Reef Raft Asia/Canada

Daniel@R2R · May 17, 2017

I have heard what you're saying @Sabellafella, but I do know that in their store, they do have a ton of maricultured stuff. Maybe RRA is who they get them from, but they're definitely maricultured. I'm not speaking from hearsay, I've been to their shop (they're pretty close by...about 30 minute drive from me). They definitely have nice stuff, but they also have $20 bargain bins with stuff that they don't have names or anything for...just basic run-of-the-mill stuff. So while I've no doubt that Ray has some great stuff, it's not all premium pieces. Just FYI.

Daniel@R2R · May 17, 2017

On the Pink Cadillac, I'm actually aware of at least one person who went to Canada and bought it directly...I won't comment on the legality issues there

but I can say that TGC isn't the only source for it in the US.

Sabellafella · May 17, 2017

But like almost all vendors, they buy their colonys from a wholesaler system, grow out or whatnot. Maricultures as well to make a couple bucks, but AL grows bulk colonys in the ocean to sell(not cherry picked), and intank for a smaller hand. Maybe to make sure theyre aquarium ready, or because they simply just die. The retailers certainly dont buy freshly grown pieces And slap a rr name on it lol

Yup @mdbannister, they sell those colonys to hobbiest for pretty cheap as well

Sabellafella · May 17, 2017

mdbannister said:
On the Pink Cadillac, I'm actually aware of at least one person who went to Canada and bought it directly...I won't comment on the legality issues there but I can say that TGC isn't the only source for it in the US.

Lolol and i know exactly who your talking about. Funny stuff, and hey its alot cheaper out there so why not. But you have to be a real dedicated hobbiest to drive 10 hours for some coral =)

Daniel@R2R · May 17, 2017

Sabellafella said:
Lolol and i know exactly who your talking about. Funny stuff, and hey its alot cheaper out there so why not. But you have to be a real dedicated hobbiest to drive 10 hours for some coral =)

Hey to each his own, but if he made the drive and he's got the receipt, that demonstrates that there's at least one person who has it here (and I am certain there are others) that didn't get it from TGC.

Daniel@R2R · May 17, 2017

Sabellafella said:
But like almost all vendors, they buy their colonys from a wholesaler system, grow out or whatnot. Maricultures as well to make a couple bucks, but AL grows bulk colonys in the ocean to sell(not cherry picked), and intank for a smaller hand. Maybe to make sure theyre aquarium ready, or because they simply just die. The retailers certainly dont buy freshly grown pieces And slap a rr name on it lol

Yup @mdbannister, they sell those colonys to hobbiest for pretty cheap as well

Maybe I'm confused. I thought you said that TGC doesn't flip maricultured corals. They have tanks with frags (or colonies) of them available. Just trying to understand the point you're making.

Sabellafella · May 17, 2017

mdbannister said:
Maybe I'm confused. I thought you said that TGC doesn't flip maricultured corals. They have tanks with frags (or colonies) of them available. Just trying to understand the point you're making.

Never said they didnt =) just that they dont slap rr on them to sell and they dont buy them to sell as quick as they could to people willing to spend the money. In our eyes, yes they are maricultured, but theyre well established before their even sold to retailers.

Daniel@R2R · May 17, 2017

Sabellafella said:
In our eyes, yes they are maricultured, but theyre well established before their even sold to retailers.

I'm not sure I follow. If they're maricultured, they're still a risky coral. I know you were talking about AL cultivating them in the ocean. By that method, once the retailer gets them, they'd have to keep them long term before they were anything other than maricultured. The pieces I saw looked as good as any, but not any better than others I've seen at other retailers. I don't think they'd even been fully colored up, so I'm not understanding why we should regard their maricultured pieces as higher quality than anyone else's.

Not trying to be argumentative, but trying to understand the point you're making. Sorry for not getting it yet.

hybridazn · May 17, 2017

Sabellafella said:
Two guys corals is the ONLY reef raft and A L retailer in the US. Theres not 1 other person.

On the

They absolutely dont buy maricultued colonys to flip for money as quick as they could. And to be honest they prob the only ones that dont do that. Because at the price they pay for those colonys, they not risking to loose it over a frag. Ive seen them take months on end before even buying the colonys, then months after that to frag and sell.

Sabellafella said:
Never said they didnt =) just that they dont slap rr on them to sell and they dont buy them to sell as quick as they could to people willing to spend the money. In our eyes, yes they are maricultured, but theyre well established before their even sold to retailers.

But you did say that.... and that's exactly what they do, I thought this was a pretty well known fact.

reef_ranch · May 17, 2017

I've been to Two Guys Coral's shop and spent some time with JW looking at his corals and asking him a ton of questions. They definitely know how to color up coral and they hold the goods ones for many months before releasing frags. They have an enormous range of prices and the higher priced pieces are, at least in today's market, well worth it.

I can't speak to where they got all of their Pink Cadillac pieces (I bought one from them at RAP last year and it is legit) but they definitely got some from RR Canada: https://www.facebook.com/ReefRaftCa...04.1073741829.713225455463338/906481332804415

Sabellafella · May 17, 2017

mdbannister said:
I'm not sure I follow. If they're maricultured, they're still a risky coral. I know you were talking about AL cultivating them in the ocean. By that method, once the retailer gets them, they'd have to keep them long term before they were anything other than maricultured. The pieces I saw looked as good as any, but not any better than others I've seen at other retailers. I don't think they'd even been fully colored up, so I'm not understanding why we should regard their maricultured pieces as higher quality than anyone else's.

Not trying to be argumentative, but trying to understand the point you're making. Sorry for not getting it yet.

Lolol its ok, im terrible at explaining stuff anyway ill try the best i could. If tgc bought premium indo maricultured colonys and sold them for thousands of dollars theyd never be in buisness. Theres not that many mariculture facilitys, so almost all mari import vendors usually get the same stuff.

On the otherhand, one way or another all corals come from the ocean, wether they aussi sittng in a tub waiting for someone to buy, or people cutting and growing in the ocean to sell. The guy that supplies rr and tgc, cherry picks the colonys from shipments, grows them both aquacultured, and in the ocean. Stuff like their no name rack, is all monster frags n colonys that are maricultured. Couldve been the same coral rra put a name on because they all buy from the same dude.

Their expensive stuff on the otherhand, is both maricultured into colonys for people like "pieces of the ocean" , bulk other vendors looking to buy through tgc.

Anything maricultured is risky, but these "higher end" pieces are aquacultured for months on end before their sold to retailers like tgc. There more over prepped for aquarium conditions opposed to normal vendors(and collectors) just trying to sell off theyre product as quick as they could due to the nature of mariculture

Moral of my terrible way to explain my story, to answer the statement "tgc sells premium mariculture, to slap rr on them for the people with money"

Sabellafella · May 17, 2017

hybridazn said:
But you did say that.... and that's exactly what they do, I thought this was a pretty well known fact.

Guess its the way i explained it. Im lost here lol i never ment it as they dont buy maricultured colonys to flip. I ment it as all the highend stuff is aquacultured before sale. Witch is the majority of the reef raft named pieces they carry

It may be well known to others on what they do, but i know the higher end stuff with rr slapped on it is suitable for aquarium living before tgc even buys it.

Sabellafella · May 17, 2017

Basically everyone buys maricultured to sell. Theres nothing wrong with that. But tgc dont just go slapping reef raft on it for no reason. They are all looped in together. Theyre highend stuff is all aquacultured before theyre sold. Their maricultured stuff is just as cheap as anyone elses even if its a rr no named piece.