mine like to breed in my community tank if they have anywhere that will resemble a cave or log. i take out these items when i get over run with pleco's, and at least for me removing the hiding place stops the breeding.
as far as i know, it depends on species, and state. i have had nerites shipped to me from washington to MN. they didnt arrive well, but they did ship them.
you folks with the patience to wait, ill give you credit. i dont possess that level of patience. once that thing hit room temperature, id have fish in it.
i honestly believe tropical fish we keep care more about consistent water than they do what the books call for. especially guppy's, they seem to do well in anything from mildly brackish, to fairly soft water, so long as you dont take them from one extreme and drop them straight into the other extreme.
even humidity can affect wood. wood will absorb moisture straight from the air. get good dried wood, and seal it for best results. warning, even that is no guarantee the wood wont move around.
im on this forum every day, sometimes for way longer than i should be, yet just finally noticed we got a for sale section. guess i just scan the same subforums i normally look at, and dont even pay attention.🤪
it happens. any time an animal is shipped, there is always the chance for problems. contact the seller, and see how they want to work it out. it is a bummer though, get all excited for the new critters to arrive, and then they didnt make it.
they are pretty cool as far as pleco's go, but they do like to hide. depending on how your tank is set up, you can go long periods without seeing them.
ive had a few clowns over the years, and it takes them a long long time for them to make a visible difference in a piece of wood. along the lines of one day after a few years you look at the wood, and go hmmm where did that go.