What has happened to The reef hobby

[GARRIGA]

As for the collector comments. That's not new. Dragon Moray mid 90s went for $1,000. Didn't cost anywhere near that for the LFS to acquire. In the reptile hobby albino burmese pythons went for thousands. Regular for $60 at trade shows. There's always been greed behind any hobby. Who hasn't dreamed of building a frag farm and making cash? I have. It is what it is as long as someone is willing to pay for it. Latter never going to go away.

 

[Nanojoe]

It all went south when the latin/scientific names stopped being used and new hobbyists began sniffing the rainbow spliced 24k holy grail unicorn fart perpetuated via social media platforms displaying unrealistic and or misrepresented images of corals in windex colored systems.

This.
Biggest reason why i stopped instagram. I know its an app that is "its what you make of it" but i couldnt find the escape from windex close ups and influencers pushing product left and right. Almost being disingenuous.

 

[aggrofish]

The words grail and holy started to be used.

And ultra

 

[FMF0331]

I was considering getting back into the hobby definitely will not do it at this point.

Awesome move, with all the cash I spent on this hobby, I could've been driving a Lambo or living in the Maldives

 

[Bob Weigant]

I took a year off and cant believe how crazy prices are now but then again prices on everything has gone threw the roof

 

[Sod Buster]

I've been out of the hobby for two years now with a twitch to get back in. This forum and the hobby has changed considerably in that time. Eight years ago the articles and threads were usually posted from advanced hobbyists going to the next level. Like coming up with DIY recipes, homemade led lights, and using medicine off label to treat different ailments. The times of spending hours and hours doing the research reading every article or post on a topic the individual was having a problem with or interest in, and figuring it out themselves without posting a question on the forum are gone. Maybe the search button was bigger or a bright color back then? All the simple stuff that can get you two years into a reef tank is right under that button. I was a beginner once, did some dumb stuff, and asked some dumb questions. IE, why is my diy phosphate solution chalky white? I followed the recipe, this much product to this much water? Dummy, use rodi water, not tank water. Problem solved. Reading through this thread and the hobby explosion, I'll wait a few more months and purchase some nice used stuff it appears. I guess to be honest, if it wasn't for the same questions asked everyday, I'd just be reading about tropic marin salt being responsible for killing tanks, don't people test fresh mix water for everything before they put it in the tank, not just salinity? Sue. I used Vibrant when it first appeared on the market. That is shady, but people wishing the family to become homeless and on the street? I guess it could be worse without all the instant answer my GHA questions. I'd just be looking at $200 acro frags, $500 anemone, and over a $100k of nice used equipment threads. Is what it is, just a little clogged up at the moment. Let me get a purple pic of my overflowing tank because I forgot to open the gate valve. I don't want to offend anyone, but society, the hobby, and this forum has definitely changed. EDIT for this tip so you don't mess your lights all up to get a 12k white light pic so we can see what you are trying to take a pic of. Go to about post 1200 or so in the bubbaque sps journey thread, get the little filter pack off Amazon he suggests for $20, keep the brownish one to use, and throw the other 15 away that come with the set. Hold that lense in front of your cellphone lense, take the pic. Boom, no more washed out smurf blue urine contamination in your tank.

 

[hubble]

I walked into a LFS the other day and noticed they had a nice yellow Tang. I asked how much and the reply was $1000.00! I just walked out.............

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Coral has been experiencing both being trendy and get rich quick inflation the last few years.

I mostly keep fish mostly and inflation has been more tolerable.
The xenia in my one tank would be worth $10,000 at current retail which makes me laugh. $70 for a tiny bit of it.

Sign me up on the wait list for that Xenia. Ur starting to sound like some of the three letter chop shops. If they don’t label it a unicorn fart they won’t know what it is, except acropora species and it wouldn’t sell as fast Sad. Even their sales are towards the top of the retail market. But hey people pay it. As long as they do things won’t change. I get good deals from members within my reef club who happen to sell some of the same three letter chop shop corals, I mean nubs, but at fair prices. They make money and I, the consumer, get a nice coral. Both parties are happy.

 

[Lyss]

I guess I’ve just been trying to say by comparison, it’s not that big of an explosion, and it could (or maybe still can) be worse. Yes, many hobbies have a collector aspect to them and if you’re a hardcore collector you know who to go to for that one ultra rare piece and are willing to pay for it. But that collector mentality has spread to the mainstream via social media — mainly YouTube and Instagram — and caused an absolute craze in some hobbies that is detrimental beyond just the regular folks in the hobby. The one thing about coral is that there’s a significant barrier to entry if you want to collect, just by the nature of what it takes to build a proper system to keep them — it’s harder than for example setting up an ikea greenhouse cabinet (the latest IG/YT plant fad that won’t die), and requires a lot more continuous work.

In the plant world, suddenly these botanists and folks known for propagating these ultra rare plants in collector circles are mainstream names b/c of influencers on social media.

Maybe simply ‘social media influencers’ is the problem that connects it all.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I guess I’ve just been trying to say by comparison, it’s not that big of an explosion, and it could (or maybe still can) be worse. Yes, many hobbies have a collector aspect to them and if you’re a hardcore collector you know who to go to for that one ultra rare piece and are willing to pay for it. But that collector mentality has spread to the mainstream via social media — mainly YouTube and Instagram — and caused an absolute craze in some hobbies that is detrimental beyond just the regular folks in the hobby. The one thing about coral is that there’s a significant barrier to entry if you want to collect, just by the nature of what it takes to build a proper system to keep them — it’s harder than for example setting up an ikea greenhouse cabinet (the latest IG/YT plant fad that won’t die), and requires a lot more continuous work.

In the plant world, suddenly these botanists and folks known for propagating these ultra rare plants in collector circles are mainstream names b/c of influencers on social media.

Maybe simply ‘social media influencers’ is the problem that connects it all.

Plant crazy. I have to chk this out.

 

[Lyss]

Plant crazy. I have to chk this out.

This was published pre-covid, before it got 100x worse: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/style/tropical-plants-rare.amp.html

I’m like, this hobby is shades of it but still so much more bearable.

 

[BanjoBandito]

There's still plenty of good deals to be found in the hobby. It just takes savvy investing and time. I will say I'm at the point and tank size where automation is becoming more likely an end game....and ya, nothing cheap there. Generally I can setup and maintain a 40 gallon breeder for under 500. I have a beautiful torch I paid less than 50 bucks for, and hammers I paid way less for. I agree pricing is kinda dumb, and the designer coral fads (along with making up names) has kinda gotten silly...but people have to buy them for those prices. Usually you can get some bargains if your timing is good.

 

[Badspstank]

This is the rediculous greed that ticks me off

Your kidding right

 

[Badspstank]

I guess this post was timely my suggestion to you guys is just stop buying and high-end corals from people or overpriced corals that holy Grail just 8 years ago was probably $15 with with two or three heads on it and and it was called blue top torch now is what three hundred dollars whoever rename this is getting over big time. Now I've seen a couple truly rare corals I seen I had my hands on a black Elegance at one point truly a black elegant with purple tips rare coral didn't live long but rare

 

[Bato367]

I purchased a used Reefer setup with everything, and I only purchased my coral frags this past holiday season. They were 40% plus I purchased frag packs and used my rewards points. Each frag averaged out to be $21 per frag shipped. Without the sale and rewards points, each frag would've averaged out to be $48 per frag. The rest of my frags have come from local reefers who sell cheap and/or trade.

I refuse to pay retail, can't afford it.

I wouldn't be back into the hobby if I didn't buy used equipment or on sale items.

If you love the hobby, get back into it. Just buy used, find the deals, and avoid all of the non-sensical gimmicky products out there that aren't necessary.

 

[Rmckoy]

Not just corals that have become ridiculously expensive as I just left the grocery store and now at the gas station...hhhmmm wonder what caused this?

Between the grocery store prices and the constant increase of gas . I can’t see the future of adding any corals Any time soon .

last night gas alone was 1.74 per
Litre and expecting another increase closer to $2/ litre in the next few weeks .

it’s almost time to trade the truck in for a moped

 

[vetteguy53081]

IMO :
-Vendors taking advantage since the past shutdown of Indonesia, and then Hawaii
- Greed
- Profit
-Photoshopping hence adding price to coral based on false high coloration

- Even Jacking up cost of shipping (some persons charging $50-$55 when in essence majority are $30-$40

 

[FMF0331]

I still laugh at the yellow tang situation they're not the only one that controls algae in the tank. So many other options out there. All these vendors and LFS are a joke, go ahead jack up the price / hang on to them until you make your 1000% profit. God forbid they die in your care or come down with some type of disease.

Same goes for corals / torches / SPS frags etc.
Selling torches for $500 per head or higher, now you get brown jelly - red bugs - AEFW

 

[Lavey29]

Between the grocery store prices and the constant increase of gas . I can’t see the future of adding any corals Any time soon .

last night gas alone was 1.74 per
Litre and expecting another increase closer to $2/ litre in the next few weeks .

it’s almost time to trade the truck in for a moped

Not sure what country you are on but that's expensive gas too. We know what caused our high prices and inflation here in the U.S.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I still laugh at the yellow tang situation they're not the only one that controls algae in the tank. So many other options out there. All these vendors and LFS are a joke, go ahead jack up the price / hang on to them until you make your 1000% profit. God forbid they die in your care or come down with some type of disease.

Same goes for corals / torches / SPS frags etc.
Selling torches for $500 per head or higher, now you get brown jelly - red bugs - AEFW

Up to $700 for a yellow tang and now even at $150.
Lucky me. . .. I have now 6 yellows- two were $34.99, Two were $39.99 and one was $28 after a memorial day discount. Recently had a fellow hobbyist that did not feel right how he was taking care of his yellow and gave it to me. I gave him back some salt, chemicals and better test kits- stuff I had too much of