Mass Thermos Swap V1.0

[sarduci]

First off, I apologize if this is in the wrong forum, but this swap is for zoanthids only. This is not really just a trade, and in no way is anything being sold. I ask any mods interested in moving this to please contact me first via PM or e-mail at thermos_swap@troyradtke.com.

Mass Thermos Swap

I'm thinking about coordinating a mass thermos trade for zoanthids. I figure I might as well put my project management skills to work and help out some people. The goal is to actually do the trade in about 2 months once the weather warms up all over the country and there shouldn't be any major mailing/shipping issues with snow anymore.

Proposed rules of the game:

Goal of the project:
To have every one person trade two frags of a zoanthid with two other people.

Format of the pairings:
The pairings with be done at random. The first person drawn will be paired with the second. The second person is paired back to the first, and the third name is drawn. The second person is now paired to the first and third, and the third back to the second and to the yet to be drawn fourth name. That will continue until the last name is drawn, which will be paired back to the first name. The drawing process is open to another person supervising if they can make it when it fits into my schedule. (central Wisconsin area)

Container:
Trades are done by Thermos. They are sent by carrier of your choice. If you want then next day, 2 day, weekend or some other special arrangement, then you will need to work out with your trade partner.

Please mark your water parameters on the outside with tape. Also, please mark the type of lighting you have (i.e. PC's, MH, NO) and how much light they normally receive. (i.e. high in the tank, 14 hours a day)

If you'd like your thermos sent back to you, you will need to arrange for that to be done before hand or agree to keep each other's before they are mailed out. Please don't send the one out of your kid's lunch box, I don't want to hear about the pain of not being able to drink out of their G.I. Joe thermos if something happens to it.

Frag:
The frag itself should be no less than 5 polyps, preferably 10 polyps. It can either be loose or mounted. Please send a nice frag that you would be happy getting. If you send something that looks absolutely killer under a specific type of light, please double check with that person as they might not have it. If not, if we can work out some other kind of trade via third party negotiator if need be. (myself as first choice or someone else that can be agreed upon by both parties)

Prepping the frag to be sent:
The thermos should be filled half way with water. Place in frag. Fill to 3/4 full of water. It might be suggested to very lightly glue a frag mounted on a rock to the side to stop it from banging around in shipping inside the thermos. Secure the cap and cover. Please use both, in case the cap leaks not all of the water will escape.

Once the thermos has been taken care of, place the thermos in a shipping box. Stuff the box with newspaper or foam packing material. Please send it as soon as possible. After it has been sent out, confirm with that person how, when and where they should expect it. Exchange any tracking information that may be of use to the person.

Complaints/issues:
If any issues arise with people not sending frags, they will be banned from further participation. I encourage you to send via a carrier with tracking abilities. If you are not happy with what you got, you can post a picture of it to the trade section of the forum and see if anyone would like it. Just because you don't want it may not mean that nobody wants it. Sometimes what you think is common or ugly someone else may think is the best thing in the world.

Other:
At this time this is ONLY for zoanthids. At some later date and time, if I feel so inclined, I may branch it out to other special interest groups. If this format of trade is of interest to someone, I will offer advice on a limited basis when I have free time to help out with other ones. I can be contacted at thermos_swap@troyradtke.com for any interested parties. I would like to make it clear though that I will NOT run one for someone else, nor take over any that have started.

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I am currently open to suggestions for changes in the format and if anyone is interested in doing this. This thread will NOT be used to compile the final list of names. The final thread with rules and guidelines will be posted in a month if this will be done. Names will be compiled in that thread. A new thread will then be posted again with the rules and the list of names from the official thread. Any more people who want to join will then have a week to join. The list of names will be frozen for one week prior to the swap date. Only deletions from the list will be accepted at that time. Depending on how it goes, I will then co-ordinate a swap on the third, sixth, and ninth months of the year. On average, that will allow for six new frags to be introduced into your tank. I take no responsibility for the condition of what you get, nor the lack of quarantine if you choose to not do so. This is also not sponsored in any way by Reef Central. I also am not getting paid in any way, shape or form, and as such will not compensate anyone for any reason for anything. A master list of names will be compiled by me and feedback is welcome about the participants. I will also be available then as a reference if you would like for future trades with outside parties. At any point in time the list can be discontinued and destroyed without notification. Feedback will be compiled as either thumbs up (good) or thumbs down (bad). No comments will be kept with the master list. I also have a job and a wonderful girlfriend, so I may not be available to answer referral requests the same day that they are sent as I do travel on occasion for work. The list of banned people from further trades will be published at the end of project, which will be set for 2 weeks after the "go date" for the trades. I find publishing lists like that tend to keep people honest since this hobby tends to be such a small world. A list of people that go "above and beyond" will also be published at the end to show appreciation to those people who took the extra step to make this the best they could.

[nine9d]

I did a frag swap like this one before. Count me in!

Also, I think that maybe everyone should agree on a set style to ship. Like priority mail for instance. This way it could be less of a hassle. I know I did many swaps and it is just easier if everyone knows from the beginning to use one type of shipping, thanks.

[Izsabelle]

Count me in too. It sounds like fun!

[Scribe]

I'm in.

[sarduci]

nine9d - I'll look into shipping options. I've got a friend who use to work for UPS, my neighbor works for FedEx, and I have a post office depot about a mile away from my house. I'll have to see about getting something about 2 lbs shipped cross country. (most expensive type senario) If it looks good, I'll report back here with max costs and get a concensus on how people would like to do it.

I'd like to keep this as group orientated as possible. I personally perfer FedEx since I have them hold all my packages at the local depot a whopping 2 blocks from where I work. But I realise that it may not work the best for everyone. I'll probably come up with the best one from the three places and then pick one as primary, another as secondary, and the third as the way of last resorte.

Thanks for the good feedback.

[Scribe]

One thing I would change, is bagging all frags before they go in a thermos. I've had people that sent thermoses before with no bags and I recieved a nice wet box....just a thought.

[sarduci]

Scribe - Ok, I'll change that tonight on my master copy.

So it's:
put bag in thermos, fill with water, toss in frag, top off with water, seal bag and then seal up thermos.

[goblinsharkman]

ill go in but i dont think i have any thermos, is there an alternative method or somwhere i can get a cheap thermos?

[toddfreshman]

Count me in

[trueblackpercula]

yea i am in to

[SuperFishy]

me 2.

[CritterZ]

Count me in!!

This will be my first SWAP.

[Anemone]

I moved this thread. As it says in a sticky at the top of the zoanthid forum, sales/trade posts will be removed without notice. Iwas feeling nice, so I moved it instead.

Kevin

[jamesonkh]

Sounds good to me, add me to the list. jamie

[Scribe]

goblinsharkman,
You can get thermoses almost anywhere....Target, Walmart, Kmart, or sporting good stores, probably the grocery store too.

[toddfreshman]

Someone is getting these!

[CritterZ]

Those are nice!

[ApexPredator]

I am in! Should be a lot of fun.

[sarduci]

NOTE: this thread is not the list for the swap. This thread was for the people in the zoo forum to help me with shipping ideas, procedures.

This thread will be abandoned at a later point in time for final guidelines and a real list of people who are interested in trading.

There has been enough general interest that I will be doing it.

[theevoys]

I'm in.

[whodah]

hello sarduci!

thx for organizing this, sounds great!

where would be the best place to watch for your next step? just here on the trade forums or ?

thanks!

[wildmike]

I am in for sure on this one!!
Mike
Clownfish AT verizon.net

[sarduci]

It'll all have to be done in here. I'm going to go over all the steps and put in the feedback that I got. I'll be PM'ing people who say they are interested since this isn't going to end up back in the zoo thread. I'll ask for the thread to be locked at some later point when I go to post the real thread about the swap and not this one for feedback. Shouldn't be more then 3 or 4 weeks to hammer out all the details for shipping, times, what info you need to swap, blah blah blah. I might throw up some kind of web page with the pairings on it and if someone wants to have me post a small pic of what they sent out in the trade that works for me. I was just at the Drs. Foster and Smith retail store today and they have a nice frag of zoo's there that I'm going to pick up for this. Hopefully they'll still be there when my live rock comes in and I go to pick it up. If not, I'll have to take a drive to Green Bay or Madison and find something nice......

[sarduci]

Who knows, if the first one goes really good, it might even be every other month........ I still have yet to decide if I want to beat myself up like that.... =?)

[alexchern75]

sounds good, I'm in, just posting to stay updated