Prices in this hobby

[NitrateKillah]

Is disgusting....truly.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Uh.oh

 

[vetteguy53081]

Price of Any hobby. For Me:
Snowmobiling. . . . $10,000+
Boating . . .. $8000
This hobby(3 tanks) . . . . . YOU DONT WANNA KNOW

 

[John08007]

Idk how long you've kept reefs, 15 yrs ago i could pick up a 5-6" torch for $50, think it was Indonesia banned coral exports-supply/demand, prices went up

 

[X-37B]

Same with most other high end hobbies.
Its all relative imo.

 

[John08007]

Some things havent really changed, i think calcium reactors are the same price as 15 yrs ago.

 

[Terri Caton]

Idk how long you've kept reefs, 15 yrs ago i could pick up a 5-6" torch for $50, think it was Indonesia banned coral exports-supply/demand, prices went up

lol. I just paid $600 for a Hellfire torch.

 

[NitrateKillah]

Idk how long you've kept reefs, 15 yrs ago i could pick up a 5-6" torch for $50, think it was Indonesia banned coral exports-supply/demand, prices went up

I started off and on since 1998. It started to get disgusting 2002....here we are now. Selling shrooms buy the piece. Frags by the size of boogers....SAD.

Only thing I really want in this that I sold is my 400 Watt PFO...it was beautiful, that's all I think about. I still have the dual 250 Watt HQI ballast in my garage however. No light housing with it however.

 

[NitrateKillah]

lol. I just paid $600 for a Hellfire torch.

This is the reason why they take advantage of us.

 

[Kfactor]

thats why i buy my corals from fellow reefers were i live they buy the frag grow it out frag it and sell them for half of what they pay for it

 

[Funston07]

Price of Any hobby. For Me:
Snowmobiling. . . . $10,000+
Boating . . .. $8000
This hobby(3 tanks) . . . . . YOU DONT WANNA KNOW

Your being lenient on the price of the snowmobile hobby lol

 

[F i s h y]

As hobbyists we drive prices. Things are only worth what people are willing to pay for them. Some people care others don't. I prefer to deal with local hobbyist that still have some decency... i don't pay for fancy names and I dont understand the hype. Seems like retailers, growers, reef shops would do better if the hobby was more affordable so more people could enjoy it. I'd think more volume could trump these silly naming prices... but that's just my 2 cents.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Your being lenient on the price of the snowmobile hobby lol

well, used sled was $5600, daughter and my snowsuits , gloves, boots and helmets were an easy $1800, not including accessories, baklava, etc Plus trailer which was another $1400

 

[Funston07]

well, used sled was $5600, daughter and my snowsuits , gloves, boots and helmets were an easy $1800, not including accessories, baklava, etc Plus trailer which was another $1400

I was a mechanic for a yamaha and ktm dealership in northwest Indiana by Chicago. Some of those guys would buy a new sled, get a turbo installed, have ther track studded plus new gear. By the time they leave they would have a 30k bill. I couldnt believe it sometimes.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Oh snap! A coral price complaint thread and a lighting price complaint thread on the same day!

 

[Funston07]

This hobby is very expensive though

 

[Hugh Mann]

On one hand, I understand the prices. These animals are taken from the wild, shipped around the world to end up in our aquariums, the entire way being kept warm, fed, oxygenated. I don't even want to guess the kind of losses that are suffered along the way. It's not like we're buying bags of rice after all.

That being said, I've seen some truly ludicrous prices, Dragon Eel $1700, Gem Tang $999, Harlequin Tusk $570.

As for corals and anenomes... That I truly do not understand. My lfs had a big rose bta $100, it split into 12 tiny btas $80 each.
2" frag of GSP $60. I mean I understand there is overhead to growing corals and anemones, but I'm guessing there's an insane markup as well.

 

[X-37B]

I started off and on since 1998. It started to get disgusting 2002....here we are now. Selling shrooms buy the piece. Frags by the size of boogers....SAD.

Only thing I really want in this that I sold is my 400 Watt PFO...it was beautiful, that's all I think about. I still have the dual 250 Watt HQI ballast in my garage however. No light housing with it however.

I have 2 lumen bright minis, 2 250 hqi ballasts, and 2 14k phoenix bulbs.
Have had them for over a year now brand new since setup.
Setup with a ATI used unit I got for cheap.
Going to switch as soon as support parts arrive.
T5's are great but I have always been a MH guy.
Like the look of radions and they grow coral very well but just could not stomach the 2K price tag even though I could afford them.
Most in my area run heavy blue and thats why I did not get the radions.
Just recently saw a tank with them running at 14k and I swear it looks like MH.
May pick up a couple gen 4's if the price is good.
And the dollars keep rolling out the door lol.

 

[NitrateKillah]

I have 2 lumen bright minis, 2 250 hqi ballasts, and 2 14k phoenix bulbs.
Have had them for over a year now brand new since setup.
Setup with a ATI used unit I got for cheap.
Going to switch as soon as support parts arrive.
T5's are great but I have always been a MH guy.
Like the look of radions and they grow coral very well but just could not stomach the 2K price tag even though I could afford them.
Most in my area run heavy blue and thats why I did not get the radions.
Just recently saw a tank with them running at 14k and I swear it looks like MH.
May pick up a couple gen 4's if the price is good.
And the dollars keep rolling out the door lol.

LED does not bring out the true life of what corals should look like, compared to MH. Its magnificent. The shimmer, the little details of a coral that is not shown on LED's.

 

[NitrateKillah]

Oh snap! A coral price complaint thread and a lighting price complaint thread on the same day!

I don't care so much about lighting, I got 2 regular MH's ready to go. But I prefer HQI, but they don't make those anymore. I will opt for the over drive they sell now.

I just need to rig up a 220 volt from the breaker. Right now I just got back in the hobby...again. I gave up on the fight with nitrates, but I got that figured out now. Now its time to go all out, but cash is the question...I got bills.