LFS may have made a big price mistake.

[rockskimmerflow]

I paid right around $75.00 for it. Thought it was a good price for a Blue Ice Acro Colony of this size.

You did fine at that price, but its definitely not a mistake. That's more than I would charge for a piece like that and I would still make a healthy profit retailing is at 50 or so. It's just a maricultured piece so nothing special about it other than that it was grown in shallow water attached to a grow rack for 6 months or so before being harvested. Those plastic tags are just so the mariculture operation can keep track of all the corals they are farming. If you like the way it looks and it fit your budget, then I'd say it's a good purchase all around. Just be careful with alk swings initially cause those maricultures can be real sensitive at first compared to a long term captive grown strain.

 

[Idaho-reefer]

I would recommend cutting the coral off the cement plug that came with it. After a few weeks every kind of algae will start growing out of it. I had a gorilla crab in one too.

 

[morgan175]

Just looking for a ball park price on the open market for a Blue Ice Acro Colony like this. I know in my area, SPS Corals are getting harder and harder to find and all the LFS's are cleaned out of them. Prices are through the roof. Im thinking because of all the Coral Reefs being bleached out and putting harsh restrictions on what divers are aloud to take.

I saw you live in Pennsylvania. That fish place just had a frag show with 100’s of acros. Also a group called mason Dixon reef club if near Harrisburg. Good luck

 

[mtraylor]

I see these all the time. As everyone has stated, they are Mari cultured. I usually see them from $50 to $90 depending on the colony. Nice looking coral you got. Congrats

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Sweet looking coral. Looks like a blue bottlebrush. Would go for around 100 in the Boston area. Nice pickup.

 

[larangcon]

That's a good find, careful with Alk swing, they are not accustom to changes.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Got a spot i get these for like 40 bucks. Make sure you take the base off. These things usually have a few really nasty macro algaes tagging along on them...

 

[BoomCorals]

As others stated, it’s a mariculture tag so maricultured in the ocean. Wholesale on a piece like that is around $25, retail $75 is certainly normal or expected, especially at LFS where they have more overhead. It’s a nice piece.

Be sure to remove the base as others said. It could have pests, but will have all sorts of funky algae guaranteed.

 

[Som1else]

Dont forget to do a good bayer dip too. Lots of fun stuff can come in on the wild colonies. For an extra measure I would also make sure you inspect it under magnification and good light too.

 

[acabgd]

This is a farm tag that usually has a CITES logo as well on the far left (that part seems to have been cut off on this tag). It shows the date when the coral was planted, its species and the ID number and it also usually has the logo of the the approving authority. The CITES logo is there to identify a CITES-approved facility which can culture and trade with protected species.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Wild and maricultured across are very expensive here now. No one gets them in and when they do the average ones like posted are from 100 to 150 and the nicer ones from the best farms are sold from 200 to 300 bucks per colony. It's crazy...

 

[Zacco]

Wild and maricultured across are very expensive here now. No one gets them in and when they do the average ones like posted are from 100 to 150 and the nicer ones from the best farms are sold from 200 to 300 bucks per colony. It's crazy...

Same thing around here. Your lucky even to find an Acro colony in the LFS's and I visit 5 different stores in my city. Small Frags that use to be 5 dollars are now going for 15 dollars and colony's are ridiculously priced. Their tanks are cleaned out and all of them say they cant get any in.

 

[bonomo53]

We get a ton of maricultured colonies over here in NY ranging fro $30-$60. Depending on how many the your lfs had i would say the cost them around $18-$25 each so not a mistake but you definitely got a nice piece.

 

[rstrann]

I have zero room for more sps but I'd have probably bought it anyway

 

[Bmezz]

What are your favorite coral shops in Southern California?

 

[jah-hoeva]

Just got a couple colonies with identical tags. LFS here sells them for $54 or 2 for $100. Guy at the shop thought they came from Bali.

 

[Robert Vacchiano]

Where are the frag swaps going to be .Live in Pa.Thanks Bob

 

[ericbost23]

Where are the frag swaps going to be .Live in Pa.Thanks Bob

I'd like to know myself. I live in south west Pennsylvania. We don't have crap around here as I am aware

 

[Acro maniac]

Florida average for mariculture is 30-60 bucks

 

[Ocelaris]

Long Island, aquarium village had them for $45 recently, picked up the blue stag, green milli and a fat brown one (hoping it colors up soon), by far my favorite pieces so far. I would have easily paid 75 for them.

Good find, that one looks like it's going to be beautiful.