yanetterer
Active Member
Just something that came to my mind while doing some online window shopping.
What are some of the not so obvious details that you appreciate or annoy you when shopping for fish or corals online, whether it is a vendor or a hobbyist?
Let's ignore the obvious and more discussed items like sale/pricing strategies, heavily doctored/blue photos, coral naming, etc.
I'll get it started:
1. Mother colony pictures. Especially for frags that may not show the coral's full potential color pattern (think some rainbow chalices or acros where new growth may have a different color).
2. Pictures under various lighting. Tidal Gardens provides daylight and actinic pictures. Granted, theirs is the same picture edited to show each, but it still gives me a better idea as to what it will really look like in my tank. Especially as my lights adjust color throughout the day.
3. Forum sponsors that include a link to their site either in the post or in their signature (even better if the embedded image links directly to the coral on the site). It seems obvious that you would provide a link to your site if you are selling online, but I have noticed a few times that some don't. Of course, it isn't hard to search for the vendor, but sometimes a vendor's address isn't exactly the same as their name.
What are some of the not so obvious details that you appreciate or annoy you when shopping for fish or corals online, whether it is a vendor or a hobbyist?
Let's ignore the obvious and more discussed items like sale/pricing strategies, heavily doctored/blue photos, coral naming, etc.
I'll get it started:
1. Mother colony pictures. Especially for frags that may not show the coral's full potential color pattern (think some rainbow chalices or acros where new growth may have a different color).
2. Pictures under various lighting. Tidal Gardens provides daylight and actinic pictures. Granted, theirs is the same picture edited to show each, but it still gives me a better idea as to what it will really look like in my tank. Especially as my lights adjust color throughout the day.
3. Forum sponsors that include a link to their site either in the post or in their signature (even better if the embedded image links directly to the coral on the site). It seems obvious that you would provide a link to your site if you are selling online, but I have noticed a few times that some don't. Of course, it isn't hard to search for the vendor, but sometimes a vendor's address isn't exactly the same as their name.
