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Brian Murphy

Member
Joined
20 Oct 2012
Messages
592
Location
Omagh, N.Ireland
I have been waiting to start a journal that I can be proud of and I still hope that it works out for me after gaining valuable knowledge on Ukaps. Like alot of people into aquascaping I couldn't afford a new ADA or NA set-up, so decided to look further afield and found a potential supplier in China that I could afford. I have never imported a large item before so was I wasn't expecting the hell that I went through before I received the cargo on christmas eve, near 3 months after I put in the order.
The cargo was supposed to arrive in Belfast port and I expected to go pick it up and pay the customs fees. Little did I know that the chinese shipping agent that my supplier used had no clue as to where Belfast was and the cargo was sent to Southampton. I work for a courier and work in the most rural part of N.Ireland with hardly any phone signal, never mind internet connection. It was also our peak period and I was working stupid hours and having to send emails back and forth. The cargo sat in storage for 2 weeks at £25 a day while I argued my point that I paid for it to come to Belfast and it only arrived as far as southampton and the chinese shipping agent couldn't understand why i just couldn't pick it up in southampton.
Anyway, I eventually got my way and they paid the extra cost and I paid the more than expected customs fees.

There is alot more to the story but I don't want to bore you all with the details. I got my tank and I now want to share the the journey I am about to go on and gain some advice along the way. The products I got all look amazing but I have yet to set it up. I have ideas of what I want but until I start scaping it I dont know what way to go.

My product list includes some items not used on here including Amazon soil that I hope is similar to ADA's amazonia soil and ADA style 1200ex filters. I will be learning alot along the way so I hope you will aswell. Here are some of the first pics before the actual set-up which I hope to start tomorrow by moving my old tank and replacing it with my new tank.
 
Great looking kit. I'm glad to they spelt your name right. I have a Chinese ada mini m knock off - it's identical.
 
Pleased it finally arrived mate
Look forward to seeing what you do with it....
 
What a palava Brian. Glad it worked out and hope it still saved you money. I was just looking at the cabinet, I can see holes in the top is the tank tapped in the base or is that just optional on the cabinet?
 
I am curious if they have the same turnover, those ADA replica filters. I'm also curious if I find them even cheaper here in (mainland) China, cause most replica's come from here, not from Hong Kong.
Yep me too...so hurry up Brian and let us know how it's all going.
 
What a palava Brian. Glad it worked out and hope it still saved you money. I was just looking at the cabinet, I can see holes in the top is the tank tapped in the base or is that just optional on the cabinet?

The cabinet came like that and was designed so it can work with normal pipes and fittings or whatever you like. I could have asked for it to be altered I suppose but it was no biggie to just cut holes and leave the other holes for something else such as a spraybar in the future.


I am curious if they have the same turnover, those ADA replica filters. I'm also curious if I find them even cheaper here in (mainland) China, cause most replica's come from here, not from Hong Kong.

I'm still unsure as to how they will perform but I don't intend to put much media into the filters so as to get the optimum out of them. I want to avoid having to use powerheads but have them on standby if needed.

I'm not surprised there was difficulty with the delivery if they just addressed it to 'Brian' and put it on a boat :p

Sure they all know me in Ireland lol

Yep me too...so hurry up Brian and let us know how it's all going.

Just waiting on my lighting from Alastair and then I will start on the scaping ideas and get the dslr out as the natural and normal room light wouldn't do it justice.
 
hi Brian, lovely tank. would you ever buy from that same supplier again? or did all the extra fees make up for the price you paid?
 
hi Brian, lovely tank. would you ever buy from that same supplier again? or did all the extra fees make up for the price you paid?

I might do if all the equipment works as expected, but a I will use my own shipping agent to deal with it. Couldn't go though that again lol ..... I might even be able to take some orders off here from you guys and give you a price etc .... we'll see
 
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