It’s awesome being a newbie

[mig.]

So I guess I’m about 6 weeks into this hobby and I’m blown away by the prices of corals posted in the market here and the online sites like WWC. Lordy there’s zoas in the many hundreds of dollars!!

I know they must be fantastic and rare corals, I don’t doubt that. Fact of the matter though is they all look fantastic to me so the hobby right now, relitively, is cheap for me. My local LFS’s here in Atlanta seem to have great prices and no shipping

In the last week I picked up an alveopora with fluorescent yellow petals and a light pink center. It’s stunning and might be my favorite. So that was $10. My stunning green Duncan with blue tips $10. I picked up a piece of live rock - like a buck fifty with a green Rhodactus. It’s amazing and $1.50. That may also be my favorite.

I’m worried about growing up in this hobby, apparently learning more may cost me a ton. So here’s to being a newbie, staying young in the hobby and being amazed by everything regardless of price!

I would love love some rock flowers though.. .. I’m guessing they’re going to burst this bubble I’m in. Shout out to anyone in Atlanta that has a few to sell and doesn’t mind keeping me in this newbie price bracket I’m currently enjoying.

Oh - and let me tell you about my Temu actinic lights .. .

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[Reefer Matt]

 

[Roatan Reef]

So I guess I’m about 6 weeks into this hobby and I’m blown away by the prices of corals posted in the market here and the online sites like WWC. Lordy there’s zoas in the many hundreds of dollars!!

I know they must be fantastic and rare corals, I don’t doubt that. Fact of the matter though is they all look fantastic to me so the hobby right now, relitively, is cheap for me. My local LFS’s here in Atlanta seem to have great prices and no shipping

In the last week I picked up an alveopora with fluorescent yellow petals and a light pink center. It’s stunning and might be my favorite. So that was $10. My stunning green Duncan with blue tips $10. I picked up a piece of live rock - like a buck fifty with a green Rhodactus. It’s amazing and $1.50. That may also be my favorite.

I’m worried about growing up in this hobby, apparently learning more may cost me a ton. So here’s to being a newbie, staying young in the hobby and being amazed by everything regardless of price!

I would love love some rock flowers though.. .. I’m guessing they’re going to burst this bubble I’m in. Shout out to anyone in Atlanta that has a few to sell and doesn’t mind keeping me in this newbie price bracket I’m currently enjoying.

Oh - and let me tell you about my Temu actinic lights .. .

Welcome to R2R.

I would be cautious about adding any alveopora, goniopora etc to a new system...will look good for a few months then totally crap out.

As to RFAs, or any Nems..best to wait at least 1 year for them.

 

[Fish Styx]

Greetings and welcome to the reef!

 

[zheka757]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[WalkerLoves_TheOcean]

Welcome to reef2reef! We are glad to have you here!

 

[CrimsonTide]

Welcome!!!! There's always lots of sales going on from many different dealers on here for most holidays. Shipping is what it is but you can always get some good deals. I like @AquaSD and many others. You don't need the crazy expensive zoas in the beginning. Make some cheap ones live first.

I live in Alabama and am heading to Atlanta sometime soon. What is the name of the store you went to? I'm looking for stores to go to in ATL when I'm there.

Duncans are my favorite coral. I think you'll like them. Goodluck! Start slow and don't add a Nem for awhile. Let you tank mature for sure. This hobby can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. You just have to be thrifty and not lazy. My setup is all DIY down to my stand. Only thing expensive I bought was my light but I bought it used from someone off here so about 35% of the original price.

 

[CO2TLEY]

 

[Brisk]

Welcome!

 

[1112-425XL]

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Ocean_Queenie]

Hello & Welcome, I still love all kinds of the cheaper fish we can get, wish my husband did too lol @Reef By Steele

 

[Buckster]

Hello and Welcome to R2R! You don't need to buy the real expensive corals. Sure some of them look great but other corals will look great as they grow and fill in the tank.

 

[SPS2020]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[shakacuz]

welcome aboard the r2r board! hello from PA!

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R and the salty world.

 

[mig.]

Welcome!!!! There's always lots of sales going on from many different dealers on here for most holidays. Shipping is what it is but you can always get some good deals. I like @AquaSD and many others. You don't need the crazy expensive zoas in the beginning. Make some cheap ones live first.

I live in Alabama and am heading to Atlanta sometime soon. What is the name of the store you went to? I'm looking for stores to go to in ATL when I'm there.

Duncans are my favorite coral. I think you'll like them. Goodluck! Start slow and don't add a Nem for awhile. Let you tank mature for sure. This hobby can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. You just have to be thrifty and not lazy. My setup is all DIY down to my stand. Only thing expensive I bought was my light but I bought it used from someone off here so about 35% of the original price.

Reefshac is the one I keep going back to - very much an sps / lps kinda of a place that has some fish but that’s not focus, softies are an after thought.

Premier aquatics is ok - a bit of everything, I’m guessing much of their business is servicing tanks - prices and variety better at reef Shac. Fish better here

Nemo’s aquarium is large, good variety and larger pieces too. Prices not bad either. Fish and coral in equal measure. Have clams too.

Southern aquatics - once a reef store and now they seem to have left over tanks with some left over frags. Shame it’s the closest to me.

The fish store - I can never go back. It’s like a Hong Kong wet market only not clean. That said I bet the fish are hardy to survive that place. Again I think this place services tanks and this is maybe their storage yard.

Pure reef - by far the most polished. Smaller more curated collection, large and small frags and the best display tanks, almost unreal. Have a lot of equipment - a lot. And they really know their stuff.

Reefshac is where I’m at in the hobby at the moment - they have a pretty decent wysiwyg site as well.

Hope that helps!

 

[mig.]

Welcome to R2R.

I would be cautious about adding any alveopora, goniopora etc to a new system...will look good for a few months then totally crap out.

As to RFAs, or any Nems..best to wait at least 1 year for them.

Oh man, I do have a very well established tank thanks to a very large chunk of very old coral. It’s been setup for a couple of months but it may as well be years. It has everything going on in there and another alveopora I have is doing very well in there. I guess I will move my new guy back to that tank and not risk its future until my new tank is more established.

Thanks for the advice!!

 

[CrimsonTide]

Reefshac is the one I keep going back to - very much an sps / lps kinda of a place that has some fish but that’s not focus, softies are an after thought.

Premier aquatics is ok - a bit of everything, I’m guessing much of their business is servicing tanks - prices and variety better at reef Shac. Fish better here

Nemo’s aquarium is large, good variety and larger pieces too. Prices not bad either. Fish and coral in equal measure. Have clams too.

Southern aquatics - once a reef store and now they seem to have left over tanks with some left over frags. Shame it’s the closest to me.

The fish store - I can never go back. It’s like a Hong Kong wet market only not clean. That said I bet the fish are hardy to survive that place. Again I think this place services tanks and this is maybe their storage yard.

Pure reef - by far the most polished. Smaller more curated collection, large and small frags and the best display tanks, almost unreal. Have a lot of equipment - a lot. And they really know their stuff.

Reefshac is where I’m at in the hobby at the moment - they have a pretty decent wysiwyg site as well.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for this reply. I'll make a day of it!