Budget Coral Frag Acquisitions

[King Detritus]

Hi - Generally curious on strategies for acquiring budget frags. I'm sick of looking at my naked rocks! Looking for softies and low care LPS. Do frag meets generally have more affordable frags? I haven't been able to find one near me, but would be willing to drive if I know I can score a deal on a bunch. My LFS sometimes has $15-20 frags, so I plan to keep going and checking on what they have. I was able to score a deal on a colony from another LFS, so I fragged that and willing to sell so I can get some of said budget frags. Other plan is to let what I have grow, frag, sell, repeat. I'm in a few local facebook groups and that has been okay so far (no deals yet). Am I on the right track? Any thoughts/ideas welcome. Just trying to learn. Thanks in advance!

[mcarroll]

Not sure if your unstated goal is to fill up the tank quickly, or what else....?

 

I recommend taking the slow road.....decide what you really want....take time to decide if needed.....and then add that to the tank.

 

Buying on price (based on what....fear of doing something wrong with a more $ coral?) will lead to unwanted corals and regrets of a tank that too full, too soon once you HAVE decided what corals you really like.

 

That said, the object isn't to seek out expensive corals and avoid cheapies....but to MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU REALLY LIKE.  Because A) that's not always clear when you're starting out and B) you are stuck taking care of whatever you buy.

 

I have mushrooms in my tank from when I started to this day from back in the 2000's....added them before I was confident enough to add the stony corals I knew I wanted.

 

As long as that's not your line of reasoning, and you really want those discount corals, then go for it.

 

The only other rub is that adding a lot of stony corals all at once when you are unfamiliar with dosing might be a bit surprising on a few fronts all at once....possibly overwhelming for a beginner.  But if you're REALLY READY for all the testing and dosing that will be required at the beginning, then I still say go for it.

[geekreef_05]

If your willing to drive outta your way...with todays gas prices...

 

..may i suggest ordering online? Live overnight shipping isnt terribly expensive in Canada so its probably reasonable in the USA. 

 

Over the last 3 years ive tried to buy aqua cultured animals and most come shipped to your door. Ive had good luck, i order from reputable places. 

 

Hope that helps!

[King Detritus]

Thanks for the feedback @mcarroll and @geekreef_05 - please see my clarifications below. I've also been learning first hand on the local facebook groups and seeing what people have available.

 

20 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Not sure if your unstated goal is to fill up the tank quickly, or what else....?

 

My goal is to acquire some frags without breaking the bank. With online shipping, you have to but a lot to make it worth your while. I'm trying to go break neck speed here, as I try new corals I want to make sure they are doing well before acquiring more. Being new, I'm sure of the tricks of the trade so asking more seasoned hobbyists.

 

20 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Buying on price (based on what....fear of doing something wrong with a more $ coral?) will lead to unwanted corals and regrets of a tank that too full, too soon once you HAVE decided what corals you really like.

Before I dived into the hobby, I made a list of corals I liked and corals that were beginner friendly. Once my tank was cycling, I made a short list and sought out more information to confirm those selections. I like easy care LPS and softies the best. The question is really how to acquire them without going nuts on amount of corals or price. Scoping out the LFS that has frags seems to be an okay approach. 

 

20 hours ago, mcarroll said:

I have mushrooms in my tank from when I started to this day from back in the 2000's....added them before I was confident enough to add the stony corals I knew I wanted.

 

I love mushrooms. They are great to look at and very difficult to kill. I'm okay if they end up dominating and filling in the rock work (eventually). 

 

15 hours ago, geekreef_05 said:

If your willing to drive outta your way...with todays gas prices...

 

So I just joined a lot of local facebook groups and in the days since I first posted was able to sniff out some deals. I found two people within close distance of a really cool LFS - so I was able to score to nice frags at an excellent price and check out a new place. I think I'm getting the hang of it! Waiting for deals seems to be the best because you get what you want at a good price without rushing. Sometimes I think the fun is in the hunt rather than dropping a lot of cash at one go.

 

15 hours ago, geekreef_05 said:

..may i suggest ordering online? Live overnight shipping isnt terribly expensive in Canada so its probably reasonable in the USA. 

 

Good point. I'm in the US and most places are about $30 for overnight shipping. I might splurge for a prize leather - some of the Kenya trees are truly stunning. We'll see. However, I did find this place called Corals Anonymous with really bargain prices but the shipping is slightly higher $40. Maybe it makes sense to go in for a group buy rather than buying 5-6 frags for a newer tank. 

[mcarroll]

5 hours ago, King Detritus said:

The question is really how to acquire them without going nuts on amount of corals or price. Scoping out the LFS that has frags seems to be an okay approach. 

Prolly best....nothing urging you to buy 40 corals at once....you can pick and choose exactly what you want....over as much time as it takes.  👍