Prices are too dang high!!!

[Forsaken77]

Actually, you can buy pre-cut pieces of acrylic from most hardware stores and use acrylic weld to piece it together for a simple ato container. It's a small amount of water so it should be pretty easy.

As to the 5-10 gallon ato's that cost around $100+, you have to take shipping into account. Those are large items and even though the website you buy them from says "free shipping," those price tags have the shipping price built into the product price.

I have someone in my family that gets wholesale prices for aquarium goods and the markups vary wildly. Without pointing fingers, the Chinese products, that you wouldn't necessarily know are Chinese (some are obvious, some not), have the highest markups. They are dirt cheap for what retailers pay and sometimes have a 200% markup on the item to make it appear as valuable as other top brands. Because if it's cheaper people view it like it must not be good quality, right? Which is part of the problem... perception.

This topic comes up every few months on this site.

 

[Greybeard]

You can get a frag that's the size of a pencil eraser and it can be well over $100!
I don't care how colorful it is. IT'S THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER!!!

If you don't care how colorful it is, why are you looking at hundred dollar frags? I assure you, there are many $10 frags available... they're just not so colorful.

Why is a acrylic box that holds 5 gallons of fresh water over $100??? IT'S A PLAIN OLD ACRYLIC (plastic) BOX!!! So what if it has a green top. It's ridiculous!

Lowe's has 5 gallon buckets for three bucks. Work just fine.

Why is a fragging kit over $40 FOR A CHEAP BASIC KIT??? Let's face it. A fragging kit is really nothing more than a fingernail care kit. For a cheap basic bare bones frag kit they want over $40!!!

I've been in this hobby for several decades now, I've never had any need to purchase a 'frag kit'. A cheap pair of side cutters, needle nose pliers, and an xacto knife have always been sufficient.

Why does a dosing container cost anywhere from $40 for the BASIC single container up to 199.95???? The reasoning is beyond me!!!

I get a free dosing container with the purchase of a new jug of parrot food at wally world every week. 1 gallon square body, wide mouth plastic jug. Works great. BRS sells dedicated Calc/Alk jugs for $2.49.


Yeah, if you want the cool stuff, you've gotta pay for it. It's a hobby, there's always going to be vendors selling 'high end' hobby gear at exorbitant prices. Don't wanna pay for it? Don't. There's alternatives to everything. Nothing wrong with a budget reef... lots of folks doing it, very successfully. I'm fairly certain that better than half the people around here don't buy high end stuff where cheap equivalents work just fine.

Same on livestock. You buy a thousand dollar black tang... I'll buy a $29 Scopas tang. What's the difference... a bit of gray? I actually ENJOY buying $10 brown acro frags, putting them in a well lit, well maintained aquarium, and watching them color up! Am I going to get the latest super hero themed florescent colored coral that way? Nope. Don't care.

Many of my corals are freebe frags from fellow reefers. Of the ones I did pay for, many were under $20. None were over $60.

Don't want to pay outrageous prices for reefing gear? Simple. Don't. You don't NEED any of that stuff.

 

[Humblefish]

^^ @Greybeard nailed it. I use a gallon pitcher & crimped airline tubing to gravity drip kalk into my sump every night. In the morning, I add a little more RODI to the residue, shake it up, and dump any leftover kalk right into my sump. I've never lost any livestock by doing this.

Sure, a kalk reactor would be easier/less time consuming. But for every expensive gadget that exists in this hobby, there is a manual way of doing it if you want to save $$$.

 

[tweeter]

Found this really funny

Yep, I'm guessing he's about the same age as I am...;Smuggrin

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I added a poll!

 

[Kremis]

If you want to be a "high end collector" then yeah its gonna cost you more to buy a tank full of bounce mushrooms, jawbreakers, stratosphere zoas and jf homewreckers. HOwever, you can still build an amazing tank from the 10$ frag bin at the LFS. Same thing with fish, none of the fish in my tank are over $40.

 

[squampton]

My max for coral is $20. I dont value coral enough to justify paying more.

I like fish more so will spend more there but only fish I have that was over $25 is my flame hawk.

 

[Kelso]

I actively support the sponsors because some have reasonable prices, then today I visited a site with $1500 frags. WOW!!! Kudos to you if you can afford those... I work for a living and I will not pay $100 for a single 1 inch fragile frag that may not like it's new environment.
There are so many beautiful corals and invertebrates on today's market. I can find beauty in what is reasonable. I'm not in this hobby to turn a quick profit and have on occasion gifted frags to others for just the cost of shipping.

 

[Servillius]

If you don't care how colorful it is, why are you looking at hundred dollar frags? I assure you, there are many $10 frags available... they're just not so colorful.

Lowe's has 5 gallon buckets for three bucks. Work just fine.

I've been in this hobby for several decades now, I've never had any need to purchase a 'frag kit'. A cheap pair of side cutters, needle nose pliers, and an xacto knife have always been sufficient.

I get a free dosing container with the purchase of a new jug of parrot food at wally world every week. 1 gallon square body, wide mouth plastic jug. Works great. BRS sells dedicated Calc/Alk jugs for $2.49.


Yeah, if you want the cool stuff, you've gotta pay for it. It's a hobby, there's always going to be vendors selling 'high end' hobby gear at exorbitant prices. Don't wanna pay for it? Don't. There's alternatives to everything. Nothing wrong with a budget reef... lots of folks doing it, very successfully. I'm fairly certain that better than half the people around here don't buy high end stuff where cheap equivalents work just fine.

Same on livestock. You buy a thousand dollar black tang... I'll buy a $29 Scopas tang. What's the difference... a bit of gray? I actually ENJOY buying $10 brown acro frags, putting them in a well lit, well maintained aquarium, and watching them color up! Am I going to get the latest super hero themed florescent colored coral that way? Nope. Don't care.

Many of my corals are freebe frags from fellow reefers. Of the ones I did pay for, many were under $20. None were over $60.

Don't want to pay outrageous prices for reefing gear? Simple. Don't. You don't NEED any of that stuff.

Greybeard’s a grey beard. Who knew?

 

[Servillius]

I actively support the sponsors because some have reasonable prices, then today I visited a site with $1500 frags. WOW!!! Kudos to you if you can afford those... I work for a living and I will not pay $100 for a single 1 inch fragile frag that may not like it's new environment.
There are so many beautiful corals and invertebrates on today's market. I can find beauty in what is reasonable. I'm not in this hobby to turn a quick profit and have on occasion gifted frags to others for just the cost of shipping.

Here is a pic of one of my favorite corals...

I’d happily give away frags. It’s probably doubled in weight since I took this pic. If I sold it for the price of the two part it’s made out of I’d feel like I was cheating. But it really is my favorite coral. It looks amazing in person.

You do not have to spend a lot of money to get nice corals. Get the cheap ones and enjoy them. They’re just fine!

But some people, myself included, like to collect things that are different. They’re not “nicer.” They’re just different. I don’t have something that color or that color mix or that shape and I like the variety. Getting those means someone has to put time and effort into finding them, raising them, and marketing them. I’m willing to pay for those corals on occasion. Because people are willing to pay, the same vendors have lots and lots of fairly cheap, very colorful corals. Meaning you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get amazing livestock. It’s true you can’t get the $1500 coral for cheap, yet. But the fact someone is willing to pay that means more variety in the market and the high end guys help finance the rest of the collection.

Everyone wins. Really. Stop hating on prices. I don’t collect expensive wine. I don’t begrudge those who do. I don’t have an expensive car. So what. I like corals, I work hard and I don’t mind spending some money on them. It’s not a contest. We all benefit. Enjoy the hobby.

 

[James M]

Here is a pic of one of my favorite corals...

I’d happily give away frags. It’s probably doubled in weight since I took this pic. If I sold it for the price of the two part it’s made out of I’d feel like I was cheating. But it really is my favorite coral. It looks amazing in person.

You do not have to spend a lot of money to get nice corals. Get the cheap ones and enjoy them. They’re just fine!

But some people, myself included, like to collect things that are different. They’re not “nicer.” They’re just different. I don’t have something that color or that color mix or that shape and I like the variety. Getting those means someone has to put time and effort into finding them, raising them, and marketing them. I’m willing to pay for those corals on occasion. Because people are willing to pay, the same vendors have lots and lots of fairly cheap, very colorful corals. Meaning you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get amazing livestock. It’s true you can’t get the $1500 coral for cheap, yet. But the fact someone is willing to pay that means more variety in the market and the high end guys help finance the rest of the collection.

Everyone wins. Really. Stop hating on prices. I don’t collect expensive wine. I don’t begrudge those who do. I don’t have an expensive car. So what. I like corals, I work hard and I don’t mind spending some money on them. It’s not a contest. We all benefit. Enjoy the hobby.

What type of sps is that ?

 

[Servillius]

What type of sps is that ?

Purple Stylophora. Here it is after things went pear shaped years ago...

 

[dantimdad]

I love that you said "It's not a contest" I don't believe it should be. Yet, we all know, it has become one.

Every hobby is filled with fan boys and hangers on. It's just silly.

I find it hilarious the responses you get when you ask "What light should I ..." or "What pump should I..." Why even ask these questions? Really? 90% of the answers you will get will be the most expensive thing there is. So, if you want to know what piece of equipment to buy, either research it yourself or just pick the most expensive one.

Sorry. Off my soapbox now.

 

[Servillius]

I love that you said "It's not a contest" I don't believe it should be. Yet, we all know, it has become one.

Every hobby is filled with fan boys and hangers on. It's just silly.

I find it hilarious the responses you get when you ask "What light should I ..." or "What pump should I..." Why even ask these questions? Really? 90% of the answers you will get will be the most expensive thing there is. So, if you want to know what piece of equipment to buy, either research it yourself or just pick the most expensive one.

Sorry. Off my soapbox now.

For a guy that just decided ATI and Tunze are the way to go, this is heart cockle warming stuff!

 

[BadPanda]

I think this hobby is the same just like any hobby. I raced RC cars locally before reefing and it was "battery/motor/chassis" of the month if you want to stay competitive. Then again, I raced with older gen stuff and did just fine. The other side of the blade though is, if you buy the low end stuff to get started, you'll end up buying more instead of items that are more reliable/good reviews to begin with. Just like everyone has been saying, supply and demand. Also if you post any recommendations regarding which equipment to use, expect a partial bias regarding ceratin brands. A hobby is meant for you to be preoccupied/enjoyed and not stress out too much which will end up defeating its purpose.

 

[declanisadog]

This exact same thread comes up it seems weekly, yet here we all still are.

The expensive equipment goes hand in hand with the expensive corals/fish. If I am spending $10,000 to fill up my tank with coral, I am going to want to protect that investment by buying the best/most proven/equipment available. As long as companies are able to charge what they want for equipment, I'll bet that's what they are going to continue doing.

 

[Aquavaj]

A clear plastic box is $10. Drill some holes and call it an acclimation box and now it's $40.
A small plastic sheet with holes and a magnet cost no more than $5. Call it a probe holder and now it's $30.
A plastic sheet with holes and magnet cost around $10. Call it a frag rack and now it's $40.

 

[declanisadog]

A clear plastic box is $10. Drill some holes and call it an acclimation box and now it's $40.
A small plastic sheet with holes and a magnet cost no more than $5. Call it a probe holder and now it's $30.
A plastic sheet with holes and magnet cost around $10. Call it a frag rack and now it's $40.

All of those prices are predicated on the assumption that everyone has all of the necessary tools laying around.

 

[Dj City]

This is kinda reasonable.

https://www.marinedepot.com/Simplic...p_Off_Units-Simplicity-SY58704-FIDPAT-vi.html

Much more practical than a lot of others on the market at 2L per slot and cost less than other brands.

 

[fishybizzness]

Three of these from the container store and you're set!!