Where should I buy coral?

[Ishai Thatcher]

Hey everyone, my 250 gal sps system has been cycled with fish only for about half a year now, and I think it’s time for coral!

I don’t want to do coral quarantine (lazy and dumb I know).

im not worried at all about getting aiptasia, I have peppermint shrimp, a copperband, dragon face pipefish, and I am planning to get some berghia as well.
But I would like my corals to be free of anything super nasty, like red bugs or montipora eating nudis.
Do you guys think I should be safe ordering it all from top shelf aquatics? I’ve watched the videos on their facility and qt protocols and it seems pretty extensive, at least for getting rid of the bad pests.
Anywhere else that y’all have bought from that keeps their corals decently clean?

 

[USArmyReefer]

I've had really good luck with the coral I have gotten from www.harrysmarinelife.com their live sales on Facebook gives you a chance to get things for a huge discount.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

If you dont want to quarantine the only vendors i really trust cause ive seen their qt process first hand are wwc, jason fox, and tsa. There are plenty of others out there but i can attest to these 3 personally and have placed multiple orders with them without issue.

 

[PatW]

The real premium guys like WWC, Jason Fox, Top Shelf and Battlecorals are very careful. You can read the quarantine procedures that Adam of Battlecorals uses. I have bought corals from TSA and Battlecorals and I have seen the WWC facility.

Now if you have a local guy, they could well be just fine. You will just need to evaluate them.

If you are interested in a particular vender, you can post here and ask if their corals are pest free. I would think that there are plenty of people here who have had first hand experience of virtually any vender you can name.

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

If you dont want to quarantine the only vendors i really trust cause ive seen their qt process first hand are wwc, jason fox, and tsa. There are plenty of others out there but i can attest to these 3 personally and have placed multiple orders with them without issue.

Thanks much! I’ve ordered from tsa and wwc and got aiptasia on frags from both, which is tolerable. I’ve heard of Jason fox as well, def gonna check them out. I have some interest in battle corals and exotic corals but I don’t know anyone personally that has ordered from them.

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

The real premium guys like WWC, Jason Fox, Top Shelf and Battlecorals are very careful. You can read the quarantine procedures that Adam of Battlecorals uses. I have bought corals from TSA and Battlecorals and I have seen the WWC facility.

Now if you have a local guy, they could well be just fine. You will just need to evaluate them.

If you are interested in a particular vender, you can post here and ask if their corals are pest free. I would think that there are plenty of people here who have had first hand experience of virtually any vender you can name.

Seems like you got the same idea as me. Thanks for the advice, I think I’m just gonna order most of my sps from battle corals and Jason fox, softies and stuff from wwc and tsa.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Thanks much! I’ve ordered from tsa and wwc and got aiptasia on frags from both, which is tolerable. I’ve heard of Jason fox as well, def gonna check them out. I have some interest in battle corals and exotic corals but I don’t know anyone personally that has ordered from them.

Thats really surprising ive never seen any aiptasia or other pests on my pieces. Battle corals is also a great place to buy

 

[davidcalgary29]

I am planning to get some berghia as well.

No, don't do that. Your nudibranchs will starve to death inside of a week unless they have aiptasia to eat. They're specialist predators, and have no other known food source.

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

No, don't do that. Your nudibranchs will starve to death inside of a week unless they have aiptasia to eat. They're specialist predators, and have no other known food source.

I’m gonna do a dedicated tank for them, breed them in there breed aiptasia in a second tank

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

Thats really surprising ive never seen any aiptasia or other pests on my pieces. Battle corals is also a great place to buy

I probably just got really unlucky, but I was definitely put off, they weren’t small aiptasia either, ended up throwing out the frags cause I didn’t wanna deal with it spreading, it was before I got my copperband.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I’m gonna do a dedicated tank for them, breed them in there breed aiptasia in a second tank

Just keep in mind that when their populations take off they can quickly wipe out all available food sources. I put four in my RSM250, which was covered in the stuff; although there wasn't much noticeable impact for the first three weeks, they did breed and ended up clearing it entirely out in a month-and-a-half. Then the nudibranchs starved and withered away.

There are a very small number of people who keep aiptasia tanks. I tried to cultivate them in a pest jar, but they just didn't take.

 

[dedragon]

TCK corals, Pieces of the Ocean and ARC corals are all great sources for corals especially their livesales. Super clean frags from them IME

 

[dedragon]

I did just get an order for cali kid corals and I will let you know if anything develops, but they look pretty good as of now

 

[Utubereefer]

Hey everyone, my 250 gal sps system has been cycled with fish only for about half a year now, and I think it’s time for coral!

I don’t want to do coral quarantine (lazy and dumb I know).

im not worried at all about getting aiptasia, I have peppermint shrimp, a copperband, dragon face pipefish, and I am planning to get some berghia as well.
But I would like my corals to be free of anything super nasty, like red bugs or montipora eating nudis.
Do you guys think I should be safe ordering it all from top shelf aquatics? I’ve watched the videos on their facility and qt protocols and it seems pretty extensive, at least for getting rid of the bad pests.
Anywhere else that y’all have bought from that keeps their corals decently clean?

Top Shelf Aquatics is phenomenal
Living Reef Orlando had some fire and super clean stuff!
Battle corals is the acro master
SBB corals had some of the most unique sps tenuis available today. His sales are only once a month but definitely be on the lookout!

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

Just keep in mind that when their populations take off they can quickly wipe out all available food sources. I put four in my RSM250, which was covered in the stuff; although there wasn't much noticeable impact for the first three weeks, they did breed and ended up clearing it entirely out in a month-and-a-half. Then the nudibranchs starved and withered away.

There are a very small number of people who keep aiptasia tanks. I tried to cultivate them in a pest jar, but they just didn't take.

I want to rent out berghia to Reefer friends in my area. Not super worried about it, if you tick some aiptasia off enough they will spread, that much I’ve discovered on my own. I’m gonna get the aiptasia tank pretty well stocked before I get berghia anyway. My copperband is doing a good job right not anyway, he just can’t get all the different tanks in the system.

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

Top Shelf Aquatics is phenomenal
Living Reef Orlando had some fire and super clean stuff!
Battle corals is the acro master
SBB corals had some of the most unique sps tenuis available today. His sales are only once a month but definitely be on the lookout!

Thank you so much! I’ll check SBB and living reed Orlando out!

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

Top Shelf Aquatics is phenomenal
Living Reef Orlando had some fire and super clean stuff!
Battle corals is the acro master
SBB corals had some of the most unique sps tenuis available today. His sales are only once a month but definitely be on the lookout!

Awesome scape and corals btw!

 

[Utubereefer]

Thanks man the tank is starting to take off now!

 

[wmb0003]

Battle boxes from battlecorals are a pretty good deal especially for new tanks that don’t want to introduce any nasties. They have different $$$ boxes and you pick the quantity. Obviously quality of frags increases as quantity decreases.

 

[Ishai Thatcher]

Battle boxes from battlecorals are a pretty good deal especially for new tanks that don’t want to introduce any nasties. They have different $$$ boxes and you pick the quantity. Obviously quality of frags increases as quantity decreases.

Great idea, might have to pick up one, do they take color suggestions?