Cheap(er) corals

[Llyod276]

Search online for local frag swaps. Outside of the covid year, there are few that happen once a year within a few hours drive for me in Northeastern Wisconsin. I'm sure they happen in the greater Chicagoland area.

Hmmm. Nope.

 

[Llyod276]

Look at these poor jerks, they need a home. Anems anyone? Under the kessil ap700 1st quarter moon cycle.

 

[Blumy]

Swing by my house. I’ll give you an inch plus with branches of some green slimer and a fat chunk of of pink bird’s nest for free.

 

[KrisReef]

Where/who sells cheap(er) corals. Not looking for designers and the prices for some are insane, $100+ for frags, $30 polyp, $60 head. Dont get me started on colonies. This is just price gouging like crazy.

Am I wrong to assume if I name a coral "Purple Hellcat of Doom With the Devil's Blessing" or some shot, I can sell it for $200?

I get that pretty colors cost more. But god dang this coral and like 3 polyps/branches/heads.

Any advice also are there reputable online dealers who actually take care to package animals so they dont die within a day or in transit?

Also, I believe that the name; "Purple Hellcat of Doom With the Devil's Blessing" is already being used for a GSP variant so you might not do well with that one.

The best way to hustle coral is to hang around a LFS, clean tanks for free, help others set-up or move their systems and once the local coral community realizes what a coral freak you are they will turn you on to free or cheap frags just to see you smile. Ask me how I know!

 

[Llyod276]

Swing by my house. I’ll give you an inch plus with branches of some green slimer and a fat chunk of of pink bird’s nest for free.

Now that's what I'm talking about. See it does exist! For sure blumy. PM me please. Want some shrooms, (the aquatic kind!!!)?

 

[Llyod276]

And an as a side note, notice how sex does not factor into the aqaurium trade. I've yet to see a mermaid holding a "dragons testicle super OG bounce" anything. Boom, marketing *******!

 

[Llyod276]

Also, I believe that the name; "Purple Hellcat of Doom With the Devil's Blessing" is already being used for a GSP variant so you might not do well with that one.

The best way to hustle coral is to hang around a LFS, clean tanks for free, help others set-up or move their systems and once the local coral community realizes what a coral freak you are they will turn you on to free or cheap frags just to see you smile. Ask me how I know!

I wish I had that much time. Tell you what come over and babysit and I'll get started right now!

 

[ZoWhat]

I’m a very well known seller on here with very healthy frags, while I do extremely rare and high end frags I do have some affordable frags, but the days of $10 chunky frags are long gone. It’s expensive to grow these days. Those prices above are nothing. That’s the normal price for a aquaculture frag and just the normal size of frags. Nothing wrong with single heads and single polyp frags if you know how to grow coral well. If you can grow it well then High end coral is the game and you can make some serious money in it. Corals are investments these days. I got $1,000 corals and a few I’ve paid $3,000-$4,000 for. Which one of these $3,000 corals made me over $16,000 in a year. It costs a ton of money to build a large system. So think of that when you buy frags. As far as naming coral, if you bring something in or buy a unnamed coral then you can name it, but it has to be different enough as well as you may not get much traction unless your known in the hobby or it’s super crazy. You also can’t go rename a named coral for example take Jason Fox Homewrecker you can’t go name that green goblin. This is a sad process many vendors do though.

Just like my signature says below....

Can't eat a steak dinner at McDonald's Value Menu prices


.

 

[Reefbuds]

You should just start a meme coral name thread lol

 

[ZoWhat]

I've yet to see a mermaid holding a "dragons testicle super OG bounce" anything.

Drink enough Bourbon at the end of the peir, you will

 

[Llyod276]

Just like my signature says below....

Can't eat a steak dinner at McDonald's Value Menu prices


.

No but you can get a .50 & .75$ hamburger and cheeseburger. Even at mcdies they have deals. The deals at lfs are not buy 1get one. Its 1 one and then get 50% of 2. Or buy 5 get one.

Almost as bad as cigarettes, miss those bogo days.

 

[Blumy]

Now that's what I'm talking about. See it does exist! For sure blumy. PM me please. Want some shrooms, (the aquatic kind!!!)?

I’m fully stocked. Those 2 need trimming regularly. I trade them to the LFS for free Betta food (kids tank).

 

[ZoWhat]

No but you can get a .50 & .75$ hamburger and cheeseburger. Even at mcdies they have deals. The deals at lfs are not buy 1get one. Its 1 one and then get 50% of 2. Or buy 5 get one.

Almost as bad as cigarettes, miss those bogo days.

IMO everyone is suffering from the "Dollar Tree Syndrome". Everyone wants the best acceptable quality at a super super valued price.

Corals are not things you can contract out to a Chinese Mfgr and make a ba-zillion of them so you can have soooooo much supply that the price is driven to bare minimums.

If corals were, you'd see $5 corals sold in the Walmart Pet Section

This is a hobby of collectible animals (corals) that grow naturally half way around the world from us in Indonesia. 9,300 miles away Jack....

Even aquacultured within the U.S. it takes a trained well skilled person to grow out and provide the littlest amount of supply in a very small but passionate market

This hobby involves a ton of patience and a LOT of money.

It's not a hobby where you can skate by and cut corners. Many try, but many quit when they realize the amount of patience and money it takes to have a super nice setup.

Can't be in the Ferrari Club while trying to barely pay for your Volkswagen


.

 

[smiley28]

And an as a side note, notice how sex does not factor into the aqaurium trade. I've yet to see a mermaid holding a "dragons testicle super OG bounce" anything. Boom, marketing *******!

That’s in large part due to forum owners and moderators. You still find them but seldomly.

 

[KrisReef]

Drink enough Bourbon at the end of the peir, you will

True!

 

[ou12004]

Look on your local reef Facebook page and ask if anyone is selling reasonably priced coral. I pretty much give away coral. I have frag racks that need cleaned out.

 

[Llyod276]

And that's exactly the problem as it stands. These animals are imported, which is kinda bad but hopefully aquaculture should expand to where this becomes less of a thing.
The Ferrari comparison is just plain wrong. These animals are not super critters, seriously you look at them EVERYDAY.
In a recent review of a Ferrari something or other, they (car and driver) literally stated its "comfortable enough to be an everyday driver" . Likewise us persons who have to drive everyday are indeed gonna pull out the Volkswagen and leave the Ferrari in the garage until it's time to impress or show off. Hence it makes no sense to pay for Ferrari when the Volkswagen gets us by. More than that these corals are living creature, imagine your Ferrari blowing up because you forgot an oilchange and waited an extra week. Your "Posidons Mustache" birdnest just died, a week later after your water quality went to shut because dude got baked and forgot to change the water feed your Reed roids and the fish while your touring de French Riviera in your Ferrari. And I'm supposed to pay $100+ for new one. Yeah, unsustainable just like our coral trade. And likewise the domestics cost more than the imports these days. Buy American? Pay 3x more.

 

[Llyod276]

That’s in large part due to forum owners and moderators. You still find them but seldomly.

I want an add of this, please send. If I can get a snapon tool girl calendar in less than modest attire, done deal. I've got plenty of wall space for mermaids. Ohhh wait the daughter... ok in the basement with the sump the nudy mermaids go.

 

[Llyod276]

Another option is the big frag packs from online vendors. Only problem is you don't get to pick what you get.

That's actually one of the best out there. Plus the non picking is one of the few surprises I wont react violently to. At least to me, there is no such thing as a nuisance coral, just unexpected guests.

 

[CanuckReefer]

This is an expensive hobby. It was 25 years ago....it still is. What do you think it costs now to either pull it from the ocean with transit...regulations etc....now what does it cost for your own tank, then multiply it because their parameters if cultured in tank have to be bang on.