Purchasing high end chalices.....

[Troylee]

Came blame the vendors.... People don't ask for them in fear of not getting the piece at the special price... I know first hand I had a few pieces sold out from under me while I was awaiting a wysiwyg pic...:(

 

[mdb_talon]

I dont really think there is a fair answer to the question. My expectation of size is entirely dependent on the price relative to the specific coral in question. For me i generally will not buy 1/4" or eraser size frags(i have made exceptions) and certainly will not buy frags with no eyes.

I dont think it "should" be that way or must be a certain size. The buyer should ask and as long as vendor is honest and straightforwars then no harm.

 

[Viva'sReef]

But,like said above chalice colonies are usually no bigger than a few inches in diameter,I understand this but 1/4 frags are just crazy imo,unless the person is asked less $ for them. Like if I was offered a 1/2 party girl chalice frag for $400 or a frag of the same chalice for $200 at 1/4 in. It depends on the buyer then,how much they want to spend and what chances they want to take of it's survival in shipping.

As a seller I wouldn't risk cutting a 1/4" frag that small for a discount anyway, let alone buy one. Being the seller and having to go through the whole process and then refund the buyer because it never made it. Especially if I already had the money spent lol

Better yet, you are the buyer and receive the 1/4" IMO unhealthy to begin with tiny booger frag and it croaks in a few days. Sorry buyer, you must have poor water, unhealthy conditions, acclimation error, too much light bla bla bla bla bla.

 

[Paul_N]

This is why I just say "NO!" to chalices...lol No way in heck I am buying something under 1" whether it's $20 or $200.......That's just me though.......:tongue:

 

[subielover]

Came blame the vendors.... People don't ask for them in fear of not getting the piece at the special price... I know first hand I had a few pieces sold out from under me while I was awaiting a wysiwyg pic...:(

I avoid these vendors, and advise everyone else to avoid them as well. FWIW, if I have dealt with someone then it is different but for my first order, it must be WYSIWYG. I honestly think vendors should only be allowed to post frags that are WYSIWYG. Is it really asking that much?

 

[NautilusQ]

As a newbie for chalices, I would have expected at least 1/2" and feel sad if I get smaller than that. However based on what I have been hearing now, 1/4 seems OK when survivability is of question. I would just have to request picture of exact coral before shipping (if it is cut to order) as well as extend the "live warranty" for like 2 or more weeks versus within 24 hrs for Chalices. Of course we have to provide pictures of doomed chalice to the source also just in case.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Came blame the vendors.... People don't ask for them in fear of not getting the piece at the special price... I know first hand I had a few pieces sold out from under me while I was awaiting a wysiwyg pic...:(

This is why I said it's a two way street. The buyer should be making an effort to make a smart purchase. I also don't agree about "new buyers" being taken advantage of. These are collector pieces that no noob should be jumping into. Unfortunately some people will make dumb purchases and some vendors might be shady. That's why we as a community have to use each other to make smart informed purchases and vendors here should makes efforts to give fair representation of their pieces. WYSIWYG is one of the best ways to narrow that gap.

 

[fab1971]

quarter an inch is fine as long as it's healed for a while with a rim. I have two smaller then that and they are eating every night with a nice rim. They've been healing in my tank for over 2 months.

 

[redtop03]

unless a 1/4" frag was on a big frag plug,whether it lived or not,I'd lose it in my tank :tongue:

but the thing is,I'm not gonna pay more than $100 for any coral,and it's gotta be a good size colony for that......I've had my wife for a long time and I don't intend on losing her because of an aquarium,so no high end chalices or any other high end coral for me :tongue:

 

[drainbamage]

what do I expect? well- that's easy- I expect whatever is advertised. If no mention of size is adverted, then I won't be surprised or upset for one second at what I receive. I've been told my entire life that 'assuming makes an donkey out of u and me' why on earth people somehow feel this is different with chalices is something I don't follow. Personally- I'd prefer to by in the 3/8" range regardless of the chalice. Why? it's a good price range that I have some hopes of affording, and I know I can grow the chalices, so why not? I don't like buying colonies- I like the joy of seeing something grow.

If you purchase without WYSIWYG, then you need to research the purchase and find out what to expect. If you purchase without knowing what to expect-well, you're going to get what you're going to get, how can it fail your expectations on size? lol.

There is no "should" or "need to" in any of this- it's your choice to buy from who you buy, and it's their choice to frag and sell how they choose to. people trying to create regulations are silly-let your money do the talking and purchase based on your preferences. if it's the way it 'should' be, then obviously those 'other' places won't be around for long, right?


And can we stop with this schtick of 'protecting' the new reefers? If a guy is so new as to not know about sizes on high-end chalices, what makes you think he's going to buy a chalice that's more than $100, much less the REALLY pricey ones? If they're the type to toss that money around on something they're totally unfamiliar with, they're not THAT worried about the money. This excuse of 'protecting' is just that; an excuse, and it's used to create a way of complaining which is just silly.

 

[drainbamage]

I avoid these vendors, and advise everyone else to avoid them as well. FWIW, if I have dealt with someone then it is different but for my first order, it must be WYSIWYG. I honestly think vendors should only be allowed to post frags that are WYSIWYG. Is it really asking that much?

If you only want to buy from a vendor who posts WYSIWYG, I don't believe anything is stopping you. If you want to FORCE everyone else to do things the way you like, it is very wrong, very very wrong :bigsmile:

 

[Rskillz]

I wouldn't buy a chalice that is more than $50 without a picture, and I'd prefer it have a reference point for size (egg crate, dime, quarter, etc). Some sites offer WYSIWYG pictures, but they are cropped, macro shots that zoom in on one healthy eye or area and lose all perspective.

I think of all the vendors I've dealt with, WWC does the best job of representation, photography, and making sure the frag is a sustainable size

 

[Tabasco1]

As a newb before I dropped coin on a piece I would probably require wysiwyg and a size reference. I dont think I would consider a piece wo at least one eye and 1/2".

Tiny things scare me.

Don't think it should be required, but those vendors not providing this 411 would not get my $$. And I am fine if I miss out on stuff because of this.

 

[Troylee]

That's the perfect attitude to have...;)

As a newb before I dropped coin on a piece I would probably require wysiwyg and a size reference. I dont think I would consider a piece wo at least one eye and 1/2".

Tiny things scare me.

Don't think it should be required, but those vendors not providing this 411 would not get my $$. And I am fine if I miss out on stuff because of this.

 

[Tabasco1]

I try ;)

Plus I'd be real bummed if I got an eraser size piece w no eye for $200+. I'd probably call the vendor to find out when the rest of it was getting shipped.

 

[Rskillz]

I'd probably call the vendor to find out when the rest of it was getting shipped.

hahahahaha.

 

[SteezySPS]

as long as it has an eye and its completely healed and growing and i can see it without a magnifying glass, it's good. but buying based on pics and someones word is not even an issue for me since I dont mind waiting several months or a year for the next expo, conventionss, frag meets, friends to find friends that have the piece i want, and sometimes lfs and ect ect.

 

[Billgax]

As a newb before I dropped coin on a piece I would probably require wysiwyg and a size reference. I dont think I would consider a piece wo at least one eye and 1/2".

Tiny things scare me.

Don't think it should be required, but those vendors not providing this 411 would not get my $$. And I am fine if I miss out on stuff because of this.

+1. Word!

 

[Raggamuffin]

I voted 3/8, but only because I want 1 eye and some meat around it proving that it has healed.

 

[SunnyX]

LOL, I will never understand you chalice nuts. :p The few chalices that we have had have been sold fully encrusted onto the plugs. I wouldn't feel right sending someone a toenail clipping, lol. I have seen some chalices come in from vendors to friends I know, and I dont think that the price is worth the risk. As some here have said, any swing will kill a coral that small. Case in point, I was holding a one eye frag of the BPC Flamethrower for Marvin a while back and it was doing great. Then one day it just died on me. Im not sure why, but I would bet it was the size of it. I rarely if ever lose\kill corals, so it was sad to see this one go.

Well, I guess if 1\4" is the norm at least make sure that your chalices have some base put down. I would hate to lose an incredibly expensive piece.