same coral different name... what ticks you off?

[rajkovich207]

So I'm bored and have been perusing the vendor listings. In one refresh I have found 3 different vendors offering the same sps with 4 different names ranging in price from 50-275. Why!? Don't people pay attention to other peoples stuff? This just makes me laugh and oddly a little angered. I know Scott has nearly beat this topic to death but after a bit of a break from the forums I was hoping it would be a tad different. Let's all share what about this hobby befuddles us, angers us, and leaves us rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter. And please guys keep it clean peaceful and. No name dropping or I'll ask to have the thread removed.
Happy reefing!

 

[Rob&Gab]

It ranges from 50$ frags to 250$ colonys its a difference . The acros that they have. Have been flooding about the past 2months from Bali I've seen some Mari cultures rocks of them . There really nice it's not there fault some people get for better prices then the next or so they say..

 

[juggalogentry]

id have to agree prices and names, i just recieved a $20 caulastrea frag that just so happened to actually turn out to be a 3 head frag of Acan Lord:dance:

 

[Rob&Gab]

It's like where I live in New York every other Sunday a few store I go to get sps the same day all from "different sources" so they say.... So one day they all post pictures of the stock photos and they all posted the same stock photos of the Bali shipment of colony's they got for the hobbiests long behold all bought from the same wholesaler.... One store charged 20$ per colony next store charged 30-40$ per colony the last store charged 60$+ per colony. It al has to do with the location your in who will buy it and the clientell you have. A price is a price there's always wiggle room for asking for a lower price . In this hobby there are favorites I don't care what anyone says. Not being rude or anything but if your best buddy gets the same thing you just got for 40-50$ cheaper your gonna feel sad or something

 

[rajkovich207]

No I understand infact my LFS got in a scoly or something, this guy paid 80 for it, gave it a funky name slapped rainbow in front of it and sold it on his site for 500. I generally don't pay more then $10 for my frags, generally they are brown yes but hey that's half the fun. I love this hobby to death but it has some super odd quirks to it. That's what I was hopping this thread would be but it seems to have started on a rough note there. So again let's hear what makes you guys laugh and what just plain gets under your skin

 

[rajkovich207]

No I understand infact my LFS got in a scoly or something, this guy paid 80 for it, gave it a funky name slapped rainbow in front of it and sold it on his site for 500. I generally don't pay more then $10 for my frags, generally they are brown yes but hey that's half the fun. I love this hobby to death but it has some super odd quirks to it. That's what I was hopping this thread would be but it seems to have started on a rough note there. So again let's hear what makes you guys laugh and what just plain gets under your skin

 

[rajkovich207]

Oops sorry double post not sure why that happened lol

 

[that Reef Guy]

So I'm bored and have been perusing the vendor listings. In one refresh I have found 3 different vendors offering the same sps with 4 different names ranging in price from 50-275. Why!? Don't people pay attention to other peoples stuff? This just makes me laugh and oddly a little angered. I know Scott has nearly beat this topic to death but after a bit of a break from the forums I was hoping it would be a tad different. Let's all share what about this hobby befuddles us, angers us, and leaves us rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter. And please guys keep it clean peaceful and. No name dropping or I'll ask to have the thread removed.
Happy reefing!

There are subtle difference that the Untrained Eye (Myself Included) do not see and people pay a premium for.

For Instance in regards to Zoanthids and Paly's - Everlasting Gobstoppers, Armor of Gods, and Who Dah's Cat's Eyes all look exactly the same to me but others can tell them apart.

So therefore I just Lump them Together as One Coral.

Hope that Helps.

 

[that Reef Guy]

No I understand infact my LFS got in a scoly or something, this guy paid 80 for it, gave it a funky name slapped rainbow in front of it and sold it on his site for 500. I generally don't pay more then $10 for my frags, generally they are brown yes but hey that's half the fun. I love this hobby to death but it has some super odd quirks to it. That's what I was hopping this thread would be but it seems to have started on a rough note there. So again let's hear what makes you guys laugh and what just plain gets under your skin

Well, that happens too.

But I mean can you Blame them?

If you could buy something for 80 and flip it right away for 500 you would do it too.

That is Marketing.

Happens in all Facets of Life.

For Instance I get Knock Off Aspirin for 1.00 but my Mother Refuses to buy anything but the Name Brand and pays 5.00 for the same exact thing.

It is all Marketing.

 

[tyler1503]

I think people are too caught up in having a perfect tank with perfect parameters and owning all these fancy gadgets that could easily be replaced by simple husbandry that they forget about how it feels to sit back and watch the fish swim and the corals wave in the current. This hobby should be more than "is it beneficial to the tank?". It's just as important to question "is it beneficial for my eyes". After all, how many people actually got into this hobby because they have a true passion for how much potassium is in the water? Or have a true love for the light spectrum? I'd be willing to bet none. They either love the look of how a certain coral waves in the water, or the patterns on a cool fish or something like that. People forget to look at these things and are too caught up with what some famous guy says is the right way to run a tank that it becomes a chore to run a tank. Aquariums are based on science, but they should also be based on art.
People need to relax a bit about things. Who really cares if your calcium is 410 instead of 420? The corals certainly don't, so why should you?
Some people may disagree with that, but they're probably the people who fret too much about these things. Just sit back and watch the tank! When was the last time you watched how a fish swims for half an hour? Or try to to see how many fish you could find sleeping? Have you ever seen the hitchhikers in your live rock that only come out after dark?
Give it a go and you might find things happening in your tank that you've only read about!

 

[juggalogentry]

very well said

 

[Simply__J]

When an LFS runs out water.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

The biggest downer to me are the critics and nay-sayers. There are 1000+ ways to run a reef tank successfully, and while each of us has our own preferred methods, we need to respect that other people have different ways that they prefer as well. Lately, (mostly in facebook groups) it seems there is a tremendous level of criticism for other people who are trying to be innovative. Please understand, I'm not talking about letting someone know when something is dangerous to the animal or unethical in some way (or just straight out foolish)...I'm talking about things as subjective as rock work or how many frags people place in their tank. The old saying, "if you can't say nothing good, don't say nothing at all" comes to mind.

I also get tired of people criticizing others for how they spend their own money. This hobby has a wide range of people who like different parts of the hobby. Some people like to spend less money and focus on color and growing out big colonies (I love those tanks, btw!), and others are more like stamp or baseball card collectors in that they want to own all the named pieces put out by different vendors, and there are some that fall in between these two. It saddens me see one reefer call another reefer "stupid" just because he doesn't have the same perspective on how to enjoy this hobby. It would seem that we should all respect each other and offer our opinions in ways that make room for the opinions of others.

Btw, Rajkovich207, thanks for a great topic! This is a good place to vent and talk about these frustrations in a way that is at least cathartic and hopefully constructive.

 

[ReeferMan420]

What bugs me the most is keeping algae in check. This is my first tank in 25+ years in the hobby having algae issues. And not knowing certain names of corals I see online bugs me too. So many new corals and morphs these days us oldies have a rough time keeping up

 

[Squid]

When a vendor sells a coral but gives it a different name and price the next week while still using the same picture -_-. Also hate the people who buy from wwc eBay cuz those fools always drive the price up on every single piece common or not lol good for wwc bad for me

 

[vampire tang]

I agree with tyler just enjoy your tank

 

[that Reef Guy]

The biggest downer to me are the critics and nay-sayers. There are 1000+ ways to run a reef tank successfully, and while each of us has our own preferred methods, we need to respect that other people have different ways that they prefer as well. Lately, (mostly in facebook groups) it seems there is a tremendous level of criticism for other people who are trying to be innovative. Please understand, I'm not talking about letting someone know when something is dangerous to the animal or unethical in some way (or just straight out foolish)...I'm talking about things as subjective as rock work or how many frags people place in their tank. The old saying, "if you can't say nothing good, don't say nothing at all" comes to mind.

I also get tired of people criticizing others for how they spend their own money. This hobby has a wide range of people who like different parts of the hobby. Some people like to spend less money and focus on color and growing out big colonies (I love those tanks, btw!), and others are more like stamp or baseball card collectors in that they want to own all the named pieces put out by different vendors, and there are some that fall in between these two. It saddens me see one reefer call another reefer "stupid" just because he doesn't have the same perspective on how to enjoy this hobby. It would seem that we should all respect each other and offer our opinions in ways that make room for the opinions of others.

Btw, Rajkovich207, thanks for a great topic! This is a good place to vent and talk about these frustrations in a way that is at least cathartic and hopefully constructive.

+1

Can't we all just get along?

 

[Poolman]

What bugs me is all the can you ID my zoa. Not all zoas have a name and if you don't remember what it is it probably doesn't have one.

 

[Diesel]

There must be more of this and less of that!
Enjoying this hobby the best as you can is a #1 rule.
Not much care about a price, I compare it as gasoline in Houston, at one gas station I filled up for $2.89 per gallon and 9 miles down the road it was $3.24!!!!
Most of my frags I give away to some local reef buddies, as frags vary from unknown colorful acro's or some RR named gems.
I just enjoy my tank and hope you can do the same with less or better yet none bashing for some that make a living of it.
As in the end without the vendors we wouldn't have these awesome corals to show off.

 

[reeffirstaid]

This is a topic that has come up before on Reef 2 Reef, and one that I have had multiple warnings for addressing head on. Recently I finished an article for TFH about some of these issues, and will provide a link when the article hits print. In research, I found that various coral vendors have profited greatly from naming corals. This name has led to a jaded consumer base that believes to get rare, high quality animals, they must have a signature name applied to them. Scolys are a prime example, as an LFS close to my home sells Scoly colonies for $40 a pop, some nearly as gorgeous as those selling at vendors listings for over 300+ dollars. While naming, in and of itself, isn't a bad thing - it can be used to mislead customers into paying many times over what a specimen is truly worth. Other vendors have employed friends, employees, etc into masquerading as fellow aquarists, to promote the high priced corals that they sell. They act as though they have ordered a shipment from ABC VENDOR, and it was amazing and encourage others to do the same, when the entire time it was just an employee of the vendor. Then of course is the process of photoshopping, where corals are made to appear much more extravagant then they truly are. All of these things take place, on a massive scale. Now being a vendor myself, it makes my stomach turn when I see these types of abuses, knowing just how much someone is being ripped off. IMHO it's ruining this hobby.

As far as snake oil supplements, that is another way to get a post removed, if you name the name of one of the vendors on R2R. There are many snake oil supplements, and it takes a good understanding of reef chemistry and biology, to know what works, how to use it, and when it is needed. There is no FDA like agency that polices aquarium additives, and companies are free to print whatever they like on a label, even if the product does nothing, or causes more harm than good.