The whole coral pricing has become a joke

[BCool]

I'll add my weekly "I don't get it."

You don't have to buy at those prices and there are lots of nice, cheap corals available. There are many places you can get them from.

Question -- does anyone here not know where to get nice corals at reasonable prices? Speak up and we can help you.

Can you share your favorite?

 

[MUCHO REEF]

the fact is that prices will come down if we stop buying them. it seems like you can get some plain ole zoa's and give it a huge price tag and people will fight to buy them. it's no ones fault but our own.

I think that's why threads like this continue to pop up. They're informative/educational and thought-provoking enough to get people to see what's happening. It's true, a lot of people are buying up colonies just to frag and sell at sky high prices :hammer:.

Yes, reefers caused this.

Mooch

 

[HammerLover]

I hear you my friend.

What percentage would you say prices have increased over there?

How has the hobby changed there because of the above?

I'm happy I joined a local group of reefers and everyone is willing to share corals at reasonable prices. Recently I've bought zoas from them and its pretty colored up and has a nice reasonable tag . Some will even let you adopt free GSP and ZOA frags

However the LFS is getting worse. They'll get pretty large colonies of GSP which some LFS will chop into small frags and sell them expensively :sad2:

Mushrooms range at 200-400 php, before its only 150. The mushrooms were usually much more expensive if its red or purple...

Zoas can have varying prices depending on colors. Before any type of zoas can be bought at 50-100 php. Now its around 300-400 for colored palys and zoas. Plain brown and green ones can be bought for 100-150php. They sell zoas at 5 polyp a frag.

Even leathers are making their way expensively now especially leather toadstools and finger coral. I'm happy I've bought a cabbage coral that they mistakenly thought its an ugly mushroom . The cabbage came with 3 heads of yellow clove polyps and a small mushroom with blue spots.
Best freebies ever :dance:

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Can you share your favorite?

I think an awful lot of reefers would appreciate and benefit from knowing about any site selling cheap vibrant named and available coral at a reasonable price. It would speak volumes in turning things around.

MUCHO

 

[BrokenSpoke]

I think an awful lot of reefers would appreciate and benefit from knowing about any site selling cheap vibrant named and available coral at a reasonable price. It would speak volumes in turning things around.

MUCHO

Funny, you've asked that a number of times and none of the posters who profess to know of these sites care to reply. I guess they're more interested in buy up the corals and fragging them out than helping fellow reefers. Sad really.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

I think they will.......let's wait a bit longer since several have mentioned it.

 

[alton]

Corals or Cars, it is the same thing. Why pay $200K for a L88 when you can get a brand new Z06 for half? Because someone can and wants too. It is there money to waste, I sold 100 purple mushrooms last year to my LFS, he sells them for $10, but yet I see some by individuals for several $100, why do people pay that? Because someone can and wants too. Can you imagine walking into a store that every frag was $5, it would be made up of the same old boring stuff, it is more fun to see the newest greatest at expensive prices, knowing that in a couple years it will be pennies on the dollar.
Now what makes me mad is people who go on there local fish club websites selling frags for the same price as fish stores, instead of helping out there fellow reefers.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

I'm happy I joined a local group of reefers and everyone is willing to share corals at reasonable prices. Recently I've bought zoas from them and its pretty colored up and has a nice reasonable tag . Some will even let you adopt free GSP and ZOA frags

How does that adoption process work?

However the LFS is getting worse. They'll get pretty large colonies of GSP which some LFS will chop into small frags and sell them expensively :sad2:

Chop chop chop is universal.

Mushrooms range at 200-400 php, before its only 150. The mushrooms were usually much more expensive if its red or purple...

Are these LFS close to any collection sites?

Zoas can have varying prices depending on colors. Before any type of zoas can be bought at 50-100 php. Now its around 300-400 for colored palys and zoas. Plain brown and green ones can be bought for 100-150php. They sell zoas at 5 polyp a frag.

So prices have doubled and even tripled?

Even leathers are making their way expensively now especially leather toadstools and finger coral. I'm happy I've bought a cabbage coral that they mistakenly thought its an ugly mushroom . The cabbage came with 3 heads of yellow clove polyps and a small mushroom with blue spots.
Best freebies ever :dance:

How has the greed and skyrocketing prices affected the hobby there? Have reefers left the hobby due to these prices? How do they feel about the naming in Manila?

 

[MUCHO REEF]

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.

Of all the replies to this thread, yours speaks the loudest and goes directly to the OP's title. $30 for a colony of any color 10 years ago, to $70 for 3 polyps of the same that are pencil eraser head in size and now they're all rare, LE, or just released, PLEASE Many have already said no more and now refuse to pay these greedy prices. Things will change if everyone else does the same. The excuses given to justify this type of greed are endless and never apllicable in drawing a parallel to any inadamic object. Now we're comparing live animals that propagate, to Corvettes :deadhorse:

MUCHO

 

[gbru316]

The best thing we, as consumers, can do is to not participate.

The internet has made it easier than ever to communicate with like-minded people. Want a frag of something? Send a PM. Or better yet, find a local club. Many have several frag swaps throughout the year, and swaps are GREAT for getting reasonably priced coral. I have yet to see any SPS frags for over $50 at a swap. The club in my area (NCPARS) even has a bargain table with cheap coral---- $5 frags. If the club uses fragswapper, even better! It allows you to see what's being sold and place "holds" on something you want. It helps the seller know how many frags to bring, and it helps the buyer shop.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

The best thing we, as consumers, can do is to not participate.

The internet has made it easier than ever to communicate with like-minded people. Want a frag of something? Send a PM. Or better yet, find a local club. Many have several frag swaps throughout the year, and swaps are GREAT for getting reasonably priced coral. I have yet to see any SPS frags for over $50 at a swap. The club in my area (NCPARS) even has a bargain table with cheap coral---- $5 frags. If the club uses fragswapper, even better! It allows you to see what's being sold and place "holds" on something you want. It helps the seller know how many frags to bring, and it helps the buyer shop.

I agree my friend.

I feel the net is what has fueled the greed that has taken it from a hobby to most making it a business. Some of the Swaps are just as guilty with prices even higher than retail.

It's great that you have an ethical club willing to share without being caught up in mega profits.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Funny, you've asked that a number of times and none of the posters who profess to know of these sites care to reply. I guess they're more interested in buy up the corals and fragging them out than helping fellow reefers. Sad really.

Well sir.......I guess I was really hoping they would.

 

[dkeller_nc]

Most of this has already been posted. But in order of importance:

1) A good LFS if you have one. Rarely have I paid anything that would be even close to what the fleabay photoshoppers ask, and all very, very nice (but unnamed) corals.

2) Local reefer's club. This is easily the best option. Most of us have things that outgrow our tanks and give them away for free.

3) Direct import - I noted this a while back, but folks like Mitch at livestockusa.org will sell you a whole box of maricultured acroporas from Bali and other areas for about $45 a colony (and baseball sized colonies at that).

4) If you must order from websites, then Pacific East Aquaculture is one of the better sources, and has been in business for almost as long as the reefing hobby has been around. LiveAquaria and their sister site Diver's Den has gone downhill a bit since Petco bought them up (mainly in their ability to white-blanace a photo), but there are tons of whole rocks covered by nice zoas that sell for $50 - $100. A recent one that I've become aware of is Austin Aquafarms. Their stock has been diminished substantially after they got a good bit of publicity from BRS, but there are still multiple 1-2" frags of various acroporas that are $15 - $30 if that's your thing.

And this is just a cursory list. There are others out there. The specific actions that I'd suggest to prevent being taken is to:

1) Never buy corals off of fleabay. The transient nature of the listings seems to encourage over-hyping and photoshopping.

2) Avoid buying corals with cute names unless it's something that really appeals to you, and it's cheap.

Probably the most important:

3) Learn to recognize photoshopping. It's not too tough - anything that absolutely glows off of your computer monitor or phone is likely to be faked, and blue or purple eggcrate is also a dead giveaway.

 

[CONSPICILLUM]

Most of this has already been posted. But in order of importance:

1) A good LFS if you have one. Rarely have I paid anything that would be even close to what the fleabay photoshoppers ask, and all very, very nice (but unnamed) corals.

2) Local reefer's club. This is easily the best option. Most of us have things that outgrow our tanks and give them away for free.

3) Direct import - I noted this a while back, but folks like Mitch at livestockusa.org will sell you a whole box of maricultured acroporas from Bali and other areas for about $45 a colony (and baseball sized colonies at that).

4) If you must order from websites, then Pacific East Aquaculture is one of the better sources, and has been in business for almost as long as the reefing hobby has been around. LiveAquaria and their sister site Diver's Den has gone downhill a bit since Petco bought them up (mainly in their ability to white-blanace a photo), but there are tons of whole rocks covered by nice zoas that sell for $50 - $100. A recent one that I've become aware of is Austin Aquafarms. Their stock has been diminished substantially after they got a good bit of publicity from BRS, but there are still multiple 1-2" frags of various acroporas that are $15 - $30 if that's your thing.

And this is just a cursory list. There are others out there. The specific actions that I'd suggest to prevent being taken is to:

1) Never buy corals off of fleabay. The transient nature of the listings seems to encourage over-hyping and photoshopping.

2) Avoid buying corals with cute names unless it's something that really appeals to you, and it's cheap.

Probably the most important:

3) Learn to recognize photoshopping. It's not too tough - anything that absolutely glows off of your computer monitor or phone is likely to be faked, and blue or purple eggcrate is also a dead giveaway.

Post of the week (month?).

 

[MUCHO REEF]

I'm all about solutions for issues that cause complaint.

If someone threw enough money at this to become the primary US buyer from most major direct sources of marine fish and corals, is that a viable possibility?

Instead of allowing the main few big distributors to buy up all the "good stuff"; is it within the scope of viability to monopolize the industry and regulate prices downward from the top down?

I'd seriously consider putting together a business model and funding such a project.

Hello again, an awful lot of valuable information has materialized as a result of this thread that just won't die, and that's a good thing. I'm still interested however in hearing more about your possible business endeavor as mentioned above. I replied to it a few pages back and not sure if you read it.

I will reply to your recent reply later.

I hope you guys keep this thread active as I'm hearing a lot of reefer's eyes have been opened by what has been shared regarding the greedy game that is being played with these sky high rip off prices, these rarity and LE lies and these silly name games that alone have been mentioned in this and so many other threads lIke this one.

Mooch

 

[CONSPICILLUM]

Hello again, an awful lot of valuable information has materialized as a result of this thread that just won't die, and that's a good thing. I'm still interested however in hearing more about your possible business endeavor as mentioned above. I replied to it a few pages back and not sure if you read it.

I will reply to your recent reply later.

I hope you guys keep this thread active as I'm hearing a lot of reefer's eyes have been opened by what has been shared regarding the greedy game that is being played with these sky high rip off prices, these rarity and LE lies and these silly name games that alone have been mentioned in this and so many other threads lIke this one.

Mooch

Yes, I read your response.

From due diligence so far for the business model, it looks like purchasing at least one of the largest suppliers (Quality Marine?) would be a huge priority among a few others. PETCO is an issue. Still pushing numbers and info to determine feasibility. It's a huge potential project, and essentially an industry takeover monopoly concept.

This is a great thread, and it needs to stay active, IMHO.:thumbsup:

 

[sde1500]

I have yet to buy coral online. So I don't really want to give recommendations. I will be ordering some fish and coral from vivid soon. Their prices seem reasonable. I'm not too interested in colonies, I have all the rock I need, so buying new rocks covered in corals isn't for me.

Youreeef.com, their prices seem good as well. They have SPS frags for $16, it's a sale price, but they seem to always be on sale. They also have packs you can order for decent prices if you don't mind not picking what you get.

Extremecorals, if you can look past the absolutely absurd labels, honestly I can't even read them, I look at the pictures only. Again, never ordered, but they have big colonies for not crazy high prices.

I've only bought from my LFS and a local drag swap, they had better deals. But LA/DD, they seem good too.

 

[CHSUB]

Yes, I read your response.

From due diligence so far for the business model, it looks like purchasing at least one of the largest suppliers (Quality Marine?) would be a huge priority among a few others. PETCO is an issue. Still pushing numbers and info to determine feasibility. It's a huge potential project, and essentially an industry takeover monopoly concept.

This is a great thread, and it needs to stay active, IMHO.:thumbsup:

running the numbers to buy Quality Marine are you? is this for your class project?


anyone know when spring break ends?

 

[sde1500]

running the numbers to buy Quality Marine are you? is this for your class project?





anyone know when spring break ends?

You see the tanks sizes he is planning right now? What does this comment accomplish outside being unnecessarily hostile?

 

[moatdaddy]

There are decent sellers on eBay. Its not all horrid. Like all things pick and choose. Anyone used livestockusa before? Can't find reviews.