Foreget the LFS

NealNano · 07/21/2008, 06:06 PM

I have a whole new way of looking at the hobby I love so much. Yes I'm talking about reef keeping. I for the last 2 maybe 3 years I have aquired all my corals from LFS. I even worked at a few. Today all that changed when I got in touch with a local reefer selling frags. Why the H3LL was I paying the high retail prices. I got a few very nice frags for very inexpensive by looking in the local club forum. Great way to go and I will be sure to pay it back to others when the time comes to frag up so of my corals. I highly recomend this to all reef keeps. Thanks Azrednex.

Timbor · 07/21/2008, 06:21 PM

Thats all well and good, as long as there are reefers willing to pay those "retail" prices to get the colonies that were fragged.

For a smaller tank, you can always buy a full colony then sell frags to try and recoup some of the cost.

NealNano · 07/21/2008, 07:49 PM

This guy got almost everything from other reefers. Many colonies were several generation frags aquired from other reefers.

paulamrein · 07/21/2008, 07:57 PM

I am a firm believer in local membership and support of your club. Not even for the free or marked down prices, which always has it's advantages. Even if you aren't the social type. To have someone within miles of your house when things go wrong, RC can only take you so far when you have 150 gallons of water on your carpet and no where to put your very pricey livestock. Or to spread knowledge and love of this hobby. Joining my local club was the best investment I have made into this hobby.

Timbor · 07/22/2008, 07:27 AM

Don't get me wrong, I am all for local clubs and frag trading - that's how I have filled most of my tank.

But, the reality is, in order to get new selection in your local club, there has to be an outside source of corals, which is generally from retail stores.

Some corals grow fast enough to be fragged often, and those get traded lots, whereas slower growers typically are bought and fragged. At least that's how I see it.

Also, if you have a good LFS, they can be helpful if you bought equipment from them. One store in my area comes to mind. If you bought something there and it breaks under manufacturer's warranty, the owner will take care of getting the manufacturer to fix/repair it, and will often have loaner equipment to give out while you wait for a replacement.

Tim

NealNano · 07/22/2008, 12:28 PM

Dont get me wrong either. I have worked at a few LFS and they are needed in the hobby. But most of the time unless you know someone on the in, you cant get any really good deals. Plus trading and buying from local clubs is safer for the oceans and reefs.

illal · 07/22/2008, 12:37 PM

i prefer to buy most of my stuff from local reefers aswell but at the same time weve got to support our lfs' too!

DNickell · 07/22/2008, 12:52 PM

Am I the only one here who lives where there are no other "local reefers," no reef clubs, and therefore no one local selling frags?

I can either support my LFS and actually see what I am considering buying, and develop a good relationship with the owner, or I can order on-line, which is like a grab bag deal, not knowing what you are going to get and assuming a goodly percentage will arrive distressed or dead.

My LFS doesn't offer much in the way of variety, but it is mostly healthy and I know what I'm getting and whatever I buy will be bagged for half an hour after I make the purchase.

My LFS options, by the way, are actually a window tinting business and a skateboard/remote control airplane store. Both owners have home tanks and keep a few tanks in their business from which they sell to the few other aquarium keepers in western Kentucky, southern Illinois and eastern Missouri. I know one of them told me he had customers come up from Tennessee, as well. That's enough scattered reefers to allow them to offer some specimens for sale, but the customers are widely dispersed.

I figure if I support these LFSs I at least have a local source for salt mix, additives and basic pumps and such.

07/21/2008, 06:06 PM	#1
NealNano Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gilbert, Az Posts: 764	Foreget the LFS I have a whole new way of looking at the hobby I love so much. Yes I'm talking about reef keeping. I for the last 2 maybe 3 years I have aquired all my corals from LFS. I even worked at a few. Today all that changed when I got in touch with a local reefer selling frags. Why the H3LL was I paying the high retail prices. I got a few very nice frags for very inexpensive by looking in the local club forum. Great way to go and I will be sure to pay it back to others when the time comes to frag up so of my corals. I highly recomend this to all reef keeps. Thanks Azrednex.

07/21/2008, 06:21 PM	#2
Timbor Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 554	Thats all well and good, as long as there are reefers willing to pay those "retail" prices to get the colonies that were fragged. For a smaller tank, you can always buy a full colony then sell frags to try and recoup some of the cost. __________________ "I bet a funny thing about driving a car off a cliff is; while you're in midair you still hit those brakes... Hey, better try the emergency brake! - J.H." Current Tank Info: None currently

07/21/2008, 07:57 PM	#4
paulamrein Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: St. Peters MO Posts: 1,141	I am a firm believer in local membership and support of your club. Not even for the free or marked down prices, which always has it's advantages. Even if you aren't the social type. To have someone within miles of your house when things go wrong, RC can only take you so far when you have 150 gallons of water on your carpet and no where to put your very pricey livestock. Or to spread knowledge and love of this hobby. Joining my local club was the best investment I have made into this hobby. __________________ Internet Killed the LFS Current Tank Info: 125g rr 20g sump

07/22/2008, 07:27 AM	#5
Timbor Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 554	Don't get me wrong, I am all for local clubs and frag trading - that's how I have filled most of my tank. But, the reality is, in order to get new selection in your local club, there has to be an outside source of corals, which is generally from retail stores. Some corals grow fast enough to be fragged often, and those get traded lots, whereas slower growers typically are bought and fragged. At least that's how I see it. Also, if you have a good LFS, they can be helpful if you bought equipment from them. One store in my area comes to mind. If you bought something there and it breaks under manufacturer's warranty, the owner will take care of getting the manufacturer to fix/repair it, and will often have loaner equipment to give out while you wait for a replacement. Tim __________________ "I bet a funny thing about driving a car off a cliff is; while you're in midair you still hit those brakes... Hey, better try the emergency brake! - J.H." Current Tank Info: None currently

07/22/2008, 12:37 PM	#7
illal Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tamarac, Fl Posts: 5,700	i prefer to buy most of my stuff from local reefers aswell but at the same time weve got to support our lfs' too! __________________ -AL

07/21/2008, 07:49 PM	#3
NealNano Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gilbert, Az Posts: 764	This guy got almost everything from other reefers. Many colonies were several generation frags aquired from other reefers.

07/22/2008, 12:28 PM	#6
NealNano Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gilbert, Az Posts: 764	Dont get me wrong either. I have worked at a few LFS and they are needed in the hobby. But most of the time unless you know someone on the in, you cant get any really good deals. Plus trading and buying from local clubs is safer for the oceans and reefs.

07/22/2008, 12:52 PM	#8
DNickell Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 277	Am I the only one here who lives where there are no other "local reefers," no reef clubs, and therefore no one local selling frags? I can either support my LFS and actually see what I am considering buying, and develop a good relationship with the owner, or I can order on-line, which is like a grab bag deal, not knowing what you are going to get and assuming a goodly percentage will arrive distressed or dead. My LFS doesn't offer much in the way of variety, but it is mostly healthy and I know what I'm getting and whatever I buy will be bagged for half an hour after I make the purchase. My LFS options, by the way, are actually a window tinting business and a skateboard/remote control airplane store. Both owners have home tanks and keep a few tanks in their business from which they sell to the few other aquarium keepers in western Kentucky, southern Illinois and eastern Missouri. I know one of them told me he had customers come up from Tennessee, as well. That's enough scattered reefers to allow them to offer some specimens for sale, but the customers are widely dispersed. I figure if I support these LFSs I at least have a local source for salt mix, additives and basic pumps and such.