Where do you buy most of your corals?

[Ocicat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8248795#post8248795 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Letmegrow
How are your chromis doing ? :lol:

I appear to be down to 5 today. I was kind of hoping that Fido the pinktail trigger would get fed up and just eat them all and end it, but no such luck.

 

[frenchie]

lfs, online, and alot from here in rc. cheaper buying from guys on here and online find good deals to, lfs can hardly compete with online prices but like others said lfs you get to see what you get.

 

[jfbhd4]

Anyone who complains about STL prices needs to listen to this---
A columbia Mo fish store (remain nameless) tried to sell me--
1 red mushroom for $25 and a 2 inch piece of Xenia for $45.
AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

 

[frenchie]

best prices and best coral here of course, to answer the question with my new setup 125 gallon 50 % coral came from nemo pets and aquatic treasures and other 50% from a local hobbyist in town.

 

[JxMetal]

I'd say that local hobbyists are my favs to purchase from, because it's the most affordable. But everything's limited.

I also enjoy shopping at stores. Basically because I get to see what I'm getting and then I also like to purchase frags and watch growth. I mean seriously I don't think I've ever bought something from the LFS over 2 inches or so. But that's what I like. I like seeing progress. My fav store for frags is GWA. I love searchin through that $10 section.

 

[beapeams]

I don't know about you but unless u are buying in bulk, there is no way I am ordering one or two fish or one or two corals. 30 dollars to ship normally puts the price inline with LFS, I have never ordered livestock online and unless I am in a group order it is unlikely I will. Not that I am a LFS loyalist, bottom line is they want our money, and we want to give up as little as possible. You have to remember that LFS can not buy in the bulk that online retailers can, they also have more overhead and fewer customers that online retailers. Water, Electricity, Rent, Pay Employee's, shipping, profit and loss get filtered into cost. Since, I started using RC I have picked up more here than at the LFS, but I still visit them on a regular basis, because you never know when they are going to get that Coral you didn't know you needed and you have never seen it online, or that perfect fish. I like to see my livestock before I get it to determine if it will fit the way I think it will. Also, supporting them keeps them around. In cases of emergency (the two killer storms we just had) they are invaluable. Hard to order supplies online when you don't have power.

 

[pdwife]

I shop ebay and online. I spend about 90% online and about 10% at LFS. I prefer the ease and price of online shopping and not having to deal with average joe blow at the LFS. I also like the guarantee of the online stores, like liveaquaria.com. I know that there is the one store that is centrally located in saint louis that has a guarantee, but with their prices, offering a guarantee is not any big advantage.
We do have a few LFS within a short drive of MT Vernon but even if one opened up next to Walmart tomorrow I would still shop online more than frequent the local store because of price.
Since we got high speed internet saltwaterfish.com, liveaquaria, petsmart.com, premiumaquatics, and ebay have become my LFS and I dont even have to put on shoes to go shopping there.

 

[latazyo]

I get mine from local reefers

last week I got a nice, RARE brown monti digi 2" frag from letmegrow for $100...couldnt find that price anywhere else

 

[Ocicat]

Thanks, all. Glad to hear it wasn't a total newbie mistake to just start buying my corals at the LFS. I love being able to just drive to the store, pick out what I want, and go home with it. But I have been spending so much $$ lately setting up/stocking that I wanted to be sure I wasn't being (especially) free with my money. :rolleye1:

 

[latazyo]

since youre starting a new tank it wouldnt be a bad idea either for you to check out some of the frag packs online

the x frags for $99 or whatever they do now

 

[dphins]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8251789#post8251789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
I get mine from local reefers

last week I got a nice, RARE brown monti digi 2" frag from letmegrow for $100...couldnt find that price anywhere else

When that grows out, can I get a frag of that?

 

[Letmegrow]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8253673#post8253673 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dphinsx2
When that grows out, can I get a frag of that?

No I did that Tyree thing, latazyos next frag will be worth $199.
Oh yeah plus it is booked until April of 2011, May is all open for you Mike, just need a $500 deposit.

 

[dphins]

$500, that's a drop in the bucket. I've given away more fish related items then that. This hobby is a money pit, why would any sane person want to join it???

 

[Ocicat]

I used to blow it off when people told me about costs, "Wait until you start stocking." Oops. And it's addictive, too... It's kind of like a gambling habit, except that the money is always going out and never coming back in.

 

[pewter_jean]

I got May 2008