Throwing coral away....say it isn't so!

maroun.c · Mar 27, 2019

Many accidental frags from me working in tank or fish bumping into corals, on top of some frags i have to make to keep corals from growing into each other. Unfortunately not much for sending coral frags to store for store credit and not many reefers to trade with. Have never thrown away a frag so i keep adding frag tanks or tanks to my system. Currently at 3 full frag tanks and 2 display tanks. Will have to add one more frag tank soon i guess as well.

debby · Mar 27, 2019

When I've had overgrowth I attempted to give it away - big mistake. Asked interested parties to call between x and y on weekend day. I became inundated with requests that ignored the parameters I'd set up to do the give away. It was SO frustrating - I am not inviting a bunch of men (mostly) that I don't know to my home to pick up corals when my husband isn't around.

We used to have a twice a year manhattan-reefer give away and I always gave stuff (live and otherwise) but it seems to have fallen-off-the calendar due to lack of location to host. Now I either bury-at-sea or give to LFS.

CWR24 · Mar 27, 2019

Shaummy said:
Yep...I've done it since even the LFS aren't really looking to take stuff in. Didn't want to..but had to toss some heads of my frogspawn since it was overgrowing everything.

In the burbs also buddy.....so maybe we are relatively close. If you are just dumping the Frogspawn I'd be interested in a piece. And likewise if I have any extra at the time would be happy to offer it up as well.

Off work this week so let me know.....or whenever in general.

Bpb · Mar 27, 2019

debby said:
When I've had overgrowth I attempted to give it away - big mistake. Asked interested parties to call between x and y on weekend day. I became inundated with requests that ignored the parameters I'd set up to do the give away. It was SO frustrating - I am not inviting a bunch of men (mostly) that I don't know to my home to pick up corals when my husband isn't around.

We used to have a twice a year manhattan-reefer give away and I always gave stuff (live and otherwise) but it seems to have fallen-off-the calendar due to lack of location to host. Now I either bury-at-sea or give to LFS.

I can understand and respect that. I actually don’t feel comfortable with ANYONE coming to my house whom I haven’t known for a while. Especially out of towners. I truthfully believe that among this hobby just about everyone is safe, but there’s always a chance. I worry less about myself and more about my kids than anything.

So whenever I sell frags, if it’s to locals I know well...fine. But if it is to an out of Towner or someone I’ve never met, I will happily pack everything up and go meet at a neutral location. I send plenty of pictures and video of my tank and specific frags that it’s sufficient for selecting. All it takes is one person to give you the creeps on a home visit and you’re forever thinking “that dude knows where I live and what my kids look like”. And that feeling takes a while to pass. I will not go out of my way to give something away for free though. My time is worth more than that.

bo0sted2g · Mar 27, 2019

I too sadly have had to toss some pieces. I live 2+ hours from a fish store. A freebie section in the marketplace would be awesome! Id even ship some pieces if the recipient wanted to cover the shipping.

FREAKINRICAN69 · Mar 27, 2019

Elliot Buss said:
Well I guess I'm starting to get in the same boat here, anyone interested in some nice zoas, got tons over here lol.

Where are you located?

LOL

EMeyer · Mar 27, 2019

I will just add to this conversation that shipping is much less difficult than reefkeeping. Order some bags, styrofoam liners, and heat packs. Order some boxes from the shipper of your choice. Pack the corals and drop them at post office or shipper of your choice.

Whatever you are throwing away - even if it is weedy soft corals - there is a buyer out there who wants it. If its getting thrown away anyway, you can afford to sell it for cheap ($5-10 a frag) and thus help keep prices down, while covering your own hobby expenses.

Gonebad395 · Mar 27, 2019

Anyone in the Northwest Indiana area or willing to ship let me know if it’s a fair price I’ll buy just let me know in pm please.

Fourstars · Mar 27, 2019

I don’t think we should sell things to cheap and undercut guys trying to sell their stock, we do want a healthy market. I never thought about the problem of so much growth I can’t keep up or house it all, and I live two hours from the closet city. I decided it’s time to look into fragging and shipping methods.

sde1500 · Mar 27, 2019

EMeyer said:
I will just add to this conversation that shipping is much less difficult than reefkeeping. Order some bags, styrofoam liners, and heat packs. Order some boxes from the shipper of your choice. Pack the corals and drop them at post office or shipper of your choice.

Whatever you are throwing away - even if it is weedy soft corals - there is a buyer out there who wants it. If its getting thrown away anyway, you can afford to sell it for cheap ($5-10 a frag) and thus help keep prices down, while covering your own hobby expenses.

Sorry, but that is simple? Buy bags, buy Styrofoam box, buy heat packs, buy a box, and ship? None of that is free, especially overnight shipping. So you just turned that $5-10 frag into a $70 one. Doubt many would actually be willing to pay the shipping costs for cheap corals, and I personally wouldn't eat that cost.

Sethdarkus · Mar 27, 2019

homer1475 said:
I'm in Old Forge. Your just a bit south of me. lol I frequent ABC reefs in Syracuse, and my favorite in the area are ARC and Caribbean Forest. One of these days I'll make it up to Green Mountain Corals in VT(it's actually closer then ARC). Went there one time when they were supposed to be open, but they were not.

Currently have nothing as far as clipping because I'm recovering from a year old tank crash(everything is just becoming colonies again, and not tiny frags). If you had caught me a year ago.........GSP, Birdsnest, Monti caps, Bi color hammers, frogspawn, octospawn, Rainbow BTA's by the handful. Have a few LPS now, but trying more of the SPS game now.

I’m currently in the process of upgrading from a 10gallon nano to a 40 breeder with a 29 gal sump just need to plumb and get equipment and good to go. I live in south new Berlin and I never have time to travel to arc. I’m just thankful Petco Saltwater selection in Oneonta is actually ran by two people who know what they are doing. Crazy enough they are trying to get saltwater stingray, mantis shrimp and other things in. Freshwater wise they are trying to get flowerhorns. I did comment about stingray needing like 100gallons or so lol but yah they are working on getting some crazy stuff and they will order and hold stuff on my behalf which is awesome. I got my blood red fire shrimp for $18 dollars he my favorite shrimp and he very active and comes up to the glass wanting food.

DaneGer21 · Mar 27, 2019

Yep! I’ve thrown away so many over the year I could have stocked a few tanks haha.

Merry · Mar 27, 2019

I have in the past with the ugly brown palys, I just didn't have the heart to pass them along to others. I ended up just tossing the whole large rock into a doubled plastic bag into the trash, I was so glad to get rid of them I didn't feel guilty at all, they were consuming my whole tank growing over everything...

Dennco2000 · Mar 27, 2019

I finally set up a frag tank, Its already paid for itself after one trimming. I also trade and give it away.

DesertReefT4r · Mar 27, 2019

Sadly yes. Sometimes to remove unhealthy areas or pests. Other times it was because I had a coral growing so much that I could not even give it away. Green star polyps, xenia and neon green birdsnest come to mind right away. At one point a LFS told me not to bring in any more of that birdsnest, they did have a bit of it any they sold a lot of it. I would never toss a healthy sps though.

Flippers4pups · Mar 27, 2019

In Europe I've heard it's common that reefers exchange coral with each other. No cost.

Banking corals with local reefers can come in handy if your system suffers a crash. Quite a few US reefers do this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for supporting LFS and online sales and always will, but don't throw your coral away. Take them to your LFS for store credit, trade with local reefers.....or give them away.

NotFishyFishGuy · Mar 27, 2019

Ludders said:
Sadly do it every couple of months. I tried posting here to try to establish people close by that might benefit from free coral, with no luck.

I would take free coral lol

MaiReef · Mar 27, 2019

My local fish stores in Albany, NY will not take them. I have tried. Fish yes, coral no. It is odd I think. Kenya trees were overgrown in my tank as well as Palys. I actually like both, but they ere killing other coral. Purple Star Polyps do the same and I can slow them, but they eat just about anything. I felt really bad the first time, but it fades when you have to save another coral.