I’m going to Aquashella this weekend and it is the first show/swap that I’m attending. Super pumped to go to this show, it looks like it is going to be a great time. We bought tickets for Saturday only but are planning on staying over night.
I'm quite jealous, I probably won't make it. I'll be traveling from Arkansas to Door County, Wisconsin but I'll be busy during those two days. Never know, I could sneak off but even then, I'd have to find some way to hold corals for 2 days and get it thru TSA. lol.
What is the best to keep the corals over night and then ok for the 4hr drive back home? Is it ok to keep the corals in the containers/bags over night in a well insulated cooler???
Overnight is pretty simple, just keep it in a cooler/Styrofoam box in an area where the temperature is well regulated. I tend to travel to the bordering states and on the way to my location, I buy corals, hold them overnight and drive about 5 hours back the following day with no issues. Temperature should be your only major concern. Just make sure your bags aren't leaking and you have a sufficient amount of water in the bag. I always ask for a little more water, letting the vendor/store know, I'm from out of town.
I listened to the ReefNewsNetwork podcast about swaps and they people walk around coolers. Do people really wheel coolers around the shows??? Would an insulated bag work instead of big cooler?
Those who are looking for colonies, looking to bulk or group buy will generally bring coolers. A regular bag will do just fine. Just observe the temperature. I just use a city back pack that has like a mini cooler section.
Do you guys have any Reef show/swap tips?
Generally, it's best to know what your after. Make a list of what your for sure going to buy and what you may consider based on price. That way, you'll know what the average price is and what is a good deal at the swap. It would be awful to buy a 80.00 frogspawn at the swap, drive back home and the exact same species is only 20.00 at your LFS.
Also be mindful of how popular the corals your after are. If its a high demand one, it's best to not shop around too hard. Things at swaps get snagged up extremely quick. During my first couple frag swaps, the hot and popular stuff disappear fast, especially if it's price is just slightly lower than the average market price. You tell yourself your going to shop around and see if you can get a better deal but when you come back, it'll be gone and by the time you make it to the 3rd or 4th stand that has it, you'll be paying full price. If your after something hot/popular for your tank, don't shop around too much cause you'll regret it.
Stuff that isn't as popular, you can shop around for better prices.
The super rare stuff is going to expensive but I can tell you that you won't see those specimens online often. If your confident in your reefing skills, sometimes instead of buying a ton of average looking stuff, buying a solid extremely rare/unique piece is awesome. I never regret those pieces but once again they can be very pricey. Don't expect haggle prices to drop on those much if at all.
If you buy multiple pieces from one vendor, your likely to get better haggle prices. If you see one vendor with multiple pieces on your want list, you could save a lot more than individually buying the pieces from several vendors.
Have fun! Take lots of pictures for some of us who can't go!!
