While it depends on the bromeliad, many growers don't use ANY fertilizer at all. I've never fertlized my T. cyanea and it's doing great.

Some "faster than others" include T. x Nidus which is a natural hybrid between Ionantha and fasciculata. T. mitlaensis and paleacea are two other species. Once mature, many species seem to grow faster and larger when actually they are just adding on to the core of spent plants. So patience is the key for most but the above 3 are my picks.

I never order plants in any winter months because either the grower or I or both or in between will be frigid. I think tillandsias can be somewhat cold tolerant (depending on type). Someone once described them as living in a "cloud forest" (great visual!) environment, but there are those that live in dry, desert areas (xerographicas) or swamps (Spanish moss), too. However, both such areas can be quite cool (snow in Louisiana, anyone?). I suspect that the seller has probably wrapped them well and you purchased a quick delivery method, so they'll probably survive the trip if they don't get caught stacked up outside. The box is probably marked. They'll come with instructions that may include watering or soaking. You can soak them in warm water (preferably spring water or filtered or fresh-water aquarium water), and "warm" as in warm enough for a baby (by no means hot though). Hey, just look at them; they may look fine and seller instructions may be all you need. Sometimes plants we think are delicate are really quite strong; for example, in my dry climate, roses can be considered great in xeriscapes (dry landscapes). Let us know what they look like when they arrive. If they are later than you paid for and suffered damages, the seller may refund or replace them... and send them in Spring. Also, the shipping company (UPS? FedEx? USPO?) may pay or insurance bought on the shipment may kick in. Keep your paperwork. Oh, even your credit card may offer some coverage.

Great work, Photo! Whisks are a good idea. I've stuffed bigger whisks with bulbosas from time to time. There are quite a few places on line that I have bought plants from, but since we get a real winter (it's about 32F now, expecting a snow, with a blizzard across the mountains and into the plains to our east), and the tillandsia sellers are in California and Florida mostly (I think Plant Oddities is in Tennessee?), I'm waiting to order anything until maybe April 1st. I note your profile tells me you are in an area that gets winter, too (I used to live in Tulsa). However, this give you plenty of time to do research on line, and several online sellers have email lists you can sign up for to get ideas. As for the brown tips problem Kelly is having, it seems you are doing everything okay (unless maybe you are dunking your plant in tap water; filtered or fresh-water aquarium or rain/snow water is better). It may be that your office is just too dry. If you or any of your colleagues have the sniffles, sinus problems or the like, that may be an indication of too-dry air. If Tillandsias liked terrarium settings, I'd suggest that, but maybe you could figure out a way to mount the tilly so that it is above water (say, sitting in a shot glass -- depends on size of plant, of course -- then sitting that on a bed of gravel that is in a saucer -- hey, maybe use a decorative tea cup and saucer! Keep gravel moist. Perhaps also dunk the tilly a little more frequently. Paul Isley (Rainforest Flora) says (in a YouTube video) he just dunks his tillandsias, shakes them off and puts them back on display. Of course, he has greenhouses and a huge stock, so most plants probably are dunked on the same schedule you use. I ordered plants from them this year and instructions for some said to soak them immediately upon unpacking, but I knew that wasn't right for some of them (crocata, for example). I emailed them asking about this and Isley himself wrote back (or his assistant did via his email address; still a neat thing!) and said the plants are rather dry in the greenhouse, so he warns new buyers to soak just in case. People who buy in person can ask; new mail-order customers we hope have done some research. So I think the problem you may need to solve is humidity -- without the tillandsia being constantly wet. Let us know what you decide to try :)