Brian Murphy
Member
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.
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 equipment 
