are SPS reefs the way do go now??

Devaji

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OK so here is the thing I am not much of a stick guy, more of an LPS LOVER. torches, hammer, frogspawn, elegance and the like hit my reefing sweet spot....I love flow and movement in the tank.

however with the explosion of LPS pricing had gotten stupid ( no this is not a thread all about pricing of corals ) i just saw a orage oucto spawn for 300 I bought one 2 years ago for $30 unfortunally lots all my corals in a holding tank while I moved the tank around. :(

SOOO the question/ observation is it seams like SPS frags ( not the high end ones ) are cheaper than LPS corals these days?
guessing they are easier to frag and grow out faster?

as I set here looking at my empty tank I get to set up once we move in a few months debating going full SPS or my classic mixed reef with LPS dom.
 

fcmatt

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I think you need to find an old fashioned local fish store. Their prices are dirt cheap compared to online vendors. It just takes more time to find what you like is all.

Take something common like zoas. Just an example. A whole rock worth of them would be like 40 dollars. Good looking too. Just put them under super blue lighting and snap a pick and WOW!
 

Bouncingsoul39

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The Indo ban has greatly limited our options for LPS. SPS aren't necessarily the only way to go but it's more like what can you afford out of what is left available. Check Craiglist and your local reef forum if you have one. The only way I am able to stay in the hobby is through the generosity of local reefers which we have quite a few of in So CA fortunately. Pretty much everything in my tank was bought on the cheap from local reefers.
 

ProfessorAronnax

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I think it boil down to availability of information and ability to acquire the necessary equipment to maintain their health.
 
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Devaji

Devaji

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I think you need to find an old fashioned local fish store. Their prices are dirt cheap compared to online vendors. It just takes more time to find what you like is all.

Take something common like zoas. Just an example. A whole rock worth of them would be like 40 dollars. Good looking too. Just put them under super blue lighting and snap a pick and WOW!

unfortunately there is no LFS in the state only 600K people live in wyoming so not much of anything. so I am left to online vendors of the one a year trip to SLC.
 
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Devaji

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The Indo ban has greatly limited our options for LPS. SPS aren't necessarily the only way to go but it's more like what can you afford out of what is left available. Check Craiglist and your local reef forum if you have one. The only way I am able to stay in the hobby is through the generosity of local reefers which we have quite a few of in So CA fortunately. Pretty much everything in my tank was bought on the cheap from local reefers.

yeah you so cal ppl are lucky that way I lived in santa barba for a while that was nice being able to have LFS and other reefers in the area.

yes the indo bans have def. effected the LPS for sure. + with the ease of dosing and monitoring SPS are a lot easier to care for than a decade ago.
 

Daniel@R2R

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I'd watch the classifieds and sales. I think LPS can still be had affordably. Just takes some looking. Euphyllia in particular are the fad at the moment, so maybe watch for other stuff.
 

C. Eymann

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While I might stick a photosynthetic gorgonian or two in my future tanks, they will ge mostly SPS because many of them grow alot faster than many LPS/soft coral.

Plus when I got into this hobby in the late 90s keeping SPS was only reserved for those with lots of experience and /or deep pockets, plus there was only one LFS in KC that even carried SPS and it was limited to a few colonies, fragging also was in its infancy, but these days with LED advancements, affordable wave pumps and user friendly dosing regimens/systems, SPS is easy ! it's also the easiest to propagate/frag! so why not?

I still love mixed reefs though, but for me, the only non SPS corals that I'll keep is probably gorgonians, maybe some chalice and possibly my favorite leather Sarcophyton elegans.



Just my take on it, too each their own
 

Tamberav

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I really love LPS too and it is a total drain on the wallet. I shop around a lot for deals but even a deal will be expensive.

I would say sticks are much more budget friendly and very easy to find, there are many acro keepers in my area selling high end sticks for dirt cheap and there are great venders like battle corals... and I feel his boxes are more budget friendly. An entire box of nice acros for 200 or 300 vs a single torch for $500-$1000.

It seems a lot more venders invested in growing acros and more reef keepers chose SPS since before the indo ban LPS was cheap. Now with the ban.... supply can not meet demand for LPS.
 

flagg37

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I’ve only been reefing for like 4 years and I’ve been amazed at how volatile the pricing is. Not only by time but geographically too. I think branding may be somewhat to blame. The lfs I used to go to before moving didn’t care about names. If you wanted to trade in your CB ultra metallic whatever, and it looked dull you’d get the budget price for it because he’d frag it up and put it in the $10 bid with the rest. The converse was true too though. If your no name coral looked great then he’d pay well for it. It was refreshing going into the store and buying based off what it looked like vs it’s name.
 

flsalty

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I just walked into a LFS nearby that I've never been to before. The store was in bad shape, but they had plenty of cheap frags, including heads of assorted euphyllias. I think you can find good deals if you look hard enough. Personally, Acropora is probably my least favorite coral. No way I would have a whole tank full of them. I do like some other sps though. I'd rather have a bunch of plain green euphyllias than a bunch of acros.
 

WVNed

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I bought a xenia online recently. It was $30 and when I got it it was smaller than a single green pea.
It's the size of a Lima bean now.
 

Heabel7

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Interesting thread, I feel the complete opposite. Although I have many stores here in Chicago, all they carry is lps and soft corals on the cheap. Finding sps at all is near impossible, and I find almost all sps of any quality color to be overpriced. But any designer sps runs very high just as do designer lps and softies.
 

madweazl

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I get 95% of my corals from locals via our local club (WAMAS). It's a win/win/win; they earn money to purchase the expensive pieces, we get quality frags, and it's much more sustainable/friendly to the environment. Plus, I've met some great people!
 
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