Debate: Will the Coronavirus outbreak affect the reefing community

[Ohmegg]

18 hours ago, banasophia said:

Not sure where you live, but you could check Ready Refresh... I get home deliveries of distilled water through them. You could also try to order an RODI filter from Amazon; I would order one from Amazon Prime with the two day delivery to get it sooner in case they  put deliveries on hold. 
 

My apartment just closed its main office, so there is no one to get the packages from the postal service 😞 

[Tamberav]

1 hour ago, Picogoby said:

Do you get government (statutory) sick pay in the states??  The US system always seamed really backwards to me with no enforced duty of care towards its employees.

No national law requiring sick pay. For my job 

I get 4 a year...5 is a warning (and you will lose any yearly raise) and 6 is fired. Two lates is equal to one sick day....even if it's 1 min late. 

 

I have to laugh when a nurse or dr comes to work sick and a pt says 'they can't come here sick'.....they sure can honey and pretty much required to. 

 

There's not enough medical staff in the USA to let people stay home when sick.

 

You have to take out large school loans and such in this country...if you want to become something...

 

It's a hot mess if you ask me.

[Snow_Phoenix]

7 hours left before total blockade into Singapore. Huge jam into Singapore atm. People are willing to sleep in the streets to keep working, rather than taking 2 weeks of unpaid leave because they need the money for their families here.

 

Pet shops and LFSes are among the stores ordered to close by our PM. But our postal service, land/water dept., prisons, pharmacies, clinics & police stations remain open. 

 

All restaurants including mamak are ordered to close. But fast food restaurants, hypermarkets, wet markets, grocery stores etc. will be kept open. 

 

There is also disruption in food supply/trade with Singapore as well, I believe. 🤔

 

 

[Tamberav]

I am guessing veterinarians might have to close? Would be crushed to have a pet emergency during this. I know it's being advocated for but??

[Snow_Phoenix]

1 minute ago, Tamberav said:

I am guessing veterinarians might have to close? Would be crushed to have a pet emergency during this. I know it's being advocated for but??

Yeah, vets are closed. 😰

 

I wish I had stocked up on an extra bag of kibbles though. The kibbles offered in hypermarket are usually poor quality and come from either Thailand or China. 😓

 

I think they should have been more flexible - like allow certain stores like hair saloons, pet stores, vet clinics, handphone shops etc. to be opened. 

 

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

Hmm. My father is trying to buy a bag of rice atm. He's stuck in the supermarket though - says it is jam-packed with people. 

 

My mother just arrived from PD - and she brought a container full of seashells from the seashore. Turns out some of the 'seashells' were more alive than expected:

 

 

 

I think it's a conch, right? 🤔

 

Guess the hobby still lives on, even if the stores are closed. Heck, I need some more CUC actually - so now I have to collect (?) mine instead of ordering in. 

 

Add-On: Got a better pic of him:

 

[Ratvan]

47 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Hmm. My father is trying to buy a bag of rice atm. He's stuck in the supermarket though - says it is jam-packed with people. 

 

My mother just arrived from PD - and she brought a container full of seashells from the seashore. Turns out some of the 'seashells' were more alive than expected:

 

 

 

I think it's a conch, right? 🤔

 

Guess the hobby still lives on, even if the stores are closed. Heck, I need some more CUC actually - so now I have to collect (?) mine instead of ordering in. 

 

Add-On: Got a better pic of him:

 

Looks like a conch, can you get a picture of its foot from the bottom up?

[Snow_Phoenix]

18 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Looks like a conch, can you get a picture of its foot from the bottom up?

I already added him to the tank. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

20 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Looks like a conch, can you get a picture of its foot from the bottom up?

Wait - just got a new sideshot of him:

 

[kimberbee]

7 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Well. Did a grocery run at 10am, thinking most folks would be too busy working to actually shop. But nope, I was wrong. 😷

 

Wow! When I went out yesterday, it was at about 8am. We also didn't have as many things closing down yet. 

2 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Pet shops and LFSes are among the stores ordered to close by our PM.

Do grocery stores carry petfood too? Ours here do, though it's limited. I'm actually headed out this morning to get more food for the cat and dog. They're having a 20% off St. Patrick's day sale, so I'm hoping they'll have what I need.

2 hours ago, Tamberav said:

I am guessing veterinarians might have to close? Would be crushed to have a pet emergency during this. I know it's being advocated for but??

Oh no! I really hope they don't close here. I bring my cat in 2x/week for fluids because he has kidney failure.

[Snow_Phoenix]

18 minutes ago, kimberbee said:

Wow! When I went out yesterday, it was at about 8am. We also didn't have as many things closing down yet. 

Do grocery stores carry petfood too? Ours here do, though it's limited. I'm actually headed out this morning to get more food for the cat and dog. They're having a 20% off St. Patrick's day sale, so I'm hoping they'll have what I need.

Oh no! I really hope they don't close here. I bring my cat in 2x/week for fluids because he has kidney failure.

Actually, my father (who went to this exact same supermarket after work today at 6pm) said most shelves were already wiped clean. Instant noodles are finished, and most canned food has been snatched up. 

 

I was lucky enough to grab most essentials in the morning itself. 

 

Hypermarkets do carry pet food, but the quality is very poor, Kim. And most of it is chicken-based or chicken-flavored. 

 

My terrier can't tolerate poultry - she's allergic to it, especially chicken and duck. I usually get her the big bag of lamb kibbles from Eukanaba at pet stores - this brand, and most of the US/Aus/UK/NZ-imported brands are not carried by ordinary hypermarkets, unfortunately. 

 

I will try to go for a pet supply run tomorrow. Although all stores are ordered to close, there are always a couple that defy the rules to prevent the business from collapsing (small stores, usually - not franchises) and I *think I know where to go. 

 

My LFS supplies can wait. All the items I ordered are dry, so I can wait weeks to get them, if need be. 

[debbeach13]

Just read the local Petco is closed until 3/28. This is where I some times get frozen food and snails because it is the closest store. 17 minutes VS 45 minutes for a LFS. I know I have more than a 30 day supply of frozen. Also have some flakes which if hungry enough the clowns will eat but not sure if the banggai cardinal will. He does not normally but if hungry enough I hope he will. Going to run to Publix and grab a couple shrimp and scallops to mash up. Maybe they will have eggs Walmart didn't on Saturday. They open at 7 so might already be slim picking. I really am starting to wonder if they will actually close food stores? 

[Snow_Phoenix]

18 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Just read the local Petco is closed until 3/28. This is where I some times get frozen food and snails because it is the closest store. 17 minutes VS 45 minutes for a LFS. I know I have more than a 30 day supply of frozen. Also have some flakes which if hungry enough the clowns will eat but not sure if the banggai cardinal will. He does not normally but if hungry enough I hope he will. Going to run to Publix and grab a couple shrimp and scallops to mash up. Maybe they will have eggs Walmart didn't on Saturday. They open at 7 so might already be slim picking. I really am starting to wonder if they will actually close food stores? 

Unless they run out of food itself, I think stores would remain open. The US is currently not facing a food shortage, is it?

 

We have adequate food supply here, but the panic-buying accelerates consumption. 

 

I'll still stock up on frozen food though. Will probably mash up some seafood for the fish - but I think I have enough food supply (for the fish and bird) to last out a month. 

[RedCrow]

5 hours ago, Picogoby said:

Do you get government (statutory) sick pay in the states??  The US system always seamed really backwards to me with no enforced duty of care towards its employees.

It’s done on a state-by-state basis. Some states are better than others...

[Snow_Phoenix]

Just was in quick contact with my primary LFS online - they have to open the shop for a while to feed the animals and WC/check up on everything everyday anyway, or else the fish/coral will start dying. During those short periods when they're in the store, they said they'll allow a leeway for regular customers to walk in and grab anything they need. I'll try to zip in and zip out tomorrow. 

 

Food-wise, I'm all set, but I'll pick up extra media, just in case. (And all the items I ordered as well)

 

Add-On: We also had our first two deaths in the country today. A 60-year-old pastor with a history of chronic illnesses and a 34-year-old man who attended a religious festival (which incidentally, was one of the main sources of the spike in cases on our end).

[Clown79]

8 hours ago, Sancho said:

I’ve been sick for well over a week...went to the doctor on Friday she said there was a shortage of test and they wouldn’t test for covid till all the other test came back negative 🙄 did a full respiratory panel and that won’t come back till tomorrow. Apparently here they are only testing for covid if you’ve traveled to 8 specific countries or had exposure to a known case...in the meantime if I actually had covid I wouldn’t know because it’s probably passed by the time the other test come back...🙄 and of course my company is asking you to stay home if sick but are only paying you if you tested positive for coronavirus 

Here's the issue- we don't test for influenza either. I don't know a single person who has ever been tested. It's always symptom based diagnosis.

 

We can get sick pay if you are sick, no dr note, no covid test necessary. 

 

They aren't even testing all travelers and although you are to self isolate after returning- I know people aren't.

 

 

[Clown79]

5 hours ago, Tamberav said:

No national law requiring sick pay. For my job 

I get 4 a year...5 is a warning (and you will lose any yearly raise) and 6 is fired. Two lates is equal to one sick day....even if it's 1 min late. 

 

I have to laugh when a nurse or dr comes to work sick and a pt says 'they can't come here sick'.....they sure can honey and pretty much required to. 

 

There's not enough medical staff in the USA to let people stay home when sick.

 

You have to take out large school loans and such in this country...if you want to become something...

 

It's a hot mess if you ask me.

That's messed up.

I'm not sure if our healthcare providers have the same stringent standards for sick days.

 

I know we get 3 sick paid days, cannot fire someone for medical reasons, 15 weeks unemployment sick leave assistance.

 

Our educational situation is the same. You leave school with heavy debts.

[kimberbee]

I'm dumb and should have shared:

If you're near a Pet Supplies Plus, they sent out a St. Patrick's day coupon for their pet perks members. 20% off entire purchase today only. Check your email, or I don't mind forwarding my email to you. 

 

I picked up an extra 1mo supply for both the cat and dog. Should have plenty for the fish. 

[Hannahhhh]

3 hours ago, kimberbee said:

 

Oh no! I really hope they don't close here. I bring my cat in 2x/week for fluids because he has kidney failure.

Maybe preemptively talk to your vet about this? Under the circumstances they might be willing to teach you how to do fluids and send you home with some. Doing subcutaneous fluids (under the skin rather than going into a vein) is really not too hard to do. 

[RedCrow]

43 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Here's the issue- we don't test for influenza either. I don't know a single person who has ever been tested. It's always symptom based diagnosis.

The one time I went to the clinic for the flu I was swabbed. Of course I don’t go to the doc until I’m unable to stand 😅

[Christopher Marks]

I have traditionally used filtered sea water or pre-mixed water for my pico reef jar that I get at my LFS, I’m going to see if I can find some salt mix online. All the distilled and filtered water has been cleared from shelves, but we do have filtered RO water dispensing drive-up stands around town that are usually 25 cents a gallon for a container refill, which will be better than nothing. I’ve been trying to prepare over the last few weeks, for my family and my dog, but I totally forgot about my pico reef’s needs. 😓

 

My wife and I started a drink mixer business this past summer and have been selling bottles at local farmers markets every weekend, growing rapidly. Unfortunately we’ve lost our income source for the time being with bans on public gatherings, but we’re working on shifting to online ordering and shipping to help stop the losses. We’re so worried for all the other businesses we share the markets with too, they don’t have the ability to transition online with fresh food. This will be a difficult time for literally everyone, no matter what you do for a living. 😔

 

[banasophia]

4 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

I have traditionally used filtered sea water or pre-mixed water for my pico reef jar that I get at my LFS, I’m going to see if I can find some salt mix online. All the distilled and filtered water has been cleared from shelves, but we do have filtered RO water dispensing drive-up stands around town that are usually 25 cents a gallon for a container refill, which will be better than nothing. I’ve been trying to prepare over the last few weeks, for my family and my dog, but I totally forgot about my pico reef’s needs. 😓

 

My wife and I started a drink mixer business this past summer and have been selling bottles at local farmers markets every weekend, growing rapidly. Unfortunately we’ve lost our income source for the time being with bans on public gatherings, but we’re working on shifting to online ordering and shipping to help stop the losses. We’re so worried for all the other businesses we share the markets with too, they don’t have the ability to transition online with fresh food. This will be a difficult time for literally everyone, no matter what you do for a living. 😔

 

Looks like Chewy still has Nutri-Seawater and Petco still has Imagitarium water, both appear available for delivery... pricey, but at least they may provide options, and I believe they have long shelf lives so you could stock up for a couple months of water changes for a small tank if you were so inclined.
 

 

[ef4life]

I’m still working, but I am worried about people canceling jobs we already have scheduled. Lots of the people we work for are older and retired and they rely on the stock markets, so with the sickness, and stocks taking a big hit lately i can see people wanting to cancel or postpone getting stuff remodeled. If they decide to close businesses down like our supply shops, Home Depot, etc we will be forced to stop working.

[EfrainChicagoDeepdish]

To the local NR members in East Valley/Phoenix Metro, we have a large capacity RODI that you are welcome to come grab water if needed.  We usually have plenty of water and salt on hand.  Please don't hesitate to PM.  

[debbeach13]

Publix shelves were in much better shape today than Walmart was on Saturday. They didn't have TP (I always have extra so I am good) but I would have purchased bleach and eggs if they had some. I do now have extra dog food, dog treats, raw shrimp in the shell so I can mash it up. I also did over do coffee got to have my half-caf coffee. I forgot to ask if eggs keep selling out quick or if the supply is a little low/slow. Oh well I hope every one gets what they need and we all know you can't always get what you want.

My kids and grand kids all came home Sunday night from their Colorado Ski trip early due to the resort closing. Since they went through 2 airports they will not be coming to see nana. Stay safe everyone.