Welcome back.
Shocking isn't it? Polyp pimping is the new norm and now everything is rare and has either a person's name attached to it, a coral name and/or sometimes both.
Mooch
The whole coral pricing has become a joke
- Thread starter tang named junkyard
- Start date
Welcome back.
Shocking isn't it? Polyp pimping is the new norm and now everything is rare and has either a person's name attached to it, a coral name and/or sometimes both.
Mooch
SIR PATRICK
New member
Even the most widely available veitnam polyps are being aquacultured in Bali, getting much lighter/brighter colorations- being called rare and being sold at premium prices....not to mention a whole new set of "names" to match the price, most commonly with the word "ultra" before said name.
Under higher nutrient systems and lower lighting conditions, they will morph right back to the same old widely available polyp weve been buying for years and years.
Under higher nutrient systems and lower lighting conditions, they will morph right back to the same old widely available polyp weve been buying for years and years.
I hear you loud and clear my friend and by no means is it a rant. Many feels as you do.
MUCHO
The branding is just part of the hype. It's another form of marketing to excite something they want to sell to gouge your wallet. :hammer:
To anyone new to reefing, just read this entire thread.
I respect that you had a bad experience with them, but I read a lot of bad info getting passed around secondhand on the web about this company and think its important to share some firsthand experience.
In the past year I've placed >10 orders with this company (now called aquarium depot). As others have noted their prices are amazing and hard to resist.
About 3 times the shipping was screwed up -- this is USPS fault; USPS is terrible at everything they do. Another time shipping was fine but some animals were DOA. In all 4 problem cases, they gave me a full refund right away. Anyone claiming they offer zero customer support is objectively wrong. Customer support is fine. Once I even refused to send photos because the shipping was so screwed up (4 days) I said it shouldnt even matter what the animals looked like... they gave me a full refund. Another time they even re-shipped the animals for free. [edited to clarify -- sometimes they gave credit, once a refund, once reshipped. this distinction wasnt terribly important to me but may matter to some]
Aquarium depot has its downsides but at least they charge reasonable prices unlike the bigger names. And most of the livestock I've bought from them has been great.
Just one more set of experiences to consider. I do think an important part of the problem this thread addresses is the big retailers charging absurd markups, and retailers like aquarium depot are part of the solution.
Last edited:
Well, you've received a ton of feedback on the price gouging going on in the hobby for tiny specks of coral as well as a couple of great ideas to help turn things around. I'm interested in knowing your response to all that has been stated and over 15,000 views of your post?
MUCHO
Last edited:
wildbirdman55
New member
First, im not a noob here or in this hobby. I first registered here back in 1997! Originally, as 007Sean. Changed e-mails, had to re-register. I've checked in here every once in awhile, just for grins. Anyway, all i can say is MUCHO, your "dead on":thumbsup: Mainly, quit having much to do with this site, was due to all the noob's who posted 2 threads and thought they were experts. Telling reefers of 20 years what was wrong with there equimpment, fish, coral, etc...they were just trying to see how many posts they could aquire.
I also raise exotic pheasants, you see the same thing happening with them. Which is kinda funny, because unless their ringnecks, some are rare or threaten, or on the endangered list, most are on the cities list. But you'll see some breeders advertizing their birds as "rare" and asking an obscene price, even for eggs! which don't ship well. Praying on noobs or others that don't have a clue....just see a beautiful bird. Case in point, is Peach Golden pheasants, been around for twenty years, just recently became popular to raise. Selling eggs for $160 to $200 for six eggs. Look around, you can find them for $30 and from a reputable breeder.
Anyway, i digrest, just after reading ALL the posts on this subject, i had to respond. Happy reefing.
I also raise exotic pheasants, you see the same thing happening with them. Which is kinda funny, because unless their ringnecks, some are rare or threaten, or on the endangered list, most are on the cities list. But you'll see some breeders advertizing their birds as "rare" and asking an obscene price, even for eggs! which don't ship well. Praying on noobs or others that don't have a clue....just see a beautiful bird. Case in point, is Peach Golden pheasants, been around for twenty years, just recently became popular to raise. Selling eggs for $160 to $200 for six eggs. Look around, you can find them for $30 and from a reputable breeder.
Anyway, i digrest, just after reading ALL the posts on this subject, i had to respond. Happy reefing.
I hear you mate. Hopefully things will change.
Tweaked
FUP&A Member
Had a great show Saturday and sold a ton. Specifically 5-6 head Rasta colonies $5, huge plugs of Bowsers, SunnyD's, etc. silly cheap. I moved so much in the first couple hours all that remained were my sticks. Sold those off at 10-20$ as the day went and made deals with any who asked.
Not all coral is overpriced. Get out and enjoy a local swap, the year has just begun!!!
Not all coral is overpriced. Get out and enjoy a local swap, the year has just begun!!!
I'm sure you did. I agree, $5.00 for 5 heads is what they"re all worth. I'm sure you bought and sold all of your zoas and palys for that price, right?
The majority and those with names are all overpriced my friend, but as BrianD stated in post # 254, this thread is not about trying to change anyone"s mind.
"This threads pop up now and then, as do similar threads about prices for "designer" clownfish or "rare" fish.
Arguing about this is about like arguing blue to someone who sees pink and pink to someone who sees blue. You aren't going to change the minds of the most opinionated, and those in the middle aren't going to bother to argue one way or the other."
Not sure if you were talking to me, but I have no desire to attend any more SWAPS until these prices return to post 04/05 levels. I'm not impressed by blue tanks and blue corals.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2565997
I don't care to meet someone with a name attached to a coral that has also been named which they claim is Ultra, Rare, Limited Edition, just released, with Lineage, only one of its kind, just brought up from the deep, and some of these guys have been reefing all of 5 years. Never stepped foot in any ocean, but lauded for buying a coral, fragging it into a 100 pieces, giving it a silly name and taking your life's savings while lying to you. Just too much greed for me. And the only affordable corals are the common, everyday, same corals sold for $5, while the corals with any vivid colors are priced out of this world. Many have been around for ages, but if you give it a name, you can charge as much as THE HOPE DIAMOND :hammer:
GOOGLE this, " $2,425 two-polyp Palythoa frag sale reminds us that zoanthid collectors mean business"
Sinocard states it well in post #281,
"Absolutely agree with the OP. I've never paid more than 10 bucks for any colony of zoas. I get all my high end ones from other hobbyists who aren't trying to make a quick buck.
I don't understand why with the high price. My 'high end' zoas spit out new polyps at the exact same god damn rate as my super cheap 5 dollars for 50 polyps zoas. Bought 2 mind benders for 10 bucks a couple weeks ago... And I'm already up to 5 of them.
Moral of the story is to just wait until a hobbyist near you is willing to frag some at a reasonable price. They all grow the same."
I'm glad this thread remains relative as it has opened a lot of eyes that were once closed. I've spoken to so many new reefers in the past weeks who never knew the truth of what has been posted in this thread and others.
Sparrow Hawk post # 207
"I find this thread enlightening and I am glad to see this topic drawing so much attention. I hope that more people in this hobby will take a stand and refuse to pay these absurd prices. It isn't supply and demand but purely greed. It almost seems like people buy these simply so they can say "look at me! look at me! or they buy them so that they too can "get rich quick". People that stand to gain from the price gouging will defend this topic to the death."
Reefbroa post 126
"I cant even explain how aggravated I've become with my own reef club recently. My philosophy is that were all hobbyist and this hobby is so expensive why not trade. If I do sell its for a low price because I'm not a retailer and that's how it should be, but I still see people posting $60 a polyp palys/zoas, $600 ultra corals and others alike. For the same reason I will not and have never owned a scoly, because the prices are just laughable for what looks like a nerf Frisbee.
Its a joke to buy these rare corals that are only rare because of the greed within the hobby. I share because id rather be the guy who spread a wonderful coral around than the guy who has that coral that everyone wants."
Vertigo01's post #133
"As I am a rather new beginner to the reefing community, I agree that people are asking astronomical prices for what amounts to little more than a 1" colored twig or some colored button with eyelashes.
Fleabay is not the only place where such price gouging is taking place, facebook is another.
It would be wonderful if enough people such as yourselves ( those who disagree with the price inflation ) started your own forum or group in an effort to bring the cost back down to reality.
Rant over "
burton14e7, post #28
"I'm getting back into the hobby so my lady and I went window shopping at the LFS. I was showing her the ZOA's that are 70 bucks for 3 heads and was telling her I used to get entire colony's for 30 when I got into the hobby at 13 years ago."
I wish you the best my friend, but I'm gonna pass. I hope we can continue this conversation as I think this thread is really making a big difference in the eyes of a lot of newbs. Just my opinion.
MUCHO
Last edited:
sde1500
Active member
Many thanks for the wowsers plug, they are all open and happy in my tank.
And to stay on topic, yea there were tons of good deals to be had at the swap. I came away with more coral than I planned, and had money left in my pocket.
I don't think they go around looking at individual color patterns of Zoanthid sp. and says "Hey, this colony is only collected in this spot and we've never seen a pattern like it before so we're going to classify it as being endangered.". Perhaps I'm misspeaking, just don't think they care about that like we do.
I'm not trying to say any one polyp is rare, but I'm just saying that if there were a zoa/paly pattern/coloration that was truly rarely collected, I don't think it would be on the radar for being banned for collection due to the coloration, but only if the species itself were endangered.
Feel free to correct me, I love learning new stuff.
Divers dive and sell what they bring up.
Rare is often misused, overly used and often subjectively used. I wish we could just get back to reefing without all the labels and lies.
Tweaked
FUP&A Member
Glad you got some, they were gone before I knew it. Great show.
And Fox sold a 1/2" nub of his HW for $1000.00 :lolspin: Some people enjoy paying those prices as stated.
Reef Frog
New member
Capitalism's players in a market do indeed exhibit greed from time to time. But that's more the fault of the constitution of the human animal than an indictment of an economic system. Greed will show itself in all systems in all eras of history. Adam Smith's 1776 book "Wealth of Nations" sums it up beautifully. The big advantage is it is a self regulating system as long as monopolize & oligopolies are kept in check, the rule of law is atring and government regulation doesn't go overboard in regulation.
There really is no alternative. Capitalism has lifted the standard of living more quickly for more people than any other.
joshky
Acros & Wrasses
Does the HW look as nice in person as his photograph? That thing is unreal.... Not that I could ever afford the price, but who knows, maybe it'll be the next red dragon and prices will come down quickly.
SNAKEMANVET
PREMIUM MEMBER
I agree,frag swaps are a great place to get good corals for a great price.My eagle eye colony is now produceing some with a green centers.Should I change the name to green eagle eyes and ask a riducules price.LOL
sde1500
Active member
That's the beauty of free markets. You can ask w/e you want. Doesn't mean people will pay.
Tweaked
FUP&A Member
Without a doubt, the craziest acro I have ever seen. People were jumping to buy it.
SNAKEMANVET
PREMIUM MEMBER
No way I would ever sell any coral at a high price.Back when purple hornets was the zoa everbody wanted,after my ph grew I actually gave some away.
Similar threads
