CSB craze and rare nems out of control.

[Jboulerice]

I had an instance of a regular rainbow nem sold to me as a CSB, when I posted it to the market place when it split I had instant responses “purple tips not a real CSB” now I saw cornbread has a “Cornbred's Florida Solar Flare Nem - WYSIWYG”

Can one retailer really have so much hype they can sell a regular rainbow nem for 799?

https://cornbredcorals.com/products/cornbreds-florida-solar-flare-nem-wysiwyg

 

[Pntbll687]

What's a CSB??

And that Solar flare nem pic looks heavily filtered/edited. Also, it says "buyer gets nem in first three pics". So I guess putting a pic of a totally different nem is somehow appropriate and not misleading???

Nems are the same as sps and anything else now. Take pictures under super heavy blue light using filters in order to make it "pop", then slap a super duper ultra name on it, and finally sell it for something crazy.

The real question is.... What will it look like the majority of the day? You know, when you have white lights on as well. I'm going to say that it wouldn't look a whole lot different than any other $50 nem.

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I agree... fancy names = higher prices, I don't buy anything without seeing a picture without actinic or blue light blasting.

 

[Pntbll687]

I agree... fancy names = higher prices, I don't buy anything without seeing a picture without actinic or blue light blasting.

Why? I honestly don't understand this.

In my tank it has more hours with white light added than just blue or actinic, so I would want to see pics of what I will actually be seeing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking having heavy blues, it's just not my thing. I like the super crisp white look.

 

[Jboulerice]

What's a CSB??

And that Solar flare nem pic looks heavily filtered/edited. Also, it says "buyer gets nem in first three pics". So I guess putting a pic of a totally different nem is somehow appropriate and not misleading???

Nems are the same as sps and anything else now. Take pictures under super heavy blue light using filters in order to make it "pop", then slap a super duper ultra name on it, and finally sell it for something crazy.

The real question is.... What will it look like the majority of the day? You know, when you have white lights on as well. I'm going to say that it wouldn't look a whole lot different than any other $50 nem.

CSB is the Colorado sunburst which besides a super nova are the hottest highest pricing nem I’ve seen. Most recently even the hobbyist are selling them at 1200-2000 and sell in a matter of hours

 

[tehmadreefer]

As with EVERY post like this, vote with your wallets and just don't buy or hype it up. Just like the stupid rainbow bottom nems

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

CSB=Colorado Sunburst BTA. If you haven't seen one in person, you are missing out. They are stunning and definitely stand out among high end BTA's. It's supply and demand. CSB's aren't that common, and there is huge demand for them, hence the price. The CB RBTA posted above has defintitely gotten the Cornbred picture treatment. Whoever buys that will be sorely disappointed when they try to sell a split and find out that they can't get near what they paid for it. You have to be careful who you purchase from and get good accurate pictures when trying to buy a CSB. Pink or purple tips are a dead give away that it's not a true lineaged CSB.

 

[RumMnky]

"Semper Augustus"

 

[VSVP bet]

What I honestly cant stand are vendor names and claims to species. I understand that vendors put time and effort into growing colonies, so they have some degree of sentimental attachment to them (just like I have to my corals), but the bottom line is everything came from the ocean, and is now being cultivated in the home aquarium. Like Cornbread's this, or WWC's that. Idk if its just me, but five different vendors will have a 'claim' to a species and call it something ridiculous, and will charge high prices for a tiny frag. I get this is all a business, but thats why for me this forum's marketplace is a saving grace, allowing hobbyists to trade, communicate, and make money. And although there are some people that overcharge on this site, I have seen more of the opposite, people charging less than vendors allowing reefers who cant blow $200 on a frag opportunity to get some very nice pieces. Everything needs a name, but when you call the same species 10 different things, it gets very confusing and borderline annoying. The only thing that makes sense to me is a grading scale. For example regular vs ultra, because within the same species, there are clear and distinct color variants that will effect price.

And i understand that the clear choice is to just not shop at vendors that do this, but I believe i am allowed to voice my opinion.

 

[Jboulerice]

What I honestly cant stand are vendor names and claims to species. I understand that vendors put time and effort into growing colonies, so they have some degree of sentimental attachment to them (just like I have to my corals), but the bottom line is everything came from the ocean, and is now being cultivated in the home aquarium. Like Cornbread's this, or WWC's that. Idk if its just me, but five different vendors will have a 'claim' to a species and call it something ridiculous, and will charge high prices for a tiny frag. I get this is all a business, but thats why for me this forum's marketplace is a saving grace, allowing hobbyists to trade, communicate, and make money. And although there are some people that overcharge on this site, I have seen more of the opposite, people charging less than vendors allowing reefers who cant blow $200 on a frag opportunity to get some very nice pieces. Everything needs a name, but when you call the same species 10 different things, it gets very confusing and borderline annoying. The only thing that makes sense to me is a grading scale. For example regular vs ultra, because within the same species, there are clear and distinct color variants that will effect price.

And i understand that the clear choice is to just not shop at vendors that do this, but I believe i am allowed to voice my opinion.

This is pretty much my point exactly. I just needed a way to vent and I feel at least there’s a general consensus about wanting things to be scientific.

 

[VSVP bet]

This is pretty much my point exactly. I just needed a way to vent and I feel at least there’s a general consensus about wanting things to be scientific.

Agreed, I make a point to learn the latin names of everything I have. There is a massive wealth of knowledge out there that doesnt include absurd verbs and adjectives to describe a 1 inch peice of coral on a ceramic plug. Business is important, and vendors are needed to supply reefers, but so much of this hobby is a science (water chemistry, fish species, filtration, tank cycling, lighting, equipment physics, engineering), I am not sure why science and the origin/roots of coral species has gone out the window when it comes to names.

I guess a name is just a label, but I see the same thing labeled on multiple sites, and i cant help but laugh at the names that vendors come up with. Especially when the same species is named two different things on the same vendor site.

 

[Oldreefer44]

As long as people buy them they will keep marketing this way. IMO it has gotten out of hand and in the end will benefit the local LFS's as they will be the only place you can see what things will actually look like in your tank.

 

[rkpetersen]

The ongoing over-commercialization of this hobby is preposterous and a disgrace imo.
'Colorado Sunburst', 'Black Widow', 'Lemon Drop', lol, what a scam it all is!
And I have a neighbor that falls for all this nonsense. Just sad.

 

[rkpetersen]

CSB=Colorado Sunburst BTA. If you haven't seen one in person, you are missing out. They are stunning and definitely stand out among high end BTA's. It's supply and demand. CSB's aren't that common, and there is huge demand for them, hence the price. The CB RBTA posted above has defintitely gotten the Cornbred picture treatment. Whoever buys that will be sorely disappointed when they try to sell a split and find out that they can't get near what they paid for it. You have to be careful who you purchase from and get good accurate pictures when trying to buy a CSB. Pink or purple tips are a dead give away that it's not a true lineaged CSB.

lol, keep drinkin' that kool aid.

 

[D-Nak]

I've been in hobby long enough to know that anemones are NOT like corals, in terms of the name game and hype.

There are really only a handful of anemones that we keep in our aquariums. Of those, all are classified by their scientific names, EXCEPT for morphs of E. quadricolor (aka BTAs). Of those, there is only ONE that's named with a lineage to back it up and that's the CSB. I remember when I thought the $350 price tag was high over 10 years ago. There are other variants, such as the supernova or lemondrop, but those don't have a proven lineage (some people believe that they are CSBs that have morphed due to environment conditions). In short, it makes sense to pay a premium for a real CSB because you know what you're getting.

If someone bought a BTA and was told that it's a CSB, but it's got pink tips, then they didn't do your research and got suckered.

If someone buys a RBTA from a place like cornbred and paid a premium, then they got suckered. I have issues with people trying to market rainbows as something special. But as with any other buying decision, it's buyer beware.

In contrast, there are hundreds of species of corals, and many vendors try to name all of them something special to get them to sell. That's marketing 101. They are in business to make money. Would you rather buy a Walt Disney coral, or a Acropora plana? Same piece. With so many different types of corals, it makes sense to name them something other than their scientific name to try to differentiate them.

Do any of you guys buy honey? Google "manuka honey" and look at the price and explain to me why I should pay more than regular honey. Either you believe the hype (health benefits) and will pay a premium, or, well, you don't. Either way, it's not harming me, so I don't really care.

 

[D-Nak]

The ongoing over-commercialization of this hobby is preposterous and a disgrace imo.
'Colorado Sunburst', 'Black Widow', 'Lemon Drop', lol, what a scam it all is!
And I have a neighbor that falls for all this nonsense. Just sad.

I don't think it's a scam. No one is offering up something that's fake.

Here's how I see it:

CSB = Looks for yellow tips and bright orange tentacle. Pay what you want for it. But expect to pay a lot.
Black widow = red BTA with webbing in the middle and darker mouth area. I personally wouldn't pay a lot for it since the webbing isn't that cool to me.
Lemon Drop = if you want a yellow BTA that may change color on you, then go for it. Don't get mad if it turns orange.

All three are distinctly different. However, the cornbred one looks like a RBTA. If someone buys that, then maybe we can say that got scammed, I just prefer to say that they got suckered.

 

[that Reef Guy]

As long as people buy them they will keep marketing this way. IMO it has gotten out of hand and in the end will benefit the local LFS's as they will be the only place you can see what things will actually look like in your tank.

Yeah but LFS sell common stuff we don't want (Xenia, Green Star Polyp, Common Mushrooms, Common Zoanthids).

That is why I buy all my Corals at Frag Swaps.

- High End Collector Corals that People want.
- You Get to see the Corals in person and get them home the same day.
- No $50 Shipping.
- Great Prices

It is a no brainer.

If you want to get Great Corals for a Great Price and see them in Person go to Frag Swaps.

I saw a Coral Online once for $40. That same Vendor brought it to a Coral Show. I assumed it would be $40 just like on the site and was prepared to pay that. When I asked the Price he said $20. So I got the Same $40 Coral for half price and did not have to pay shipping. This is why I buy everything from Frag Swaps.

 

[Tamberav]

Black Widow has got to be the stupidest one. Sorry if I offend anyone.

 

[pokerdobe]

Same topic gets hashed almost monthly.

The prices for "insert coral of the month" is out of control.

Don't worry about what other people are spending money on.

 

[Gaspipe]

Also, it says "buyer gets nem in first three pics". So I guess putting a pic of a totally different nem is somehow appropriate and not misleading???

That's a <enter choice words here> move!