Which SPS corals are the best sellers?

Ktaril

New member
I have recently started growing SPS corals with hopes of developing at best a new busines opportunity in an area that I am most interested in, at worst a nice side hobby. I am curious to hear others' opinion regarding which SPS corals are most popular at frag swaps. I would love to hear any and all feedback, including whether SPS corals do better than LPS corals, which was my original thought. Thanks for your opinions!
 
Don't go into it expecting to make money. you'll probably break even. Don't chase after the fancy names. Go for the most unique color combinations, and bright corals that have been around for awhile. neon green birdsnest and tricolor acros are common, but always sell. Tons of montipora make good sellers too.
 
If you are just recently getting into SPS and hope to offer anything hardy (captive raised) you better get ready to spend and wait.

The unique corals with bright nice color....that have been around a while...well they all have fancy names. Cant really avoid that one.
 
Don't do it!! This is all a alluring hobby, but it will only end in heartaches- especially if you are only looking to make money off of this. YOU , sir, are in the wrong hobby...
 
all above mentioned is great advice ..plus you need to find 2 or 3 suppliers over seas..even the most seasoned reefers will have problems and tank issues where it could cost you your investment you would need to have at least 3 tanks going one for QT one for show and one or two tanks for frags man that is alot of equipment sps all need flow , massive lighting and large enough skimmer to run the lot and the electric bill will keep coming every month rather you have stock or not I bid you well in your ventures but do it for the love and knowledge after your 2nd major crash or bug infestation you might be selling it all at low prices and massive loss sorry I speak from experience and heart ache thanks to aefw and well everything else that could go wrong..sorry I couldn't be more positive ..
 
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As somebody who used to do this. The only way to make money is to be the one ahead of the trend not chasing it. By the time somebody tells you what's popular and you are able to grow it out, so has every other hobbyist and shop and now they are selling for pennies on the dollar. Find corals you like, grow them and see what cliques. Set the trend.
 
ORA corals will give you the name brand recognition and are more friendly corals to grow. nothing happens fast in this hobby. it could take several years to havea successful tank thats capable of producing frags. as everyone said, you shouldnt go about it with a business head, rather enjoy the hobby. GL

C
 
From what I have seen, fragging and selling can help to offset your yearly costs or possibly make your a few dollars, but will be a long time to offset the thousands spent on initial equipment. Getting out in front of the next trend will require luck and good marketing (to set the next trend). The big stores and farmers (like ORA) get the pick of the pretty interesting new stuff from suppliers.

If you want to sell the stuff that always sells, you need to start with smaller pieces and wait for them to grow big enough to frag, unfortunately that can take years.
 
As sad is it is to say be a "Shop n Chopper". But the ugly chalices and SPS colonies from where ever. See what gets the best and most unique colors. Chop it up into the tiniest frags imaginable and give it a ridiculous name (with no interest to find out what the coral really is). Like Mammoth said be a trend setter. Anything in my tank that has a waiting list has been a diamond in the rough from the LFS to start with.

If you go chasing after the high and frags you will find yourself the customer not the seller.
 
Pearlberry.

About that, pearlberry vs. ORA pearlberry will make a difference in price. But more importantly color and health will make the final decision every time.

Two personal examples;

I had a guy try to pawn off a ORA pearlberry for $25 to me and when he came buy to drop it off it was a brown piece of dust glued to a piece of rubble. Then he claimed it he was not sure if it was ORAs pearlberry. Me=:angryfire:

At a recent swap in town a local had three 2" incredible frags simply called pearlberry. Didn't matter, they were big vibrant glowing healthy frags and people are still talking about them. I have the real ORA pearlberry and i wanted that one also.

Let the coral do the talking and you wont have to worry about names.
 
anything that has either someones name, the word ultra or aussie in front of it! if you want i can sell you a frag of my paul's ultra assie brown digi.... thats a great seller.... ok you got me, im kidding lol. reef culture cracks me up
 
FRICK_ At a recent swap in town a local had three 2" incredible frags simply called pearlberry. Didn't matter, they were big vibrant glowing healthy frags and people are still talking about them. I have the real ORA pearlberry and i wanted that one also.

yeah- indeed they have become well known... with a humble man with the initials of JP, I assume? His frags ARE well known, and like you had stated, if you do have great pieces, they will sell themselves.
 
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