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- Thread starter MUCHO REEF
- Start date
Yeah I see society and wonder where we are going especially in the next 15 years. My wife teaches high school and I even worry about how my 2 year old daughter is going to behave. But hey this is suppose to be about an enjoyable hobby. I have always bought juvenille fish and now frags rather than an entire colony because I enjoy watching my tanks mature and evolve over time.
So it all comes down to time vs. money and how each reefer places value on the desired equipment/livestock.
Personally I see nothing crazy about spending $20 for a single polyp but I believe that it is to spend $2000 on a 20 gallon tank with all those bells and whistles to by a $1 polyp.
Again I would rather spend money on livestock than equipment. I always look at a tank's equipment and sometimes am impressed but no one ever says, "Yeah this hobby just was not any fun until I added that $800 piece of equipment. My fish are still dead but it is easier to care for them and I enjoy it more."
So it all comes down to time vs. money and how each reefer places value on the desired equipment/livestock.
Personally I see nothing crazy about spending $20 for a single polyp but I believe that it is to spend $2000 on a 20 gallon tank with all those bells and whistles to by a $1 polyp.
Again I would rather spend money on livestock than equipment. I always look at a tank's equipment and sometimes am impressed but no one ever says, "Yeah this hobby just was not any fun until I added that $800 piece of equipment. My fish are still dead but it is easier to care for them and I enjoy it more."
Azurel
In Memoriam
LOL....I come from the old school and was taught to K.I.S.S. I don't have any bells and whistles on my tank at all really. I have spent money on lighting and the Skimmer. I have only one filter on this tank an it's a Millenium 2000 h.o.b. I use this for flow and carbon and floss along with the Aqua-C H.O.B skimmer and that's it. So far I have had no problems keeping most corals and I'm really not into SPS at all. I figure if it isn't broke then don't fix it, there is nothing I have seen as far as equipment that I would need to make it better. Although I wish I could of had a sump built into the system but at the time it wasn't possible. That leaves me more money for corals, well zoanthids anyway. The cost just isn't in corals either, I just picked up some A. Nigripes clownfish for quite a pretty penny, but I have looked for 3 years and couldn't find them until last weekend. I used some zoanthid sale money and bought them for just $30 bucks out of pocket, the rest came from selling frag packs of some zoanthids...I'm sure people would look at me crazy for the money I spent on them because fish aren't worth that much either right? It was more important to me to have the fish then the $190 in my pocket. My wife don't mind either as long as the bill money is paid up front, my spending money is mine to do with what I please and vise verse.
Yes I like the K.I.S.S. method too. This was from my freshwater days. A newbie can get really discouraged and almost not want to attempt salt water/reefs because of all the things needed and can go wrong. I am moving my zoas out of a 50 into a 95 now. All I have are t5's, a return pump, a CL pump and a Aqua-C skimmer that is still sitting in the box. If I can get away with it no skimmer or simply occasional use. The 50 has been set up since January and last week the protein film has disappeared completely and the water is crystal clear. I have a little algae on the glass but nothing terrible and you cannot see it unless you are nose to nose with it. I use a straight razor blade to scrape it and then throw that away. My father-in-law built the stand and canopy out of red oak and he decided I needed a power unit to plug into in the back. That was almost too much for me.
I want to set up a nano tank just so I can enjoy the simplicity of a tank: one light, one heater, and one powerhead for water current.
I would be willing to spend $100 on a fish if I really wanted one. If it lives 5 - 10 years that is not a bad "investiment". Too bad you cannot frag a fish.
I want to set up a nano tank just so I can enjoy the simplicity of a tank: one light, one heater, and one powerhead for water current.
I would be willing to spend $100 on a fish if I really wanted one. If it lives 5 - 10 years that is not a bad "investiment". Too bad you cannot frag a fish.
mschriskim
New member
Have been collecting zoas for sometime but did not post much as I do sell some to get more... (This is the main reason sometimes I do not post pics here as it could consider as advertising...)
On the Green Stardust PE - It is hard to find one colored that way as wild it looks totally different morph.
I had this morph zoa over about 8-10 months it turn to Green Stardust PE so people who is looking for that morph could try to find one before morphed and save some money : )
Before morphed
After around 8-10 months in my tank
So I consider them same : )
On the Green Stardust PE - It is hard to find one colored that way as wild it looks totally different morph.
I had this morph zoa over about 8-10 months it turn to Green Stardust PE so people who is looking for that morph could try to find one before morphed and save some money : )
Before morphed
After around 8-10 months in my tank
So I consider them same : )
ReefWifey
New member
Do you know for sure what condition caused it to morph? Unless the person has the same condition, it will likely turn back. I have purchased, 'Green PE', 'Green Stardust PE', and some other green palys that...lol...I would call somewhere in between, and they've all changed a bit in my tank.
These were sold to me as green stardust:
These as green pe:
And these....I dunno what to say they are. Oh wait, yes I do:
ULTRA RARE Premium Green/Green Stardust PE Hybrid Radioactive Hearted Avenger Eyes. These are the real deal folks, every zoa collector knows how hard these are to come by, photos just don't do them justice, WOW!
These were sold to me as green stardust:
These as green pe:
And these....I dunno what to say they are. Oh wait, yes I do:
ULTRA RARE Premium Green/Green Stardust PE Hybrid Radioactive Hearted Avenger Eyes. These are the real deal folks, every zoa collector knows how hard these are to come by, photos just don't do them justice, WOW!
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uscgbeachbum
New member
Mucho...long time no talk. I've told you this before and I'll say it again...Your zoo tank is what inspired me to start reefkeeping. Obviously your husbandry practices and principles have paid off. At the same time you aren't out there amongst many reefkeepers trying to make a buck off of the new PPE or acan (yadda yadda yadda). That is admiring. Its not about trying to make a buck here or there, but moreover setting your tank apart from everyone elses since you don't buy into reef "fads" or sell your super rare zoo morphs. Once again, you kick booty!
Dastank
Premium Member
I agree with a lot that's been said here, it depends on your personal finances, tastes, desires, and tank goals.
BUT... PERSONALLY...
I have trouble paying tons of money for zoos. With my experience so far some of the zoos I bought because I loved the look, look different now, while others have stayed exactly the same. Some that looked OK now look awesome. They always look a little different under different lighting conditions and many change over time.
Also I'm a little spoiled. The local coral propagation shop (yes there is one where I live) has all different types of zoos, gets new colors all the time and the prices are very reasonable.
For example a $3 frag
A $8 frag
Also I can't get zoos shipped to Japan so I don't get involved in the whole bidding war.
BUT... PERSONALLY...
I have trouble paying tons of money for zoos. With my experience so far some of the zoos I bought because I loved the look, look different now, while others have stayed exactly the same. Some that looked OK now look awesome. They always look a little different under different lighting conditions and many change over time.
Also I'm a little spoiled. The local coral propagation shop (yes there is one where I live) has all different types of zoos, gets new colors all the time and the prices are very reasonable.
For example a $3 frag
A $8 frag
Also I can't get zoos shipped to Japan so I don't get involved in the whole bidding war.
surfnvb7
Premium Member
take those blue protopalys with the bright red skirt that atlantis in cali has been selling for $10/polyp. i know of someone who got them, and they are exactly the same thing compared to those other blue protopalys with the red skirt that have been popping up on lots of sites recently. i noticed that they took them down off their webpage recently, it wouldn't surprise me if they were getting heat for charging so much when that morph is obviously pretty common and found for much cheaper elsewhere.
my guess is that some diving company came across a huge reef bed of those polyps, and they basically got divided up and sent all over the country.
so why charge $10/polyp? b/c obviously some people will pay that much.
IMO, I think we are on the verge of a zoa craze (like acans etc.). the prices for some of these frag packs i see on the selling forum are getting up to $300, for nothing more than what i consider a bunch of common frags (maybe 1 really good morph in the frag pack). but the prices aren't going to level off, or decrease any time in the near future b/c people are still paying $200-$300 for those frag packs. so prices will keep going up, until people stop paying these big bucks.
and every time a frag pack is sold for $200, a new seller will come along and try to sell their similar one for $220. it will keep going up until the price gets so high that no one is willing to go that high.
so what does this mean? buy now while they are still affordable. or wait until the craze has burned out, then get all your favorite morphs for rock bottom prices.
my guess is that some diving company came across a huge reef bed of those polyps, and they basically got divided up and sent all over the country.
so why charge $10/polyp? b/c obviously some people will pay that much.
IMO, I think we are on the verge of a zoa craze (like acans etc.). the prices for some of these frag packs i see on the selling forum are getting up to $300, for nothing more than what i consider a bunch of common frags (maybe 1 really good morph in the frag pack). but the prices aren't going to level off, or decrease any time in the near future b/c people are still paying $200-$300 for those frag packs. so prices will keep going up, until people stop paying these big bucks.
and every time a frag pack is sold for $200, a new seller will come along and try to sell their similar one for $220. it will keep going up until the price gets so high that no one is willing to go that high.
so what does this mean? buy now while they are still affordable. or wait until the craze has burned out, then get all your favorite morphs for rock bottom prices.
Mr. Ugly
New member
I'd say so too. Seems like that's what happened with the new orange/yellow skirt dark/purple centered ones that have been showing up everywhere.
Can be a good idea to wait a few weeks after you see a new "cool" zoa show up. It may be that it's cool, but not necessarily uncommon, and it'll start showing up all over the place as vendors get their shipments.
