Reefers unite against unscrupulous dishonest...

[Achilles Tang]

I just heard shocking news.... one of our recent sponsors... got half a shipment of Vietnamese seahorses stolen from under their noses yesterday. 60 pcs were scooped out of the tank. Each retailing for $25 dollars each.. you do the maths.

The marine hobby business is so hard already... and people can still do this??

Stealing 60 seahorses would mean that this person either would have wanted to export this or break this up into smaller quantities for distribution.

If you could all just do your part... if you see quantities of Vietnamese seahorses (yellow in colour and eating frozen mysis) in any retail place and they do not know or have the documentation on their source.... pls highlight it here.... our sponsor is extremely upset and saddened that this has happen and would appreciate this small community of customers who have been around the island to keep an eye out for any such seahorses seen, be it in some retail outlet or in some reefers house.

I appeal to all reefers NOT to purchase any seahorses from anyone who PMs you an offer from a 'lobang' that you do not know the source.

Obviously there is demand and someone does not have the principles to get these by honest means.

Anyone caught connected to this unlawful activity would have to bear the consequences. This is Singapore... its too small.

If you are the culprit and reading this... SHAME ON YOU!!!

To everyone else, thank you for your help in this matter.

[FuEl]

Wow...such a brave thief. Hope he has the resources to cater to all 60 of them as I doubt he would dare to sell them now. Anyway, if he lacks the conscience and is capable of stealing 60 seahorses..I'm pretty sure he would'nt think twice about flushing them all if things go out of hand. Poor seahorses.

One thing I don't understand..how can anyone steal 60 seahorses without being noticed? Unless he stole them without water and they were meant for the chinese medicine trade.

[Achilles Tang]

These feed readily on frozen mysis shrimp. They are cultured ones, not wild. He/they knew what to go for.

[CalciumReef]

Which lfs was it stolen from?More information will be helpful

[Achilles Tang]

Reborn Aquarium was the victim.

[Terryz_]

No wonder i never see any seahorse when i went there to look for SH... WIll keep a look out when i go Lfsing...

[limbssg]

I guess they were stolen after the shop closed.... back alley very dark at night.

[flying carpet]

What the hell! Seahorse also must steal? Got money buy ah no money just see.

Such a shameful act.

[ervine]

what's the culprit going to do with 60 SHs??? Sell also cannot sell, rear also too many to rear...

sheesh.. shame on them...

[weileong]

Got sample photos of the Vietnamese seahorses?

[weileong]

was there today...saw the remainder ... those are yellow hippocampus kuda..quite small, around 3 - 5 inches..kudas have generally no special markings on their bodies...

Will keep a look out for them.

[blueheaven]

I'll look more closely when I go LFSing later

But how could anyone make away with so many seahorses at once? Scooping all up into the pail is too suspicious for any other discerning reefers. Or is it the whole package was stolen before they unpack?

[cityofangels]

Oh no! Condolences to Reborn!

Hope reefers will NOT buy these seahorses if they see them at the other shops or if other reefers have 'lobang' for them.

[hotlemond]

this was not the first time there are theft at Reborn.

Before the new coral display air con room was ready for operation, they had the hanging black galaxy MH wire snip off and the entire thing gone.

I suppose its not easy for them lor. all three shops (2 downstair, i upstair) are isolated at thier entrance/exist and mostly one person to one shop.

ya, will keep a look out too.

[brittlestars]

I strongly believe the thieves had the original intention to export them, instead of selling them at LFS. Simply because the number stolen is too big and seahorses are not easy to sell at retail level.

Has Reborn made a police report? The police could assist with Customs on recent export of live seahorses from Singapore. Just an idea...

[weileong]

They could export it illegally.

[wil_lee76]

gosh! JUst realised the News!! will keep a lookout on these!!

really shocking...that someone actually did that!

[XPeriment 626]

Hope the culprit gets caught soon and turned over to the police!!

[iantoh]

gosh, i was just at reborn today. didnt realise they had a theft occur at their shop. there are still some yellow kudas left there though. good thing with regards to the theft is that all the seahorses are females, as the supplier from vietnam can only market a single ###### inorder to preserve its advantage if not others will breed them too, so at least the thief wont be able to start another brrod culture. i saw them feeding on frozen mysids today and its really amazing, especially since i use to have to buy daily supplies of adult brine to feed the sh i used to keep. now, i'm really tempted to go get one. ah well...

anyhows, wish reborn all the best. i use to refrain from buying from them as they used to cram all their fishes in small containers and not feed them till they either die or are bought, but after the renovation, things look alot better, so upz for them.

[Kelmen]

Very likely those stock may port to nieghbour to sell.

Could it be insider related? That bugger will need more ppl and a proper transportation to carry out the deed.

[35Cents]

Was there on Sat late afternoon and saw the tank was full of them.. at the zoos section. When and wat time was the seahorses stolen?

Now with this post... i think all of them will be sun-dried and sold to chinese medicine halls. If catch them I hope they will be thrown in tank of blue ring octopuses.........

[Chris]

Two questions?

1. If the thief wants to sun-dry and seel to medicine hall, why not still all but only 60?

2. How much does each dried sea-horse cost at medicine hall? Not much only. Is it worth taking the risk?

I think it is also not possible that this person wants to keep them if so many are taken. To export legally too difficult if he does not have papers of their origin.

I think either it is exported illegally or the person will try to sell to familiar people in smaller quantity. For LFS, it is not likely asit is a big risk if they take from this unknown sources.

[hotlemond]

I dun think it was that easy to sell to chinese med shop. I am sure the shopkeepers wont risk a heavy fine or thier license to operate.

Also, if the culprit had the illegal export idea in mind, it wont be in such a small quantity. As both of this approaches will get them into very serious offence.

you dun see the recent LFF raided for 60pcs of coarls, do you??

[BFG]

Maybe the thief act on his greed to keep all of the seahorse, thinking that he have at least a few pair and breed them in the future. With the large number he has, the few that didn't make it might not really concern him coz he got it foc. But if the thief has no experience caring for the seahorse, then all are doom to die.

[Achilles Tang]

this was not the first time there are theft at Reborn.

Before the new coral display air con room was ready for operation, they had the hanging black galaxy MH wire snip off and the entire thing gone.

I suppose its not easy for them lor. all three shops (2 downstair, i upstair) are isolated at thier entrance/exist and mostly one person to one shop.

ya, will keep a look out too.

That's disgusting.

Stealing existing MH pendants from a LFS???!

If you can't afford the hobby, learn to keep ants or something!