Just ranting here

[Cichlid Dad]

Imho the vendors are realizing the game of chicken is coming to a close with cost. The covid wave for aquaria is dead.

Let's hope

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Hasn’t driven me out of the hobby, but it’s certainly driven me to downsize. Livestock prices, plus an inability to continue to justify burning all that electricity, I dumped my 450 SPS tank, and kept the 120 softie tank. At the rate the softies grow, I’ll be over-pricing chunks before you can type hypocrite . No plans to buy anymore corals, and I’ve all the fish an overstocked 120 can handle. OK, maybe an unusual softie will tempt me …. but it’d have to be something quite different from what I already have.

I just went harder and started a cube sps tank... Watching for a good used 180 g setup to come along so I can upgrade the 120g softie tank. I'm noticing the higher prices, it just hasnt broke me yet.

 

[Fishy888]

Problem is a lot of hobbyist are trying to sell their frags for what the online store is selling them for . Euphyllia, I can't find any under 100.00 on the major web sights I have them in my reef sprouting heads all over the place. They are fast growing and pretty easy in my short experience. I don't understand when the person I buy from can make a profit selling them for 10 to 15 per head on the more basic hammers. Torches 15 per head.

I’m fortunate that there are a few reefers here that don’t price gouge. There are plenty of LFSs that price gouge too but at least I don’t have to pay for shipping and the closest ones are good, clean LFSs.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I’m fortunate that there are a few reefers here that don’t price gouge. There are plenty of LFSs that price gouge too but at least I don’t have to pay for shipping and the closest ones are good, clean LFSs.

Same here in Cali. You have to be competitive as there are too many stores around.

 

[JoJosReef]

Same here in Cali. You have to be competitive as there are too many stores around.

I haven't been to that many LFS in socal, but I haven't been too impressed on close inspection. At first, it was what got me into this when I brought my son in to get clowns and fell head over heels for the corals and nems (at the time a hammer in double digits, now triple). But now I look at the aiptasia in their tanks, exposed skeletons and the odd fish swimming sideways and think, hmm, I'll just go with a local that I know has a healthy tank.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Depends on where you are located, as your OC, Tong's on magnolia/warner is the usual go to for livestock for me if my local importer cant get it. I used to buy coral from them as well but the prices got stupid. Now I order online or buy through the fb groups.

If your willing to drive north enough Harry's in torrance for livestock also or Ellis aquatics in Compton for coral only.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I think some people with so much money, like spending the high dollar for the coral, and other things in the hobby. I've been been told I don't know how many times here on r2r "it's a luxury hobby, it you can't afford it, find something else" in one way or another. Problem is I put the budget on my self. I have other things in life. Family, other hobbies grandkids ECT no reason to spend that much money on this hobby, but for some it is a I'm better than you and in a way, they need this to build themselves up. Problem is it drives the price up for the rest of us

 

[TCseh]

I see all these people talking about local frag swaps. Where do I find them? All my lfs near me actually sell everything for more than the websites sell for certain things.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I see all these people talking about local frag swaps. Where do I find them? All my lfs near me actually sell everything for more than the websites sell for certain things.

See if you can find a local club nearby that is active

 

[TCseh]

See if you can find a local club nearby that is active

How do I find local clubs?

 

[BangingBaking]

Went to Bali for a trip and got completely stunned with their whole sale price from the local farm.
Maricultured "tiger grail torch" being sold for $600 a head online? 100 bucks for a colony, ULTRA GLITTER GONIO going close to 4 digit? 50 bucks, there definitely are tons of paperworks and overheads involved when supplying these, running cost of store certainly ain't gonna be cheap too hence mark up to some degree is understandable.
Now, if anyone can crack the code and supply these directly to consumer....

 

[JoJosReef]

Depends on where you are located, as your OC, Tong's on magnolia/warner is the usual go to for livestock for me if my local importer cant get it. I used to buy coral from them as well but the prices got stupid. Now I order online or buy through the fb groups.

If your willing to drive north enough Harry's in torrance for livestock also or Ellis aquatics in Compton for coral only.

I've also read good things about OceanDevotionLA and thinking of swinging by next time I fly out of LAX. Prices are quite high for the QT'd fish though.

 

[Nman]

I’ve said this since starting again . In the 90 when you bought a coral it was attached to a big lump of live rock and the price was still affordable. Since starting back I went in a LFS and there were tiny frags for double the price . Something is going to have to change . But if people are buying them at them price vendors will keep pumping them out . It’s a shame there isn’t clubs that swap frags to members and this type of thing took off big time . People just starting out with not much money will eventually get pushed out starting which is bad for the hobby. I remember a gentleman saying it’s a hobby for the wealthy statements like this don’t help the hobby in anyway at all. This hobby should be open and achievable from every background to protect the hobby for the next generation of reefers

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Literally just gave away 8 heads of hammer i would say its about the experience not the money. I do constant trading with locals around here and very rarely grab a piece for just myself i have coral sitting in my tank just for buddies to grab when they can or fly out this way....but not every shop is like this its takes an empire built a certain way to compete with some of the quality from friends shameless plug here @F i s h y your standards on things are amazing and pricing unreal truly appreciate you being one of the good guys in the game....

 

[JoJosReef]

I’ve said this since starting again . In the 90 when you bought a coral it was attached to a big lump of live rock and the price was still affordable. Since starting back I went in a LFS and there were tiny frags for double the price . Something is going to have to change . But if people are buying them at them price vendors will keep pumping them out . It’s a shame there isn’t clubs that swap frags to members and this type of thing took off big time . People just starting out with not much money will eventually get pushed out starting which is bad for the hobby. I remember a gentleman saying it’s a hobby for the wealthy statements like this don’t help the hobby in anyway at all. This hobby should be open and achievable from every background to protect the hobby for the next generation of reefers

Equipment-wise, there's a great range of products that offer entry points for every budget. Stocking your tank is getting pricey though, especially if you don't have a local network to tap into for the easy frags that should be giveaways and not $50 apiece. In the almost 2yrs I've been here, the pricing of some online vendors has been baffling.

 

[907FishGuy]

We've got a guy up here in Anchorage that started selling coral a few months back and his prices are well below LFS prices, it's kind of nice. Guy isn't in it for the money. Hard to get stuff "cheap" up here in AK.

 

[Nman]

Equipment-wise, there's a great range of products that offer entry points for every budget. Stocking your tank is getting pricey though, especially if you don't have a local network to tap into for the easy frags that should be giveaways and not $50 apiece. In the almost 2yrs I've been here, the pricing of some online vendors has been baffling.

I went to visit a coral shop and there was no prices on the tanks and when you asked him he would look up in the air wait a minute then say a price. This is called make a price up in your head . Never ever went back near them . Just think if a first time reefer went in there not knowing the difference. Things definitely need to change somehow

 

[i cant think]

Im sorry to rant but its getting disgusting with coral prices. I went on three sites and my favorite site (will not disclose) . . . . I had to close the pages at page 3-4 as the prices are beyond insane and very unwelcoming to new hobbyists who many want that certain starter coral(s) and may be able to get one or two at these prices and add $30-40 for shipping on top of it..
I have been buying local and from private parties and am glad I made that switch.
Some, I paid $10-$20 a year or a little more ago and are now $55-$75 especially for two head zoa or other bread and butter coral.
And this PERCENTAGE off of sale price is a load of garbage as One in particular was $75 and 20% off last week (making it $60.00) and today its $65.00 and 10% making it $59.50 - Still $60
Just sad.. . .. . .
ANYWAY, HOPING EVERYONE IS HAVING A GREAT WEEKEND AND ENJOYING THEIR TANKS

I can understand some of the pricing for coral pieces. Like Zoas, if they’re dragged it’s often that the frags don’t survive and that boosts the pricing.
Acros some of them are insane but some of them are near on impossible to get, and can take years to grow as frags. Some of the colouring on them can also be specific to one single strain or species.
Mushrooms I can also understand for a similar reason - Bounce mushrooms are a hard one to get and it’s not known why they bounce. Whether it’s genetic or to do with the growing environment.

And so on… But the one coral I will never know why they’re so expensive is;
Torches. These guys grow like wildfire when happy. They frag relatively easily as well. Their colours are nice but look at how many ‘Gold’ torches are out there. What makes one gold more special than the other?
And I mean when under even just a bit of white you can’t see that gold… here’s my Hellfire torch for example. I know it’s a good torch due to when it’s under 100% blues it gives gold and green streaking on each tentacle.

 

[BangingBaking]

I can understand some of the pricing for coral pieces. Like Zoas, if they’re dragged it’s often that the frags don’t survive and that boosts the pricing.
Acros some of them are insane but some of them are near on impossible to get, and can take years to grow as frags. Some of the colouring on them can also be specific to one single strain or species.
Mushrooms I can also understand for a similar reason - Bounce mushrooms are a hard one to get and it’s not known why they bounce. Whether it’s genetic or to do with the growing environment.

And so on… But the one coral I will never know why they’re so expensive is;
Torches. These guys grow like wildfire when happy. They frag relatively easily as well. Their colours are nice but look at how many ‘Gold’ torches are out there. What makes one gold more special than the other?
And I mean when under even just a bit of white you can’t see that gold… here’s my Hellfire torch for example. I know it’s a good torch due to when it’s under 100% blues it gives gold and green streaking on each tentacle.
View attachment 3162098

24k Gold,Sun God ULTRA gold, Grail Gold, Master Gold, Super Gold x combination of tips and body

 

[JoJosReef]

My $20 BTA from a local that had a ton of splits is a stunner. I think it's crazy how nice this nem is. It split on me and I gave the extra away. How much you think this would be listed for at an online vendor? Note: pic taken with Pixel during evening blues, no Orphek lenses, just the cooler-warmer bar.

Moral: find local reefers and be nice to each other. Everybody wins!