These coral prices are starting to push me out the hobby

Lost in the Sauce

BANGERANG!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Feb 10, 2021
Messages
18,888
Reaction score
91,519
Location
Southern California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Stop shopping at online boutique coral sellers and thinking that's the only option.

eBay literally has hundreds of pages of coral for sale. Many below $30. Local refers are a great way to aquire cheaper frags.

If you want out, you want out, but coral prices shouldn't be the limiting factor. There are ways around that.
 

LegalReefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 18, 2021
Messages
364
Reaction score
512
Location
Pittsburgh
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Does your LFS have a bargain section? I’ve had lots of fun growing out $10 frags, don’t think I’ve yet to spend more than $30 on a coral, with a rock covered in wild zoas being my most expensive piece. It doesn’t look bad, imo (tho not as cool as some hardcore SPS or designer zoa fancies)
 

LiveFreeAndReef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
1,968
Reaction score
2,627
Location
New Hampshire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is it just me or are these coral prices getting ridiculous. I’m really starting to think about shutting my tank down. I mean almost every coral is 100 dollars or more on these websites.
Ebay auctions and local reefers are your best bet. I lucked out and found a great "coral guy," he's hooked me up with a bunch of free frags and his prices are extremely reasonable. Walked out of his fish room last week with a new zoa, anacropora, and pocillopora for just $25! WWC does auctions on Ebay, I got 4 frags from them last month and spent more on shipping than I did for all the coral!
 

LiveFreeAndReef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
1,968
Reaction score
2,627
Location
New Hampshire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Understandable I’m just afraid of ordering from EBay but I might try and see how it goes.
as long as you're ordering from a reputable source you should be fine, WWC did an awesome job shipping the corals and threw in a bonus monti. My strategy is to spend as little on corals as possible, but get enough frags to make the $40 shipping feel worth it.
 

SPS2020

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
2,238
Reaction score
4,900
Location
NC
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Depending upon the corals you are looking for, I've seen some really good prices here on R2R. Moreover, I'm excited to see that everyday reefers are propagating Acros like Walt Disney, PC Rainbow, etc. and selling them for much less than online stores. It makes it affordable for those of us who do not have unlimited funds. I'm not going to pay $200+ for a frag...just not going to happen.
 

BZOFIQ

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
4,649
Reaction score
3,952
Location
NYC
Rating - 100%
8   0   0
as long as you're ordering from a reputable source you should be fine, WWC did an awesome job shipping the corals and threw in a bonus monti. My strategy is to spend as little on corals as possible, but get enough frags to make the $40 shipping feel worth it.

WWC does not belong in this thread unless you're talking about crazy prices. Their prices are just insane.
 

Gtinnel

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 20, 2020
Messages
21,062
Reaction score
29,629
Location
Charleston, WV
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have started buying most of my corals from other hobbyists. They're cheaper and usually healthier frags. Other than hobbyists I have participated in live sales and you can get good deals on them. I did a live sale with ARC and for about $200 I got close to 20 corals, although it did cost me 2 full days of sitting on my phone refreshing a website.
 

BZOFIQ

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
4,649
Reaction score
3,952
Location
NYC
Rating - 100%
8   0   0
...Besides a couple frags from ORA that were around $50 each, all my other corals have come from local hobbyists for much less.

And that's the way to do it.

Thank god I'm in NY with plenty of hobbyists willing to sell frags at more than reasonable prices.
 

OcellarisClown

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 6, 2020
Messages
173
Reaction score
48
Location
California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well with more demand, exporting restrictions, and declining quality in the natural environment for corals, it makes sense why their prices have gone up in the past decade.
A lot of vendors online price their frags whether it be softies, LPS, SPS, etc anywhere between $40-$100+ while higher-end sticks or packs can go for $600-$1000+.

I personally see these coral frags as an investment as you’re able to essentially “grow back” your investment 10x fold by growing the frags into colonies, fragging them out, and etc.

I like to think of it as you’re paying for the genetic formula or patent for the corals unique coloration and able to manufacture and reproduce it yourself in a sense hahahah

One of the great things about this hobby is the community and the passionate interactions you’re able to have with fellow hobbyist whether it’s a trade show, convention, frag farmers market, chop shop garage sales, or even ordering some frags from others on R2R!

The hobby itself is definitely expensive and there are ways of going around these difficulties, but I don’t think the increasing prices of the corals should be the main motivation to get out of the hobby unless it’s financially unsustainable or life just gets in the way.

A lot of reefers here have generous, great prices for frags and sometimes websites have flash sales or discounts even at your LFS at times.

I think you’ll find the best deals when trading or ordering from fellow reefers since their prices aren’t influenced by financial factors some companies, LFS, vendors have to take into account (I.e. shipping, import costs, taxes, facility costs etc).

TL;DR: prices are set by who you’re buying them from and there’s tons of sellers (online, wholesale, LFS, and fellow reefers) to choose from so not everything is going to be expensive although the general trend of common, retail prices says otherwise hahahah
 

elorablue

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
1,762
Reaction score
6,197
Location
Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I hear what you’re saying. The “hot” coral prices are pretty silly at retail shops.
however just fyi, yesterday I met with a local reefer who sells frags when he needs to trim his colonies. Just lucked out finding out about him really.
so I bought 5 coral from him: Rrc Orange Passion Acro , Sunset Millepora , a red Millepora, Ora Red Planet Acro and an Electric Miyagi Tort. The Miyagi is 4” and the others are close to 2” and branching. Total cost was $125 cad. So $25 per piece. If I had bought these online or lfs it would be 4-500$ easily.
so yes, it’s possible to get great great deals on coral locally but it’s not as easy as clicking the buy now button.
 

LiveFreeAndReef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
1,968
Reaction score
2,627
Location
New Hampshire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No way, even their GSP is listed at $29
Maybe you missed the part about buying them on Ebay? WWC does auctions pretty regularly, I spent about $69 total, including the $40 shipping charge. Got these three, and they threw in a "seasons greetings" monti frag for free. I'm too cheap to pay designer coral prices, Ebay is awesome hahaha

ebay.jpg
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.9%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 32 16.4%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 35 17.9%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 96 49.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
Back
Top