Re: introduce our Artemia cysts products   12/14/06
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am glad to get your email from your web-site and other aquaculture internet information. If you don't like this email, please reply me soon. I will remove your email from our list.
We know that Artemia (brine shrimp) could provide a live food - rich in protein, vitamins and other nutrients that greatly improves the diets of hatchling fin fish and shrimp. Artemia feeding results in rapid growth and, more importantly, high survival rates. No other feed is more widely accepted in the aquaculture industry. You know that Artemia nauplii is the best excellent live start food for hatchery fingerlings of TROUT, SEA BASS, SEA BREAM, TURBOT, STURGEON, MARINE SHRIMP, CRAB and other TROPICAL species fish. Most of the aquaculture hatcheries need to consume Artemia nauplii as start live food when they produce shrimp larva or marine fish juvenile fingerlings. We could provide you Artemia cysts regularly with high quality, large quantity and competitive price. I hope to set up cooperation relationship with you in the near future.
In order to let you know our Chinese Artemia knowledge perfectly, and help you to make fit judgment before you place an trial order. I want to introduce our Artemia products to you completely. Our main products is Chinese Artemia cysts. We know that there are many kinds Artemia species cysts in China. Their origin, hatch rate, nauplii number, Nauplii length, nutrition data and other data is different.
The best grade Artemia is Bohai Bay small sized Artemia which we named Premium Grade Artemia (hatch rate 90%) It has premium quality, better nutrition and smaller Nauplii size. It is a very good living food for shrimp larva and fish fry. But the harvest quantity is limited every year. It had been collected from the special salt ponds of Bohai Bay. Its origin is in Shandong province. It belongs to the salt ponds Artemia.
The second grade Artemia is Bohai Bay common sized Artemia which we named Grade A (hatch rate 88-92%) and Grade B (hatch rate +80%) Artemia. It has high hatch rate and good nutrition data. Its Nauplii is good for shrimp larva and fish fry too. We could supply this kind Artemia in large quantity every year. Its origin is around the Bohai Bay in north of China. It belongs to the salt ponds Artemia.
The third grade Artemia is Gahai Lake Artemia which we named Gahai Artemia (hatch rate +85%). It has good hatch rate, better nutrition and smaller size Nauplii. It is a very good living food for shrimp larva and fish fry. But the harvesting quantity is not too much. Its origin is in Qinghai province. It belongs to the salt lake Artemia.
The fourth grade Artemia is Xinjiang Salt Lake Artemia which we named Grade C Artemia (hatch rate +80%), It has good hatch rate and nutrition, but the Nauplii is little bigger than Bohai Bay Artemia. The harvesting quantity is depends on the weather and raining. Its origin is in Xinjiang province. It belongs to the Salt lake Artemia.
The fifth grade Artemia is Russian Salt Lake Artemia which we import from Russian. We named Grade D Artemia. The hatching rate is 70% to 80% with additive, the NPG is about 165,000 to 185,000 nauplii per gram, the hatching ability is not very steady, some time is very good, and some time is bad. We had improved the hatching ability soon.
If you want to know more information data of our Artemia cysts, please email us freely.
Your any reply will be appreciated.
Best Regards,
Qinghai Delingha Gahai Lake Artemia Co.,Ltd
150 Qingtacun, Yongdinglu Nankou,
Beijing 100039, China
Email:zhuzuyang@sina.com
http://artemia.6to23.com
Tel/Fax:8610-60518380
Zhu Zuyang (President)
2006.12.12
<Thank you for your mail. Will post, share. Bob Fenner>

Aquarium Fish Food 7/14/06
Dear President,
We provide Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs, Artemia/brine shrimp flake, freeze dried & frozen fish food such as bloodworm, Mysis, Tubifex, daphnia, krill's Spirulina powder, chlorella powder, Spirulina flake, decapsulated Artemia and so on.
We would like to inform you the best quality products as follows:
1)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 90-95% hatching rate is USD115/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 7%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 240000-270000 per gram.
2)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 85-90%% hatching rate is USD105/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 9%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 220000-250000 per gram
3)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 80-85% hatching rate is USD95/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 12%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 210000-240000 per gram
4)The best quality Russia Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 90% plus hatching rate is USD65/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 454 gram, the moisture less than 8%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 220000-250000 per gram.
5) The best quality China Western Salt Lake Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 90% plus hatching rate is USD70/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 454 gram, the moisture less than 12%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 200000-230000 per gram.
6)The Artemia/brine shrimp flake is USD5.7/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
7)The Spirulina flakes is USD5.6/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
8)The Spirulina powder is USD8.3/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
9)The Spirulina tablet is USD10.3/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
10)The Decapsulated Artemia cyst (Shell Free) is USD5.8/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is the same with Artemia cysts or per your request.
11)The chlorella powder is USD12.3/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
12)The chlorella tablet is USD14.3/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket   can pack 5 kg.
We have the agent not only in Southeast Asia Countries, but also in European countries such as Czech Republican, Sweden, Denmark and South Africa.
We would like to provide the best quality for you and hope that we can do your good supplier in China.
If you are free, we are very glad to invite you to visit our factory,  we can pick you up at Beijing airport. We can pay all expenditure for you in China.
To know details, please visit: http://www.shorelinelife.com
If you have any question and request, please feel free to contact us.
Best Regards,
Jack Ding   Cell:+86-13905433937
Bohai Sea Shoreline Aquaculture Co., Ltd
No.13 Central Street, Shandong Province 251900,China.
http://www.shorelinelife.com
Tel: +86-543-6384337,6332537
Fax: +86-543-6329537
E-mail: a369@vip.163.com

Artemia Fish Food   6/16/06
Dear President,
We provide Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs, Artemia/brine shrimp flake, Spirulina flake, decapsulated Artemia, freeze dried & frozen fish food such as bloodworm, Mysis, Tubifex, daphnia, krill.
We would like to inform you the best quality products as follows:
1)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 90-95% hatching rate is USD115/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 7%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 240000-270000 per gram.
2)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 85-90%% hatching rate is USD105/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 9%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 220000-250000 per gram
3)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 80-85% hatching rate is USD95/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 12%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 210000-240000 per gram
4)The best quality Russia Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 90% plus hatching rate is USD65/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 454 gram, the moisture less than 8%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 220000-250000 per gram.
5) The best quality China Western Salt Lake Artemia cysts/brine shrimp eggs 90% plus hatching rate is USD70/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 454 gram, the moisture less than 12%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 200000-230000 per gram.
6)The Artemia flakes/brine shrimp flake is USD6.7/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
7)The Spirulina flakes is USD6.6/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
8)The Spirulina powder is USD8.3/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
9)The Decapsulated Artemia cyst (Shell Free) is USD5.8/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is the same with Artemia cysts or per your request.
We have the agent not only in Southeast Asia Countries, but also in European countries such as Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark and South Africa.
In order to assure the quality, we can accept the terms of payment by L/C at 60 days.
We would like to provide the best quality for you and hope that we can do your good supplier in China.
If you are free, we are very glad to invite you to visit our factory,  we can pick you up at Beijing airport. We can pay all expenditure for you in China.
To know details, please visit: http://www.shorelinelife.com
If you have any question and request, please feel free to contact us.
Best Regards,
Jack Ding   Cell:+86-13905433937
Bohai Sea Shoreline Aquaculture Co., Ltd
No.13 Central Street, Shandong Province 251900,China.
http://www.shorelinelife.com
Tel: +86-543-6384337,6332537
Fax: +86-543-6329537,6331349
E-mail: a369@vip.163.com

Fish stuff... in the biz? Fish foods, systems, promotion...  - 05/20/2006
Please do not reply to this email address.
<Okay>
Greetings,
I have been reading a lot about live foods recently and find lots of places that are willing to talk about cultures and how to harvest but
few if any that sell cultures - or better yet have a way for me to create my own cultures.
<There are a few... look at the back of current hobby magazines... Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Aquarium Fish Magazine... and the "Biological Supply Houses"... e.g. Carolina... offer such... or ask about at a local large college that has a biology department... Often these folks will give out such>
My wife and I have a small fish farm with about a dozen different varieties of fish and have been doing fairly well in breeding and
growing babies but are at a loss as to where we can get live food supplies.
<! You're in the trade? Do contact Randy Reed (Reed Mariculture... .com) re help here... San Francisco Bay Brand and SaltCreek re Artemia... Argent Chemical re Cyclops... Piscine Energetics re Mysids...>
We do much of what we see others do simply because what works works and we don't have to trip over our own stupidity ..... as much.
<... Time to encourage you to get help with searching the literature... not hard to do... And no need for you to "re-invent the wheel"... much information of use is available...>
However, it is difficult to find good food for fry, good food to feed those getting ready to breed and in general good food.
<Mmm, not really... just takes a bit of searching, contacting the folks who can/will supply this>
Currently we rotate through several dry foods and frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp which keep the fish pretty healthy. The problem
is that dependant on species we need different types of frozen or live food and some of those are hard to come by.
Any suggestions on food?
Also - we run several different types of filtration and I am contemplating do a cross between individual tank filtration and
everything going through a central system by simply doing it by species.
<Lots of benefits...>
Right now our under gravel filters work great and I have no problem with them except for the amount of power needed.
Thoughts on this?
<...? Posted on WWM... Start here: http://wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/cntfiltbiz.htm
and the linked files at top...>
Lastly - any ideas on the best way to increase business?
<You're not joking? Please see the Business Sub-Web that's part of WWM>
We have a few pet stores and a few individuals lined up as buyers but as every business owner will attest to - there aren't enough customers in the world. Any way, I ask this not for reasons of advertising, but rather trying to market towards a fish interested market (and I haven't found that small magazine ads work).
<They don't in the short/er term... Best to establish local to further outlet relations, and build on these... Minimum orders, arranged shipping schedule, rates... Contacts through word of mouth, visits...>
Ideas? I know what I think but always looking for a sounding board.
Strive for Excellence
Jerry Opp
FishCo a division of Pro Enterprises
<Okay... Keep reading... Bob Fenner>

Under Investigation  - 04/14/2006
Hi Bob,
<Jeff>
In my Internet surfing, I discovered that Spectrum Brands which owns Tetra is under federal  investigation for possible fraud.
<Mmm, well... investigation is really nothing but...>
This was reported in a major pet industry publication   Pet Product news - who get major advertising revenues from Tetra.
You can see the article here
http://petproductnews.com/ppn/detail.aspx?aid=24762&cid=3622&search=
<Read this>
I think that many aquarium people would want to know about this to make the choice if they wish to support another Enron style corporation.
Thanks,
Jeff
<... I would not, do not draw this comparison/conclusion here. But will post/share. Bob Fenner>

Aquarium Fish Food & Artemia Cysts  9/7/05
Dear President,
<Okay>
We provide aquarium & hatchery farms fish food such as Artemia cysts, decapsulated Artemia, Spirulina powder& flake, freeze dried bloodworm, frozen adult Artemia.
We would like to inform you the best quality products as follows:
1)The best quality Bohai Sea Artemia 90% plus hatching rate is USD100/carton CNF your port by ocean ship, every carton have 12 vacuum cans, every vacuum can is 425 gram, the moisture less than 7%,the impurity less than 1%,the nauplii is 240000-270000 per gram.
<Very nice quality>
2)The Decapsulated Artemia cyst (Shell Free) is USD7.8/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is the same with Artemia cysts or per your request.
3)The Artemia flakes is USD8.7/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
4)The Spirulina flakes is USD9.6/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
5)The Spirulina powder is USD10.3/kg CNF your port by ocean ship, the packing is plastic bucket, every plastic bucket can pack 5 kg.
We have the agent not only in Southeast Asia Countries, but also in European countries such as Czech Republican, Sweden, Denmark and South Africa.
In order to assure the quality, we can accept the terms of payment by L/C at 60 days.
We will do our best to provide the best quality for you and hope that we can do your good supplier in China.
If you are free, we are very glad to invite you to visit our factory,  we can pick you up at Beijing airport. We can pay all expenditure for you in China.
<Thank you for your kind offer>
To know details, please visit: http://www.shorelinelife.com
If you have any question and request, please feel free to contact us.
Best Regards,
Jack Ding   Cell:+86-13905433937
Bohai Sea Shoreline Aquaculture Co., Ltd
http://www.shorelinelife.com
Tel: +86-543-6384337,6332537,6328492
Fax: +86-543-6329537,6331349
E-mail: a369@vip.163.com
<Will post your message. Bob Fenner, WetWebMedia>

The Boyd Bros.
Hey Bob just wondering if you got the samples some of the labels are screwed up a little it's cheaper for me to send the ones that can't go on the shelf. I have the other samples ready, do you have Koi too. I am not sure so just let me know and have a great day.  Russell Boyd
<These will be fine... but do either please send me clip art or direct me to where we can lift, paste this on our site to aid your sales, help inform our readers. Bob F>

Spectrum-New Life food line
Hey Crew/Bob
I had a quick question about Spectrum. I would like to carry the product
but need a contact for a distributor or the company itself. Is there a
way you can send me the info so we can carry the product in our store.
Thanks,
Andy
<Here tis: http://www.nlpublish.com/company/
Bob Fenner>

Sea sponge Source
Dear Sir
            We are the one of Aquafeed manufacturer in Thailand. We are interesting to do research and development about sea sponge application in Aquafeed. Could you advise me about the supply sources of frozen fresh sea sponge or supplier?
We really need to know good supplier and well established company.  I am looking forward to hear your reply soon.
            Thank you in advance for your support
Yours Sincerely,
Ronnachai Mhordee
Procurement Manager
INVE (Thailand) Ltd.
<Unfortunately I don't know where I might refer you to directly. Perhaps SaltCreek(.com) in the U.S., makers of Ocean Nutrition formulated foods (they use sponge material in some of their products). I would try the World Mariculture Society for leads on supply sources. Bob Fenner>

Fish food facts..=)
Hi,
First I would like to thank you and all the folks at WWM for all the great information. My question is about stocking a pet store. your article states that we should carry good better and best fish foods. how does one determine what is good better and the best?
<Good question (at least it's causing me to think!). Likely this refers to "the most popular"... in which case Tetra's line has got to be ranked at top... but "good" and "better" might refer to "most nutritionally valuable", so Spectrum Fish Foods would rank way up there... or perhaps most profit margin... in which other lines might be more important... or best marketing, labeling, most complete lines... like Hikari, or SaltCreek's Ocean Nutrition, or Denny Crew's Omega-C... I would definitely stock whatever brand/s your competitors have (likely Tetra) as principal offerings and what you yourself are using at the store... or if space and inventory monies allow, go for a "good, better, best" assortment philosophy here... and CAREFULLY place them (take a look at excellent displays, like at Wal-Mart, Lowe's...) on your shelves>
Seems every manufacturer of fish foods claims to be the best. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated..=)
Thanks
Randy
<Thank you for writing. Bob Fenner>

Aquarium Market Data
Dear WetWeb Crew,
   I am the director of aquarium products division of Bluecadia Aquaculture, Inc. www.bluecadia.com
<I'll be. We visited your Placencia facilities (when they were under a different name) about six years back in Placencia, Belize>
   We are doing a market study in preparation for launching a new line of fish food products from 100% captive propagated shrimp.
<A crowded market in the U.S. and Europe currently... but one can never tell what the future will hold... particularly for new lines (mysids have made a "big splash" the last few years)>
   I'm in need of market data which brings me to you.  I'd like to get the 2003 data on the fish/aquarium hobby, how do I go about doing it?  What is the fee?
<Have "gone over" this topic (the paucity of such information in our industry). There is some data in the most recent (September) issue of Pet Business Magazine... and some periodic "look seeing" that the OFI produces... and some dated info. by private companies like Tetra (now owned by Pfizer, formerly by Warner Lambert)... In very brief, it is my opinion that companies with prospective products are best off (time and money-wise) in gathering market data themselves... by way of visiting trade shows, querying industry persons in related fields, test-marketing labeling, promotional materials, products by attending hobbyist venues (like the recent MACNA (pardon the overuse of acronyms... will expand on if you are unfamiliar). There is no professional association in the ornamental aquatics fields such as exists in aquaculture>
   Also, a list of aquarium product wholesalers/distributors (live/dry) would be extremely helpful.
<This you can gain by gleaning, calling the companies listed in annual "Buyer's Guide" issues of the industry's trade zines... e.g. Pet Product News/Pets Supplies Marketing...>
  If it can be sent online or by FAX would also
be great.
<Were that it was so>
Thank you very much
Eric Olson
Bluecadia Aquaculture
c:  703.216.7114
F:  703.995.6525
<Good luck to you. Bob Fenner>

Re: Aquarium Market Data
Bob
   Thank you.  You are welcome to return for a visit anytime, just let me
know.  We have expanded considerably.
<Yes... 15k acres! I remember the huge Fuji blowers you folks had... and the exacting storage and treatment of new seawater for avoiding Penaeid disease>
Maybe we can arrange for a press release type expo on the company and its new line of products?
<You are welcome to send it along, and I will look over (make the inevitable comments, suggestions) and help you place it (all three of the national hobbyist publications (more acronyms!): AFM, TFH, and FAMA offer free "showcase" sections for new products... and there are a few folks (Bob Goemans, Jason Chodakowski...) who write "reviews" that you can/should send some release info to, to get in print ASAP... BTW there is a decided "seasonality" to the interest... the aquarium sides do most of their business around the Xmas season... and little (maybe ten percent total) during the summer months... with the reverse for ponds... So you do want to maximize your potential by having exposure during the most active months>
   What is your guy feeling on a new line of fresh, fortified, frozen foods?
<Am a longstanding friend of Chris Turk (formerly of SaltCreek who bought out his Ocean Nutrition... now he's working with Walt Smith...) who really boosted the field... and Andy Schmidt (of San Francisco Bay Brands) and even Dr. Robert Rofen of Kordon Novalek... and I guess Chris Cheevers of Hikari... which sums up the bulk of the trade in this product category... Will not "let on" to proprietary info. re their efforts, but it is my opinion that there is room for another premium line (with good labeling, distribution... a real bugaboo in our trade). Have you met Paul Dover... Steve Lundblad... maybe even Mike Ferncase? These and a few other industry standards will grant you very valuable insights into our trade. One last (soul-saving) statement re this venture: Our trade is not very "sophisticated"... I compare it with the dry-cleaning industry... it is... to use a polite term/descriptor: "diffuse". Know and appreciate this>
This market seems to be on the rise.
Eric
<Agreed. There are many converging influences promoting the keeping of aquatics... the de-emphasis on travel, aging of population, focus on things natural, explosion of individuals involved in "home-based" aquaculture (principally hard and soft corals), e-businesses... You could, indeed, ride the wave here. Bob Fenner>

Re: Aquarium Market Data
I have not met nor corresponded with any of the POCs you've listed.  Their contact info would be a great favor.
<I will bcc them here and ask that they contact you>
  Although this hobby is by definition, esoteric, perhaps they'll show some sympathy to a small start-up like our aquarium products business and lend some helpful advice.
<Oh... of a certainty. The ornamental aquatics field is "my life"... and am a long-standing "expediter" by trade. Will gladly help anyone, company that would make our interest better>
   The grow out farm is impressive, but you should see the $6 million, state-of-the-art hatchery we've built on Ambergris Caye!!!!!!
<Been a long time since I ventured to San Pedro.... am sure the Hol Chan preserve is the same. Will hope to visit it and you in future. Bob Fenner>
   As an aside, next phase is to culture L. amboinensis/ grabhami/debelius followed by coral farming and clams.  Thoughts?
<Many. Am friends of the folks at TMC who have done much of the legwork in developing the science, technology of these Lysmata shrimps culture... and had more than one bier mit Helmut (Debelius)! And have a dear friend (who I will bcc here as well) who is ardently involved in the tridacnid sales/distribution side. We do indeed have MUCH to discuss. Bob Fenner>
Eric

Re: Aquarium Market Data
Bob,
<Eric>
We are pretty excited about this whole project with Eric Olsen.  I was pleased that he was able to secure a temporary position with the company after his presentation to the board from what he and I had put together.  We are hopeful that we can turn this into something fairly of large size down the road.
<Good to hear>
I do know that this is going to be a group effort to make it successful and I am happy that you can help out with your expertise and contacts.
<Very glad to be of assistance>
How are things going by the way?  I was sad not to see you last weekend in KY.
<Sorry to miss the group. It was Diana's (wife) bday... For which we "go away" every year. Will be at next and the IMAC get-togethers though>
Hope all is well,
<Thank you my friend, yes. Bob Fenner>
Eric

Re: Aquarium Market Data
Bob,
   Be a great treat to meet his eminence, Debelius.  And nothing too shy from to meet yourself!
<Welllllll. Are you going to Interzoo in May (04)? Count on both of us being there... in fact, one of our entourage you likely know (Anthony Calfo) is urging a side trip to Tropic Marine Centre in Chorleyside (on one of the London ring roads, someone help us)... and you can be a discerning influence on our choice to make said side-trip... then off to Dipelsdorf (not a misspelling!)... outside of Nuremberg/Nurnberg...>
   If any of these folks want to play a hand in our hobby gone wild, they are welcome.  Would especially like to get in touch with the folks that have successfully cultured our Lysmata friends.
<Have sent our corr. to Jayne at TMC and Helmut... and will cc Anthony here>
   If you can assist in lending credence to the idea in a response email, I would then have a "quote" from the industry to put in front of my board of investors on Monday.
<Mmm, so noted. You are welcome to use any paraphrased material from our emails or what's posted on WetWebMedia, or books, magazine articles by myself. Are you looking for something more succinct? As in, is the idea of another frozen et al. fish food line in the ornamental aquatics trade viable? Yes, "if done right"... good products will not stand up, or shall I state "sell fast enough" to "make sense" in our interest. You will need good, targeted marketing, absolutely essential "good" distribution, good labeling...>
   Ya see, they know table shrimp, not swimmy in the tanky shrimp.  Might be a hard sell to get them to believe we can sell these little gems for a buck or two a piece.
<Oh... yes>
  Oh, but what a different profit margin......
<Indeed>
   DC weather sucks today, just in case you're wondering.
<It's so cold here in S. Cal. I had to put on a tee shirt (tank top though)! Bob Fenner>
Eric

Re: Aquarium Market Data
Bob,
   Sheer pleasure speaking with you today.  Here's a targeted question bank on "what should I be doing, now and next"
<Okay>
1.   What are the trade meetings within the U.S. and abroad that I should attend within the next 6 months?
<Do look into joining the APPMA and PIDA (American Pet Product Manufacturers Association, Pet Industry Distributor's Association) and attending their meetings, looking through their lists, magazines for the regional shows, determining which are worthwhile (most are not). Upcoming, I would attend the Backer "Christmas Show", later in the year the WWPSA's "Anaheim" show. Definitely try to make the rescheduled Aquarama in Singapore next month... and for sure the Interzoo in May in Germany. These last two are the industry's two largest (every other year) shows.>
2.   Who is the best POC for food production machinery?
<I sent responses to this and number three already. Please check your email, otherwise they are posted on WWM's Daily FAQs today>
3.   Who is/are the best POCs for experience making and marketing food?  And can give some insight on enter-strategy in this market?
4.   If I took a trip to SoCal, who would you consider to the folks I should meet with?
<Paul Dover of Bayou, Mike Ferncase currently of SaltCreek, myself, some of the marine livestock wholesalers in LA (You'll need to sort out who you want to be first), some of the better stores, perhaps Petco if they'll grant you an interview>
5.   Who are the industry leaders by type of food (flake, frozen, live etc...)
<Flake: Tetra, OmegaSea, HBH, Spectrum, Aquarian, O.S.I. B-players: Hagen/Nutri-fin, Wardley's... many others. Frozen and Live: SaltCreek/Ocean Nutrition, San Francisco Bay Brand, Kordon/Novalek... Just Frozen: Hikari... Dried Shrimp: Argent, San Fran... Koi, Goldfish, Pond foods: Tetra, Hikari,>
6.  Who are the main distributors?
<Central, Boston... the mass-merchandisers Petco and PetSmart... many other regionals>
7.   What are the mainstay periodicals that I/Bluecadia should have subscriptions to?
<Pet Industry News/PSM, Pet Business... the three US national hobby pub.s: AFM, TFH, FAMA...>
8.  And final question for now.  If you were to tape a piece of peanut butter toast to a cat's back, with the peanut butter side up, then dropped the cat out of a two story building, what would be the result?
<A very large mess>
  Keep in mind, basic Newtonian physics dictate cat's land on their feet, yet universal anecdotal observation shows that toast always lands butter side down.  A quandary to say the least.  The Kobayashi Muru!
<Make it so (pulls down tunic). Why don't clothes fit better in the future? Bob>
Eric
Cell: 703.216.7114

Re: Aquarium Market Data
Bob,
   So far all has gone well on the "idea" side of the house.
<Ah, good to hear/read. Like myself, you seem to be an "idea person"... Very worthwhile for us to link ourselves (business, wives...) to "operationally oriented" folks in turn>
I am in your debt for assistance in rallying the troops.  I received a call from Mike Ferncase this AM.  We had a great talk about future stuff.
<He is a worthy ally. Very energetic, outgoing>
   I have spoken with Chris Turk, and got a good feel for what will work, etc...
<Chris has "lived" the industry as I... particularly the fish food end>
   Here's my most urgent need.  Can you connect me with someone who has published or otherwise written out the propagation/culture protocol for Lysmata, et al?
<I would ask the folks at Tropic Marine Centre here (their URL is easy to find)... just ask open-ended for who did the work, what help they (those folks) might be willing to share. Otherwise, no real publication (as in searchable literature) exists (as far as I'm aware, and I've done a recent search... a couple months back... for a title my European publisher, BSV is coming out with on a review of ornamental aquaculture...) that will grant you complete input>
A clam and coral guy would be very helpful as well.
<Oh! Will cc Barry Neigut (Clamsdirect.com) and friend/associate/co-writer Anthony Calfo (of Book of Coral Propagation fame) here re. If they don't know or can help, they will know who to refer you to in turn>
   Thank you, and hope to get together with everyone sometime real soon.
Eric
<Real good. Bob Fenner>

Aquarium Market Data
Bob,
I've attempted to penetrate the outer defenses of TMC, but am getting nowhere.  Do you have any moles on the inside, or a friend/contact who can pry open the castle gates long enough for me to squeeze in?
<Please read the review of their business (Tropical Marine Centre) posted on WetWebMedia.com. I would try to talk with Paul there (if he's still there)>
How's tricks out your way.  Isabel kicked us in the privates, lots of damage, power loss, etc...  We were lucky, made it thru unscathed ...guess clean-livin' pays off.
Eric
<Fine, as a matter of interest, am headed out to NC for next weekend. Bob Fenner>

Re: Aquarium Market Data
I must be missing something on your site, I can't find TMC business review,
help.
E
<Mmm, tis here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/tmcpropc.htm
and looking at it... reminds me to remind you: Do ask for Derek Thomson as well. I think he will remember meeting me. Bob Fenner>

Re: aquaculture hatchery feeds: Artemia cysts and flakes
Dear Sir/Madam,  
I am glad to get your email from your web-site. If you don't like this email, please reply me soon. I will remove your email from our list.
I am glad to connect with you about aquaculture hatchery feeds: Artemia cysts and flakes products. I am also interested in promoting your products in China marketing. We want to cooperate with you in doing Artemia products and other business in the near future. You know that most of the aquaculture hatcheries need to use Artemia cysts and other hatchery feeds. We could provide them Artemia cysts regularly with high quality, steady quantity and competitive price. I hope to set up some cooperation relationship with you.  
First of all, I would like to introduce our company to you. We are one of the largest Artemia cysts (brine shrimp eggs) and flakes suppliers and distributors in China. Our main product is Artemia cysts and flakes. We handle this business many years. Our main staffs are graduated from the famous university in China. China Ocean University.  We are the aquaculture specialists. We have gained some know-how to make the Artemia cysts keep in highest hatch rate and good stabilization. Our main market is in China, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Europe and other counties. We have not any sole agent in your markets now. If you are interested in our Artemia products. Please email us soon. I will send you more information about our Artemia products later. Thank you.  
If you don't like this email, please reply me soon. I will stop to email you later.  
If you have any questions, please email me freely.   
Your any reply will be appreciated.  
Best Regards.  
Qinghai Delingha Gahai Lake Artemia Co.,Ltd
No.150 Qingtacun, Yongdinglu Nankou,
Beijing 100039, China
Email: zhuzuyang@sina.com
Email:zhuzuyang@21cn.com
http://artemia.onchina.net
Tel/Fax:8610-60518380  
Zhu Zuyang  (president)
2002.11.28
<Thank you for your notice. Will place on our root web: WetWebMedia.com for others perusal. Bob Fenner>

Re: introduce our Artemia products
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am glad to contact with you about Artemia business. If you don't like this email, please reply me soon. I will remove your email from our email list.
Now, I want to introduce our products to you perfectly. Our main products is Chinese Artemia cysts. You know, there are many kinds of Artemia cysts in China. Their hatch rate, Nauplii length and nutrition and other data is not same.
The best Artemia is Gahai Lake Artemia which has premium hatch rate, better nutrition and smaller Nauplii. It is the very good diets for shrimp larva and fish fry. But its quantity is not too much. Its origin is in Qinghai province. It belongs to the salt lake Artemia.
The second one is Bohai Bay Artemia which has high hatch rate and good nutrition. Its Nauplii is good for shrimp larva and fish fry too. We could supply this Artemia in large quantity every year. Its origin is around the Bohai Sea in China. It belongs to the salt ponds Artemia.
The third one is Aibi Lake and Balikun Lake Artemia, It has good hatch rate and nutrition, but the Nauplii is little bigger than Bohai Bay Artemia. The quantity is according to the weather and raining. Its origin is in Xinjiang province. It belongs to the Salt lake Artemia.
The fourth one is Tibetan Artemia. It has good hatch rate and nutrition, but its cysts is bigger than others, the activity of Nauplii is not lively in long time. Its origin is in Tibet, China. It belongs to the salt lake Artemia.
If you want to know more information data of our Artemia cysts, please email us freely.
Your any reply will be appreciated.
Best Regards.
Qinghai Delingha Gahai Lake Artemia Co.,Ltd
150 Qingtacun, Yongdinglu Nankou,
Beijing 100039, China
Email:zhuzuyang@sina.com
Email:zhuzuyang@21cn.com
http://artemia.onchina.net
Tel/Fax:8610-60518380
Zhu Zuyang (President)
<Thank you for the further information. Bob Fenner, WetWebMedia.com>

Fish Food Questions
>Dear Bob,
>It was good to see you and your guests last week. Please let me know when you want a behind the scenes tour. I'm happy to serve.
<Great. Thanks Fernando>
>I was hoping to get some of your advice on an idea I had. Recently I've been playing around with a recipe for a gel food, geared toward surgeon and angelfishes (heavy on the algae side). I've tried it with fishes here at the aquarium and it seems to be well liked, not only surgeons and angels but other families (damsels, some b'flys, serranids).
<Okay... you may not know, the original formula foods (later by Ocean Nutrition) were at one time formulated/tested underneath the old pier at SIO...>
>Anyway, I have basically two questions: First, is it a worthwhile endeavor to try and get into marketing fish food? (I could start with samples to local stores).
<Yes... IMO/E... still a viable possibility... many folks have come out with foods in the last few years... and have made money doing so... I do think it can be done>
>Second: One of the ingredients is "Cyclop-eeze" copepods. Is it possible to include a brand named product (Cyclop-eeze) within my brand of gel food? I guess I would have to find out from Argent but thought would ask you.
<Do ask Argent Lab.s re... some variation could likely be worked out/in if they have reservations>
>Any thoughts you could offer would be greatly appreciated. I've been >thinking of call Chris Turk as well but thought I would get your insights first.
<Will you make these extruded types? Drops? Have you looked into packaging as yet? Let's chat this through and make some visits together with samples and see what others say, think. Bob Fenner>
>Best Regards,
>Fernando
Fernando Nosratpour
Senior Aquarist
Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Re: Fish Food Questions
Thank you Bob! I haven't thought to far ahead as how to package. I'm still working on getting the balance right (gelatin vs. food). Will keep you posted!
<Do look into other binders like alginates rather than gelatins... We can talk this over... but the bulk/ier local product as an emulsifier is much more palatable to the whole system. Experiment here, and with some other formulas for resale (like Sanjay's).>
Thanks again.
I value your opinion greatly!
Sincerely,
Fernando
Sr. Cabana Boy
Birch Aquarium
<Hah! Now I can't get the Copa Copa Cabana song out of my head! Bobaloo!>