO sponsers at one time or another and had good service.

 

[mogrunda]

Greetings, i too was taken by garf grunge almost 400 dollars for some useless crap i could have scrapped off my shoe after stepping in a dog pie, the package came with 39 dead cerinth snails i got talked into 20 lbs of grunge regular and the cleanup crew the cerinths and the hermits that made it totalled around 150 he threw in a quarter size piece of green macro for close to 400 dollars yeah he threw it in , the plan is to set you up with hair and brown algae in the grunge package it feeds the cleanup crew you get a brown diatom bloom and nothing more ive looked under a microscope other than diatoms and same thing you can get from any established cup of tank water nothing. then i phone and ask about the dead snails he tells me to wait till monday this is thursday said they were in suspended animation and were trying to figure out where they were at. i call monday he tells me to call back in a week he saisd he would put me down for a credit for MY NEXT ORDER! and give me ten free, well according to the website the cleanup crew is custom setup for the size of the tank, hmm i said id like replacements for the dead ones he said call me back in a week my wife is having surgery wed ok so understandable call back oh give call me back in a week the stock needs to rest for a week, well leroy is pleasent enough while setting you up for the kill his lack of making good on the loss of the snails and his constant stalling worked in my benefit it allowed me to see him as he truly is if he needs to rip me off for such a small item and by the way my royal dumb a.. even donated 40.00 previous to him im sure he has done some good somewhere some time but in my case im out 39.00 worth + shipping which is about the same oh and after the fact/ you get a letter that states they dont credit shipping hmm overnite and only one bag smelled like death, so basically im out 200 + dollars subtracting the live snails and crabs, i am extremely dissapointed with this company he is basically trying to set you up as a regular user every six months with this cleaup crew and doesnt even honor his original sale pretty slick im saddened and disgusted by the tactics he has used and the worthless product i ignorantly trusted him to use IT IS A SCAM BEWARE, i know i only wish i had researched all the bad reviews first.

 

[kendall98]

What about Petco?

 

[rossbryant1956]

Petco has certain snails and crabs on sale till March 15 for $0.99 each. I am starting a new tank and will be buying my cleanup crew here. I, too, had a recent experience with Garf that I am recovering from; got all my money and product finally but had to invest way too much time and effort to make it happen.

I love their web site and the information they share but it is hard to do business with them. Thx