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Bad Guy Tim Koppenhofer, Special K Reptiles

Jayson1892

Jayson1892

J&J Boa Constrictors
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I had heard bad things about Tim on here and on other forums, but when I met him at the Cleveland Reptile Expo he seemed super nice and kind of sucked me in... So I bought a male Het Anery off of him... Turns out the guy has mites, now he has them even worse because I didnt catch it in time! I am so pissed off at this guy right now for even letting an animal live in this condition, let alone sell it at a show around other animals that can also get the mites! Luckily I kept him separate from my other 3 animals and they are mite free. I tried calling Tim and am getting no response, even left a nice voicemail... I promise that he will never sell another animal at the Cleveland Reptile Expo if he doesnt do something to correct this situation because I will stand in front of his display and tell every single person there about Tim and his animals!
 
He usually does the White Plains show which is tomorrow so you probably won't be able to get a hold of him till the start of the week.
 
Because I am still new to reptiles and was lucky that my first 3 boa's didnt have problems, so I never thought to check for anything like that. Now I know differently, lesson learned. But my problem is is that he knows these animals have issues and he brings them to shows anyway which could possibly cause anyone else around him to have their animals also infected.
 
done

Jayson1892 said:
Because I am still new to reptiles and was lucky that my first 3 boa's didnt have problems, so I never thought to check for anything like that. Now I know differently, lesson learned. But my problem is is that he knows these animals have issues and he brings them to shows anyway which could possibly cause anyone else around him to have their animals also infected.
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Jason, i keep a bottle of reptile relief on hand and treat EVERY new snake while they are in QT.I dont care if it came from God himself i treat them to prevent problems.I suggest you give it a try it kills the little snots on contact :thumbsup:.Sorry you had this happen to you
 
These are the lessons that shape you for tomorrow.. Betcha $$$$ you never get a snake with mites again my friend!! Lol (kinda, but not really!) It's almost a prerequisite to have something like this happen to you to become un/non naive?? Lol..
 
Right now I have my guy soaking, plus I have sprayed down his enclosure and everything in it with RID, going to let that stuff sit awhile then wipe it all down and go from there... Just so pissed off because my boa's are like my children.
 
I suppose that you didn't handle any other reptiles at the show, right?
 
So, if you didn't see them on the snake at the show...did you, maybe, for just a minute, stop to consider that maybe they didn't originate on that snake? That you might have picked them up by handling other snakes?
 
I see what you are saying, but with Tim having a history of the same issue and being a flipper I cant see it happening any other way, I only handled one other persons animals and I ended up buying one of those animals as well and that animal has no issues.
 
I see what you are saying, but with Tim having a history of the same thing and also the fact that he is a flipper and not a breeder I cant see it happening any other way. I only handled one other persons animals that day and ended up purchasing 2 of those animals from that guy the next show and have not had any issues with those animals.
 
Before I go any further - I wasn't there, so I'm not saying that the mites weren't on Tim's snake....
But, you were at a show.
I've been at shows and quite literally watched mites crawling from one table to another. I've also seen people handling snakes with visible mites, not washing, then handling a $1000 snake two tables down. For those reasons, I have a hard time laying blame on a seller when the mites weren't seen at the show. Every snake I purchase at a show gets treated for mites when I get home...for that matter, when I'm vending, I treat my own animals when I get home. The reason should be obvious.
 
I wouldn't go make a scene at the show.
Please wait until you contact him and make him aware of this thread. I would like to hear his side. Pretty sure he if he is in the wrong he will make it right somehow. I'm not defending him, but Tim is a reasonable person. I have purchased from him and have friends who have done business with him. But being that he flips also allows for unfortunate incidents as well. I'm in no way knocking flippers, I know a few that have great reputations and stock. They do go through all the proper measures to ensure they don't sell a bum animal. However some have ruined the flipper label by putting quick cash before professional business ethics and animal welfare. Makes it harder on the good ones.
I hate mites as much as the next keeper. But they are fairly easy to treat, just a pain in the butt. Benefit is it takes more elbow grease than cash, unlike vet visits for RIs or crypto.
Hell, it's almost a rite of passage to kill some mites in the snake community. If you've never had to treat, odds are you haven't been keeping that long. You sound like you know what to do about it. Good luck.
 
Yeah, I just got my first boa about a year ago and now have 4 total, so I am new... Like I said before my snakes are like my children and hence the reason I am pissed off. I had heard a ton of negative things about Tim and decided to give him a chance anyway and now the very thing that people told me would happen, happened. I doubt I will ever go to the expo again and will probably just purchase elsewhere from now on. I am treating for the mites as we speak, so hopefully all goes well.
 
I agree with Harald in this situation. Those mites could have come from any one of the animals you handled at the show.

There really is no way for you to know the mites came from that animal, and, honestly? To me, it sounds like you are saying it was Tim because of his "reputation" and providing little else thought process besides that.

I have no way of knowing where the mites came from, but, really, neither do you.

I do not really see how a Bad Guy Thread was warranted. Maybe an Info Thread or something ... but, eh, that's just me.

I also do not think Tim really needs to come to this thread because all it is now is he said/he said. It would be a different thing if the animal had been shipped to you or it had been the ONLY thing you touched at the expo. However, that is not the case.
 
Well, either way, I am completely done with going to reptile expo's/shows, from this point on I will only be purchasing animals from reputable breeders online.

I understand everything you guys are saying and you are probably right, might have just jumped to conclusions to quick, but I learned some serious lessons tonight!

I just spent the last hour working the dead/half alive mites out of his underside and think I got most of them, I treated the cage and followed the instructions given for stopping them, so now I just have to keep an eye on him.
 
Special K Reptiles

Good Evening,

I have dealt with Tim in the past and so have friends of mine. The animals we purchased from Tim were healthy and nice. I agree with others that every animal you acquire should be treated for mites before you introduce them into your collection. I have purchased some high end animals from quality breeders and have seen mites. It comes with the territory, I have a quarantine rack that every animal I purchase get treated in it. I understand your frustration but they could have come from anywhere at that reptile show. When I was new to the reptile trade I had a couple of bad mite infestations and learned my lessons too. I do not take the chance to trust anyone's animals, and as clean as my animals are I do not expect others to trust mine either.

Thanks,
 
Jayson1892 said:
Well, either way, I am completely done with going to reptile expo's/shows, from this point on I will only be purchasing animals from reputable breeders online.
Click to expand...

This may be a bit extreme IMO. As Harald alluded to, you just have to be vigilant about the animals you handle at the show. I use the hand sanitizer religiously at shows (either at my own table or others) to help avoid this problem. Sanitize before and after holding an animal. Mites, possible respiratory infections, neurological issues, dehydration, general body condition, etc. are all things to pay attention to when you are looking at an animal in person. While you would be perfectly fine buying only online, there is something to be said for actually seeing and holding your potential snake in person. You can usually get a better deal at shows too because of shipping costs.

Either way, it sounds like you are doing the right things to get rid of the mites. And as others have said, it is kind of rite of passage in the reptile industry.

Good luck with the treatment.
 
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