Where to buy corals?

[Signmom99]

Where do you all buy your coral frags.  I have gone to the LFS's around there but the problem is either the selection is poor at best or the coral is on a huge rock that is big enough to be your base rock (or 2nd to it).  

 

I would like a source for soft corals.  I can get mushrooms and some polyps at the LFS but there are so many other varieties out there.  Also, where do you all go online to read about the care and maintenance of these corals?

 

Any help and info is appreciated.  Thanks

[Delph]

(Edited by Delph at 8:04 am on June 3, 2002)

[djlanius]

Check and see if you can find any reef clubs in your area. That will give you a local source of frags for trade (once you get going you're going to have things outgrow your tank & need a good home for them too!)

I also like to lurk around the LFS tank and look for little broken bits laying on the bottom of the tank. Depending on how they display their corals, bits can break off by falling or bumping into other corals, and sometimes they break in shipment. Some stores will give you these bits for free since they can still sell the main one for full price. I've also gotten some at a discount if it's a more substantial piece, like if a coral broke in half they'll sell each half for half price. All depends on the store. And of course this kind of breakage really only happens with stonies (I have a lot of LPS!). Softies don't break, if a piece falls off it's likely sick or it'll get sucked into a powerhead. I have also gotten some stray mushrooms off the bottom of the tank for free or just a few bucks.

Another place for frags besides GARF is Tropicorium. I've never ordered from them, but they do have small frags (I think they're one of the ones with a 9 for 99 deal). I believe Carrie just got some stuff from them (she posts a lot on the main forum, you might ask her about it)

 

As to internet info, I've just gotten stuff by trial and error with a search engine like Delph described. It's time consuming at first but probably more useful than me telling you what my "favorite" site is. One place to start with lots of good links is saltaquarium.about.com - actually, about.com has lots of links on lots of topics.

[Kapelakin]

Jeff's (www.exoticfish.com) does a 9 for $99 deal.  I think Premium Aquatics (www.premiumaquatics) sells som frags for reasonable prices as well.  I can't recommend them highly enough for customer service and quality of all the animals I've bought there.  Also, I used to bug the owner of an LFS (by bug I mean chat ), so he'd usually let me buy single 'shrooms for a buck or two depending on the size, since they spread all over his 150 gallon display tank.