Easiest Most Profitable Coral (Frag Tank)

[aggrofish]

I’ve only had a frag tank for 12 months so I consider myself new to the hobby. I started growing and cutting rainbow BTAs, then black widows, then got a Colorado Sunburst. I feed them and cut a few nems every 6 weeks or so. I now have 8 CSBs in my tank that I can split and sell to a LFS at a wholesale price. I've already made enough $ (store credit) to buy a brand new Waterbed 110.4 DX. In 3 months I can have 32 CSBs growing and, at full retail, that's more than $20K. I did take my time setting up my frag tank, I didn't rush it. I listened and read from many of our peers on these forums, thanks BTW.

Are you setting up an anemone waterbed?

 

[DeepSea75]

I just got an Arizona Sunburst Myself at RAPNY... I didn't find a decent price Colorado.

Anyway, how often you spot feed if you don't mind me asking?

Spot feeding: Not more than 2x a week, sometimes once every 2 weeks. I usually cut up some uncooked shrimp (without tripolyphosphate) and they swallow it up. They'll also catch some frozen brine shrimp floating around my tank. I mainly rely on good lights for growth and spot feeding to supplement their growth.

 

[DeepSea75]

Are you setting up an anemone waterbed?

sorry, i'm not familiar with term "waterbed" as it relates to this hobby. please explain.

 

[DeepSea75]

I just got an Arizona Sunburst Myself at RAPNY... I didn't find a decent price Colorado.

Anyway, how often you spot feed if you don't mind me asking?

How much were Colorado's going for at RAPNY?

 

[Digitalfirex]

sorry, i'm not familiar with term "waterbed" as it relates to this hobby. please explain.

I'm assuming a nem box... granted I'm drawing a conclusion from the possibility of a "fry nursery" being similar lol

 

[Digitalfirex]

How much were Colorado's going for at RAPNY?

The one I saw was $1,200 for like a 6". They did offer to discount it to 1k when I asked but still seemed high for my taste. Another vendor was asking $1,600 for another one a bit larger. I got a black widow for $100 at RAP too.

 

[DeepSea75]

I'm assuming a nem box... granted I'm drawing a conclusion from the possibility of a "fry nursery" being similar lol

My frag tank is 55 gallon lowboy from Zoomed. I have my CSB's isolated in a pond basket I picked up at Lowes for ~$4. It's about 10"x10"x6".

 

[aggrofish]

sorry, i'm not familiar with term "waterbed" as it relates to this hobby. please explain.

Bad joke i assume you meant waterbox as in the aquarium but it got auto corrected to waterbed

 

[DeepSea75]

The one I saw was $1,200 for like a 6". They did offer to discount it to 1k when I asked but still seemed high for my taste. Another vendor was asking $1,600 for another one a bit larger. I got a black widow for $100 at RAP too.

Prices will come down significantly as more people like myself aquaculture these beautiful creatures.

I was extremely lucky because the owner of my local LFS in Charlotte, NC gave me this CSB for free in exchange for me giving him 4 anemones in the future. After that, he would buy them from me. But dang was I so scared to cut such an expensive animal. big pucker factor! I just hoped that one of the 2 halves would survive. I've not lost a single nem from cutting.

 

[Digitalfirex]

My frag tank is 55 gallon lowboy from Zoomed. I have my CSB's isolated in a pond basket I picked up at Lowes for ~$4. It's about 10"x10"x6".

Oh darn I didn't think of checking lowes for a basket! I have the same set up... a low boy 50g. I ended up with a weird basket from the dollar store but that size looks way better lol

 

[DeepSea75]

Bad joke i assume you meant waterbox as in the aquarium but it got auto corrected to waterbed

So my first tank was a Waterbed 60.2 and yes, I'll likely turn this into a new tank with CSB's. I'll move it to my basement where my frag tanks and QTs are located. I'll replace the 60.2 with my new 110.4 in the main living area of my house. I'm excited to put some new fish that require a bigger tank into this larger tank. The 60.2 a test to see if I could successfully set up a manageable SW tank. I think my success was result of reading soooo many posts here, going super slow, not overfeeding, and putting everything through numerous months of QT.

 

[DeepSea75]

Oh darn I didn't think of checking lowes for a basket! I have the same set up... a low boy 50g. I ended up with a weird basket from the dollar store but that size looks way better lol

I cut out 2 holes in the back and added an Eshopps Eclipse overflow. I picked up a cheap 20 gallon tank at Petco for a sump, refugium. I got a baffle kit for the sump and added filter socks and a skimmer. it helps to free up space in the lowboy and adds 30% more system water volume.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I have to say getting into saltwater to make money is a sure way to not make money. The people who run the biggest farms were mostly hobbyists who started selling because they grew stuff well. Getting into it for profit first is likely a bad way to approach it as a beginner. And the market is wayyyyy saturated with instagram frags these days even as hobbies overall are slowing down a bit.

 

[DeepSea75]

I have to say getting into saltwater to make money is a sure way to not make money. The people who run the biggest farms were mostly hobbyists who started selling because they grew stuff well. Getting into it for profit first is likely a bad way to approach it as a beginner. And the market is wayyyyy saturated with instagram frags these days even as hobbies overall are slowing down a bit.

Well, I would add that it takes a significant amount of startup capital to set up systems capable of growing enough corals/fish/nems. then it takes more money to buy initial corals to frag up. Then it takes a significant amount of patience to keep systems stable and let corals/fish grow. I would agree with your statement, most successful farms were started by individuals with vast knowledge of the hobby/industry first. But I'll also add that there are incredible hobbyists doing scientific work/research at home to improve aquaculture of fish and corals that have previously not been breed or spawned in captivity.

 

[Digitalfirex]

I cut out 2 holes in the back and added an Eshopps Eclipse overflow. I picked up a cheap 20 gallon tank at Petco for a sump, refugium. I got a baffle kit for the sump and added filter socks and a skimmer. it helps to free up space in the lowboy and adds 30% more system water volume.

I have the sump above the tank because the whole set up is in my basement... last year it flooded and I lost an ASD Holy Grail torch when (I had a 20g tank in the basement) the equipment got wet. So I put all alectronics above the tank, below tank has a clearance I think of 36"?

 

[polyppal]

The one I saw was $1,200 for like a 6". They did offer to discount it to 1k when I asked but still seemed high for my taste. Another vendor was asking $1,600 for another one a bit larger. I got a black widow for $100 at RAP too.

500$ all day in Colorado

people need to quit charging crack prices for CSBs

good price for your black widow though

 

[Digitalfirex]

500$ all day in Colorado

people need to quit charging crack prices for CSBs

good price for your black widow though

Yup, that's exactly why I don't own one lol

I did get this rose bta tho (in a different tank) w these Wyoming Platinum pair.

 

[aggrofish]

So my first tank was a Waterbed 60.2 and yes, I'll likely turn this into a new tank with CSB's. I'll move it to my basement where my frag tanks and QTs are located. I'll replace the 60.2 with my new 110.4 in the main living area of my house. I'm excited to put some new fish that require a bigger tank into this larger tank. The 60.2 a test to see if I could successfully set up a manageable SW tank. I think my success was result of reading soooo many posts here, going super slow, not overfeeding, and putting everything through numerous months of QT.

I dont have a Colorado but I do have a cc inferno. That thing won’t split im too scared to cut it

 

[DeepSea75]

I dont have a Colorado but I do have a cc inferno. That thing won’t split im too scared to cut it

Wow, I just looked up the cc inferno on google. Very nice.

 

[Duncan62]

Most states require a license to sell fish and coral. You might want to look into that before you make the investment on a frag tank. There is a big difference in trading coral for credit/goods and selling for profit.

In the mid 80s I got into rearing perculas and trading with the lfs. I never considered the law. I'll look into it here. Thanks.