What's your favorite thing about reef shows? Is it the corals, the cool equipment, the community...?

What is your favorite thing about reef shows?

  • Just getting to be with tons of other reefers! I love the reef community!

    Votes: 38 18.3%
  • Seeing all the awesome equipment!!

    Votes: 23 11.1%
  • Getting to meet some of the reef industry experts and influencers that I've only seen online!

    Votes: 16 7.7%
  • Learning new stuff about the hobby!

    Votes: 27 13.0%
  • Scoring great deals on corals and other livestock!

    Votes: 67 32.2%
  • Looking for those collector pieces that my LFS just doesn't ever have!

    Votes: 28 13.5%
  • Something else... (Comment in the thread)

    Votes: 9 4.3%

  • Total voters
    208

Daniel@R2R

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With Reef-A-Palooza Texas happening this weekend, we've been super busy this week getting everything ready!! We've got the booth to get ready, lots of swag to give away, our R2R Free RAP Raffle prizes to transport and to the event, and we're anticipating all the excitement of getting to see old friends and meet new ones at the show! There's so much to love about these shows from being in community to seeing cool new equipment releases to getting great deals on corals and other livestock...it's basically Disneyland for reefers!! It all got me to thinking, there's so many great things about these shows... So here are a few questions for you (even if you aren't in Texas this weekend).

1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?
2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?
3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?


A photo I took at a Reef-A-Palooza show last year (before the crowds descended upon it).
1- qotd .jpg
 

SaltwaterandLime

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For me it is definitely all about the reefing community!!!

Remember that QOTD earlier this week about who we talk to about the hobby?? Reef shows are huge conventions just FULL of people who don't run away when I try to show them pictures of my tanks
 

vetteguy53081

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1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?

Seeing all the new products, finding deals and steals and catching up with the latest and greatest in the industry

2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?

At least annually

3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?


RAP as Recent MACNA was a huge disappointment as most have likely heard. Aquashella also not bad
 

flashsmith

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I've never seen a must buy deal at any show I've ever been to. The last one I went to I spent $100 for tickets and parking just to walk around. If it's your thing great but I won't be going to anymore shows. Equipment is so expensive now that you should be buying it for several years of service not trashing it after 6 months to buy the next gen thing that has an added button or an extra bulb..
 

Reefer Matt

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I like the atmosphere and people at the shows. The deals are usually pretty good too. As a matter of fact, I like it so much, I decided to be a vendor at local swaps in my area. :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:
 

KrisReef

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1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?
2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?
3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?


1: Coral, Clams, & other exotic specimens can be viewed and acquired if the price allows.
2: As often and my wife and parole officer will let me.
3: I don't have a brand preference, put appreciate local shows when they happen. Carrying live stuff in the luggage is not as much fun as it used to be with the TSA inspection lottery to deal with along the way. (Yes, I am too cheap to fly the charter jet.)
 

CamInDFW

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First off..if you are from out of state... "Welcome to Texas y'all"

1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows? To chat with vendors and fellow hobbyist. Being introduced to new corals (Micromussa Pacifica in particular) as well as just to geek out.

2) How often do you get to attend a reef show? At least once a year.


3) Which reef shows do you like most and why? All of them
 

jhuntstl

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1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?

Seeing all the new products, finding deals and steals and catching up with the latest and greatest in the industry

2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?

At least annually

3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?

RAP as Recent MACNA was a huge disappointment as most have likely heard. Aquashella also not bad
What was so disappointing about MACNA for you? It was my first reefing convention, so I have nothing to compare to. I had a great time though.
 

Dustinjw18

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With Reef-A-Palooza Texas happening this weekend, we've been super busy this week getting everything ready!! We've got the booth to get ready, lots of swag to give away, our R2R Free RAP Raffle prizes to transport and to the event, and we're anticipating all the excitement of getting to see old friends and meet new ones at the show! There's so much to love about these shows from being in community to seeing cool new equipment releases to getting great deals on corals and other livestock...it's basically Disneyland for reefers!! It all got me to thinking, there's so many great things about these shows... So here are a few questions for you (even if you aren't in Texas this weekend).

1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?
2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?
3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?


A photo I took at a Reef-A-Palooza show last year (before the crowds descended upon it).
1- qotd .jpg
I've never been to one wish I could come to this one but it's my weekend to work unfortunately...
 

vetteguy53081

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What was so disappointing about MACNA for you? It was my first reefing convention, so I have nothing to compare to. I had a great time though.
MACNA is one of the largest on the scene. Did you see the number of booths or lack of? Ive been to frag swaps larger than this show. They sold 3 day entry tickets and I saw many as I worked the front, there for 2-4 hrs and left.
There were few deals to be found and few show specials
This show is a kick-off to the holiday season and introduction to new products which were only 3-4 and not yet available for purchase.
Only food was vending machines which were outrageously priced and was limited to small variety
 

tcarstens4

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I am currently in Texas for my first reefapalooza!! My family and my fiancé traveled down from nebraska for the weekend.

1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?
I am most excited to see all the coral and gear for the tanks I’m about to set up!
2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?
Since this is my first I hope to attend annually!
3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?
My first one but I’m looking forward to going to more! My dream one day is to go to reef stock Australia.
 

Auquanut

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I've been trying to get to RAP for three years. No more RAP Chicago? Seriously?! This year I'll be in Denver for RAP Dallas, and I'll be in Dallas for the last week of the month. Just can't catch a break.
 

Blue Spot Octopus

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I've been going to shows for over 15 years, they used to be great, lots of vendors, I got to know them and I looked forward to seeing them again the next year, I mostly like the equipment side of the hobby, seeing things are not in the store and only online. I would buy some corals. I would go for 2 full days and I would have to pry myself away, the last show I was there for about 2 maybe three hours and I left, my wife was stunned I was back so early.

Some of my club friends said that there were not many good corals. I have been to two MACNA's I think that they have had the worst luck possible, ever since the show at Las Vegas, they have had horrible luck, I am surprised that they are still in business.
 

Wasabiroot

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I've always heard Macna has the least sales booths for livestock because it's not oriented that direction, and that it's more for the talks/equipment, but never been to any
 

Mogwai

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With Reef-A-Palooza Texas happening this weekend, we've been super busy this week getting everything ready!! We've got the booth to get ready, lots of swag to give away, our R2R Free RAP Raffle prizes to transport and to the event, and we're anticipating all the excitement of getting to see old friends and meet new ones at the show! There's so much to love about these shows from being in community to seeing cool new equipment releases to getting great deals on corals and other livestock...it's basically Disneyland for reefers!! It all got me to thinking, there's so many great things about these shows... So here are a few questions for you (even if you aren't in Texas this weekend).

1) What is your favorite thing about reef shows?
2) How often do you get to attend a reef show?
3) Which reef shows do you like most and why?


A photo I took at a Reef-A-Palooza show last year (before the crowds descended upon it).
1- qotd .jpg
Been to my first ever ReefAPalooza in NY and absolutely loved EVERYTHING about it. Corals, fish, rockscapes, apparel, equipment, shelf goods, the people; etc. All absolutely amazing. I'm still new to the hobby and to see, learn and hear so much about the hobby in one place was amazing. It was an experience I will never forget and can't wait until there's another in NY. Money is tight so traveling to more shows is difficult. Like they say in the hobby, "Be patient and dont rush things" so being patient for the next show. Lol.
 

design.maddie

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I love the idea of rock'n vender merch, so if I could pick some of that up that would be cool. Next in line of amazement is being able to see the fully stocked tanks. How do they get them setup to look that great in that short amount of time?
 

i cant think

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Definitely the community! My LFS hosted a rather well known “reef show”. This was called Frag Fest and getting to know other reefers was the best part of it. Now my LFS has moved and so I don’t really go as much to that one as I do the other that’s down there. The one I now go to more often had their one year anniversary in August and just seeing other regards was the best part of it. Obviously I came home a week later with THE tank they used to display one of a kind corals (My biggest brag in this hobby as I don’t have any rare coral in my collection).
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 66 37.5%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.5%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.2%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.8%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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