WWC pricing is going through the roof

[1stNoel]

Ya just did the first part.....Now get irritated with indulging that passive/weak thought and rephrase it to the active and productive thought "I'm going to think like that". Then go follow David Goggins on Instagram for reminders on forming mental toughness

Were you doing pullups while typing that?

 

[twiatr2001]

So I have purchased from WWC, I don't normally purchase online but they are awesome, Yes they have a new facility but you have to look at the extent of things they go through to make sure that their product is the best and pest free, I recently looked at their aqua culture facility and have to say they have a good amount of guys working there that have to be on their game in order for them to grow out and sell more, and they have a fairly large staff as well, plus if you ever have ordered from them the shipping container comes in nicely packed, nice laminated acclimation instructions and placement in tank diagram, plus all of their shipping containers are leak free and are nicely wrapped and sealed, that takes a lot of time and effort on their behalf, we all know quality is more expensive, yes their prices might be more but you have to look at what you're getting in return, I myself would rather pay that higher price sometimes and receive a quality product and have piece of mind that whatever I put in my tank is not gonna crash it and give me some pest that I have to break down my tank for, all in all, a small price to pay for better stuff.

 

[makscopes]

For me personally, it is a matter of trust their corals are qt'd and free of ich and marine velvet and other pests. Their reputation is based on a strict QT schedule. And I have gone to great lengths to qt all of the fish in my tank.

I have bought all 75+ coral frags in my tank solely from WWC on an ongoing basis without putting them in 78 day non-fish qt and and have never had any fish disease appear, nor anything like aptasia.

I am happy to pay whatever premium is necessary for that, and will continue to buy solely from WWC as long as pests are not an issue. But the day that I buy some frags and fish disease appears soon after, I would consider pretty much any other reputable vendor.

I live in Orlando. I have been to their beautiful new facility. For what it’s worth - ALL of their fish were flashing light crazy. It stopped me in my tracks and stopped me from buying from them.

 

[1stNoel]

I’ll help you ruin the market by taking one of those $50 HW frags from you

My beef with WWC is their naming and remaining what looks to be the same corals. I can’t cross reference what I’m buying because the same corals have 3 different names from them....

Put me down for 2 of them.

We'll ruin that market so bad that WWC will introduce it...errr rename it...as the "HomeBuilder".

 

[ReefRondo]

I wonder how many of us need a full disaster to make us realise how drastically important properly quarantined stock is? I myself have lost everything twice now and as much as only one of those disasters was my fault by being too relaxed about quarantining it changed my outlook entirely. I think if we all were more open about our mistakes rather than successes it would help others a lot. If WWC spend time and money making sure their stock reaches us in great condition and free from pests and diseases then it is worth a bit more cash IMO. As far as what they are charging for certain corals is concerned I can’t really comment as here in Scotland we are so far removed from this level of livestock choice it’s impossible. I am far from wealthy but have to say a clean healthy coral is worth that bit more to me. The guys at WWC don’t seem like crooks to me, just passionate about giving great stock and in the condition it should be. Obviously with where I live I have never been in the store however so have never had hands on experience.

 

[ccombs]

Let me play devils advocate for a minute....lol.

The shipping thing is interesting. Places like Amazon have us accustomed to free 2-day shipping, now it is an expectation. I have recently been selling some items on eBay, and people expect free shipping from me, even on very low priced items. The true cost of shipping with USPS or FedEx is really expensive these days, especially if you aren't a bulk shipper.

Next, when you look at their process to be sure they do not have anything bad in their tanks, it is quite laborious and expensive.

Are they charging a premium, probably slightly. But as a business owner in another industry, I feel like their margins are probably smaller than you think, especially when you look at the cost of running a risky business in a small, niche industry.

When ordering from WWC, look at the price as something bigger than the coral. You are also paying for their expertise and the comfort of putting something in your tank you can trust.

All that to say... I could be WAYYY wrong and they are rolling in gold... who knows?

 

[ccombs]

I wonder how many of us need a full disaster to make us realise how drastically important properly quarantined stock is? I myself have lost everything twice now and as much as only one of those disasters was my fault by being too relaxed about quarantining it changed my outlook entirely. I think if we all were more open about our mistakes rather than successes it would help others a lot. If WWC spend time and money making sure their stock reaches us in great condition and free from pests and diseases then it is worth a bit more cash IMO. As far as what they are charging for certain corals is concerned I can’t really comment as here in Scotland we are so far removed from this level of livestock choice it’s impossible. I am far from wealthy but have to say a clean healthy coral is worth that bit more to me. The guys at WWC don’t seem like crooks to me, just passionate about giving great stock and in the condition it should be. Obviously with where I live I have never been in the store however so have never had hands on experience.

I lost my whole tank once and you will never know the feeling and horror until you experience it yourself. Sorry you have been through it twice... a second time would probably take me out of this hobby.

 

[DSC reef]

Prices will always go up and down, it's the way of things. I know most don't agree but the high prices are there because they get bought. I've only ordered coral online a few times from reputable vendors but I felt like the pictures of even wysiwyg were a bit misleading so I stopped ordering online. I'm fortunate enough to have WWC in my back yard so instore there are many good deals to be had and so many choices compared to online. The staff is top notch, the store and livestock look great so I have no problem supporting them and will continue to do so even if I only shopped the bargain tanks.

 

[aquaregia]

Wholeheartedly agree that WWC prices have become ridiculously high. I'm not far from Orlando and as recently as a couple of years ago I could visit their store and leave with my bank account somewhat intact. Obviously the move to a new uber plush facility has raised their overhead exponentially and of course the consumer is left holding the bag to pay for it. An unfortunate side effect of all this is that other retailers are seeing that if WWC can get away with charging exorbitant prices, then why shouldn't they jump on the bandwagon? It's creating hyperinflation throughout the market. I agree with others who have said that as long as people pay these prices nothing will change and the only relief may come with the next major recession.

 

[Bpb]

I always get a good chuckle when I see this. I had to save this image. Go look around and you’ll find evidence of common pests like aiptasia showing up on WWC corals. No vendor is perfect. Just because they’re large and popular doesn’t make them the best. There is no best.

 

[Joedubyk]

So I have purchased from WWC, I don't normally purchase online but they are awesome, Yes they have a new facility but you have to look at the extent of things they go through to make sure that their product is the best and pest free, I recently looked at their aqua culture facility and have to say they have a good amount of guys working there that have to be on their game in order for them to grow out and sell more, and they have a fairly large staff as well, plus if you ever have ordered from them the shipping container comes in nicely packed, nice laminated acclimation instructions and placement in tank diagram, plus all of their shipping containers are leak free and are nicely wrapped and sealed, that takes a lot of time and effort on their behalf, we all know quality is more expensive, yes their prices might be more but you have to look at what you're getting in return, I myself would rather pay that higher price sometimes and receive a quality product and have piece of mind that whatever I put in my tank is not gonna crash it and give me some pest that I have to break down my tank for, all in all, a small price to pay for better stuff.

Exactly... People don't understand business. First, they need a facility -- that cost money. Then they need to grow out corals -- that cost money. Then they need to pay employees -- that cost money.

The hobby will only continue to trend this way. It's a good thing. We will do less damage to the natural reefs.

 

[trmiv]

They’re definitely pricey. I live in Orlando so WWC and Top Shelf Aquatics are the LFS’s that I shop at, so it can be pretty expensive to shop around here if you want the premium stuff. I do trust the corals I purchase from them though if I’m looking for stuff that can go right into my tank.

one thing that helps is both WWC and TSA have $5 and $10 coral sections of frags that are either small or aren’t doing so hot, and I raid the heck out of those every time I go. I’ve gotten some nice premium stuff at discount prices that have recovered nicely in my tank.

As far as fish go I greatly prefer Top Shelf. Their fish systems seem to have fish in better health than WWC. I’ve not been impressed with the fish at WWC and more often than I’d like I see dead, dying or obviously diseased fish in their fish systems. Those systems are totally separate from the coral systems though. Hopefully as this new store grows they can improve the fish section and bring it more up to par with the coral stuff.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[sde1500]

I see a lot of mentioning about their QT procedures and how corals will be pest free. Is there any documentation they give on that? Would be interested to read/learn about their methods. I know no method is perfect, I've definitely seen people say they've gotten pests from WWC corals, but I have seen so many mentions about the rigorous QT process, I'm curious to read what WWC does.

 

[vanpire]

Can’t tell about fish QT, but I imagine that ALL major coral vendors rigorously QT new corals. Imagine the destruction and cost of their own corals if pests were found in their systems. These vendors have significantly more risks than most led and hobbiests. I don’t think WWC coral QT is better or worse than other large coral vendors, except maybe LiveAquaria who is more or less a coral distributor.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Put me down for 2 of them.

We'll ruin that market so bad that WWC will introduce it...errr rename it...as the "HomeBuilder".

How about the MWer? The “Market Wrecker”.

 

[Thaxxx]

I live in Orlando. I have been to their beautiful new facility. For what it’s worth - ALL of their fish were flashing light crazy. It stopped me in my tracks and stopped me from buying from them.

I'm about a hour North of you. I drove down one Saturday not looking for anything particular. I also noticed the same. It's not that the corals are a bit higher than most. They are quite a bit higher.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Someone is keeping them in business...I wouldn’t worry about it. The more they make, the more they pay in taxes, which is good for everyone!

A LFS near me had some pretty common Acros. They wanted $200 just for being an Acro. I forgot which kinds they had, but they are the $10 types. I just smiled and left.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I always get a good chuckle when I see this. I had to save this image. Go look around and you’ll find evidence of common pests like aiptasia showing up on WWC corals. No vendor is perfect. Just because they’re large and popular doesn’t make them the best. There is no best.

Pesos, right? Dern, I had no idea it was that bad.