Best places to buy LPS online?

nellecat · 03/22/2012, 08:30 PM

Hey I am looking for a ultra, cheap place to buy healthy corals online. They need to be able to ship to Nebraska.

Thanks

scolley · 03/22/2012, 08:37 PM

Thread title says "best". Your OP says "ultra cheap". Not remotely the same thing.

No idea on cheap. Divers Den should be in the running for best though. Particularly if you are spending the money to get colonies, not frags. The quality, health, color, and coral size per dollar is high (value). But they are not "cheap". Maybe someone else can help with that.

nellecat · 03/22/2012, 08:51 PM

Well yes I understand. I just don't want to pay ridiculous amounts of money. Okay, Thanks

scolley · 03/22/2012, 08:53 PM

Apologies if this is advice where it is unwanted. But I saw the newb in your signature, so I'll take a risk and try to help...

I do not have deep pockets. So I'm down with trying to fine good prices for corals. But this is actually a cottage industry, and there is some consistency in pricing across vendors. What that means to us the consumer, is that if we are not paying for it, there's a very, very high probability that we are not getting it.

Now what about "it" - our expectations vs. what's delivered - might we lose? The list is long: health, color, size, the product actually looking like the picture, the vendor's willingness to send replacements for DOAs or after shipping problems, or any combination of those things.

So saving money on coral is cool. Just don't be surprised if disappointment happens.

Good luck though.

scolley · 03/22/2012, 09:06 PM

Sorry... But one more thing. Everyone ships to Nebraska. However shipping can be a major portion of the cost of your purchase. So you might check to see if there are any reef clubs near you. Look in the Reef Clubs forum here on RC.

If there is, they may do periodic "group buys" where everyone pools their purchase in one order for delivery to a single club member. You might have to drive to someone's home to get you coral, but you may have paid little to nothing for shipping. And online corals get a lot cheaper when you take out shipping charges.

nellecat · 03/22/2012, 09:11 PM

Ahh nice! Great advice thank you!

aandfsoccr04 · 03/22/2012, 10:44 PM

scroll through the vendors.

check out world wide corals. vivid aquariums. sexy corals.

pricy but the best stuff.

Psirex · 03/22/2012, 10:47 PM

nothing worth having is cheap in this hobby addiction...

greech · 03/23/2012, 07:18 AM

Just bought my first corals off ebay. Won one chalice from a seller local in Florida and shipping was only $20. Seller also through in a free B chalice (and a nice on at that!).

reef kid96 · 03/23/2012, 04:23 PM

tidal gardens is good, every week they put about 40 corals up on ebay starting at only 10 bucks

wireefman · 03/23/2012, 04:43 PM

there is a sponsor forum.... Start there, they ll have web sites.... look around....

TimothyJ · 03/31/2012, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nellecat

Hey I am looking for a ultra, cheap place to buy healthy corals online. They need to be able to ship to Nebraska.

Thanks

Hey, Nellecat! I am from Omaha as well. Have you checked out the limited number of local stores we have? I know they often have normal stuff at them, but there is a chance every now and then that they have a diamond in the rough. I frequent Nebraska Aquatic Supply (108th and Grover area). I also visit Aqua Pets (108th and Maple) randomly. If those don't work, I have only gone to LiveAquaria.com. They can be over priced on some stuff though.

nellecat · 03/31/2012, 04:29 PM

Nice to see you are from Omaha! Yes I have bought some from Nebraska Aquatic Supply. Thats the only place so far. Thanks for the help everyone.

Anthrax15 · 03/31/2012, 04:35 PM

World Wide Coral, Sexy Coral, Cherry Coral, Pro Corals. Definetly not the cheapest but very nice pieces. Also Fleebay and forums like RC and R 2 R. Also look for Group Grow Outs. People will get a group together of super high end Chalices, cheap in anywhere from $200-$500 per person, and in a year or less get really nice pieces for a fraction of the costs.

snorvich · 03/31/2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scolley

Apologies if this is advice where it is unwanted. But I saw the newb in your signature, so I'll take a risk and try to help...

I do not have deep pockets. So I'm down with trying to fine good prices for corals. But this is actually a cottage industry, and there is some consistency in pricing across vendors. What that means to us the consumer, is that if we are not paying for it, there's a very, very high probability that we are not getting it.

Now what about "it" - our expectations vs. what's delivered - might we lose? The list is long: health, color, size, the product actually looking like the picture, the vendor's willingness to send replacements for DOAs or after shipping problems, or any combination of those things.

So saving money on coral is cool. Just don't be surprised if disappointment happens.

Good luck though.

I agree totally.

lucky_snapper · 04/01/2012, 12:06 AM

Ever thought about craigslist ? Every single day there is a new listing here where someone is tearing down a tank and selling off their livestock. There are many deals to be had in just your local paper if you look. As far as online goes Divers Den is by far the best bang for the buck when you factor in that they give you a 15 day money back guarantee. Your water could be total sewage and they will still refund your money not questions asked. Their quality is top notch and the selection is updated daily. They are expensive yes, but when you factor in the shipping and guarantee it makes it well worth it.

catfish · 04/01/2012, 11:20 AM

Ebay

Big E · 04/02/2012, 05:02 AM

I know your'e probably aching to buy corals right now, but spend a few months scanning a group of vendors & get a feel for how their pricing & inventory levels work. Know what you want to buy & avoid spur of the moment purchases.

The more research you do now, will avoid disappointment later. Do searches on the corals you want & vendors that carry them.

Be patient................there's always another coral & sale just around the corner.

buddythelion · 04/02/2012, 10:33 AM

There's a lot of great advice in this thread.

Bnortz · 04/02/2012, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reef kid96

tidal gardens is good, every week they put about 40 corals up on ebay starting at only 10 bucks

+1 I just purchased a few frags from Tidal Gardens and I'm fortunate to live under an hour away from there so I got to see the greenhouse. Great service, the owner Than is very friendly and knowledgable, and the corals are very healthy.

2rcdudes · 04/03/2012, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aandfsoccr04

scroll through the vendors.

check out world wide corals. vivid aquariums. sexy corals.

pricy but the best stuff.

Just left there about 4 hours ago. I was also able to keep myself under 100 dollars. 2 corals 1 test kit and some coral glue.

03/22/2012, 08:30 PM	#1
nellecat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 65	Best places to buy LPS online? Hey I am looking for a ultra, cheap place to buy healthy corals online. They need to be able to ship to Nebraska. Thanks __________________ Yeah im a noob.... don't laugh

03/22/2012, 08:37 PM	#2
scolley ARKSC Founding Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: CT Posts: 2,823	Thread title says "best". Your OP says "ultra cheap". Not remotely the same thing. No idea on cheap. Divers Den should be in the running for best though. Particularly if you are spending the money to get colonies, not frags. The quality, health, color, and coral size per dollar is high (value). But they are not "cheap". Maybe someone else can help with that. __________________ - Steve Longing for "fact based" reef keeping - with hearsay, non sequiturs, dogma and other types of bad “information” removed from our discussions. Last edited by scolley; 03/22/2012 at 08:44 PM.

03/22/2012, 08:51 PM	#3
nellecat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 65	Well yes I understand. I just don't want to pay ridiculous amounts of money. Okay, Thanks __________________ Yeah im a noob.... don't laugh

03/22/2012, 08:53 PM	#4
scolley ARKSC Founding Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: CT Posts: 2,823	Apologies if this is advice where it is unwanted. But I saw the newb in your signature, so I'll take a risk and try to help... I do not have deep pockets. So I'm down with trying to fine good prices for corals. But this is actually a cottage industry, and there is some consistency in pricing across vendors. What that means to us the consumer, is that if we are not paying for it, there's a very, very high probability that we are not getting it. Now what about "it" - our expectations vs. what's delivered - might we lose? The list is long: health, color, size, the product actually looking like the picture, the vendor's willingness to send replacements for DOAs or after shipping problems, or any combination of those things. So saving money on coral is cool. Just don't be surprised if disappointment happens. Good luck though. __________________ - Steve Longing for "fact based" reef keeping - with hearsay, non sequiturs, dogma and other types of bad “information” removed from our discussions.

03/22/2012, 09:06 PM	#5
scolley ARKSC Founding Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: CT Posts: 2,823	Sorry... But one more thing. Everyone ships to Nebraska. However shipping can be a major portion of the cost of your purchase. So you might check to see if there are any reef clubs near you. Look in the Reef Clubs forum here on RC. If there is, they may do periodic "group buys" where everyone pools their purchase in one order for delivery to a single club member. You might have to drive to someone's home to get you coral, but you may have paid little to nothing for shipping. And online corals get a lot cheaper when you take out shipping charges. __________________ - Steve Longing for "fact based" reef keeping - with hearsay, non sequiturs, dogma and other types of bad “information” removed from our discussions.

03/22/2012, 09:11 PM	#6
nellecat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 65	Ahh nice! Great advice thank you! __________________ Yeah im a noob.... don't laugh

03/22/2012, 10:44 PM	#7
aandfsoccr04 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 3,561	scroll through the vendors. check out world wide corals. vivid aquariums. sexy corals. pricy but the best stuff. __________________ 120 gallon mixed reef

03/22/2012, 10:47 PM	#8
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	nothing worth having is cheap in this hobby addiction... __________________ SALINITY NOW....

03/23/2012, 07:18 AM	#9
greech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 3,133	Just bought my first corals off ebay. Won one chalice from a seller local in Florida and shipping was only $20. Seller also through in a free B chalice (and a nice on at that!). __________________ ~Graham Current Tank Info: Tank: 40 breeder; 20H sump w/SWC 120; Sicce 3.0 return; Vortech MP-10; Sundial T5, DIY Actinic LED (3W Cree). Livestock: Pair of Black & Whites; Midas Blenny; Firefish; Yasha/pistol; Black Leopard Wrasse; LPS and SPS

03/23/2012, 04:23 PM	#10
reef kid96 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 121	tidal gardens is good, every week they put about 40 corals up on ebay starting at only 10 bucks

03/23/2012, 04:43 PM	#11
wireefman reefin chef Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: minnesota Posts: 650	there is a sponsor forum.... Start there, they ll have web sites.... look around....

03/31/2012, 04:29 PM	#13
nellecat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 65	Nice to see you are from Omaha! Yes I have bought some from Nebraska Aquatic Supply. Thats the only place so far. Thanks for the help everyone. __________________ Yeah im a noob.... don't laugh

03/31/2012, 04:35 PM	#14
Anthrax15 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 1,837	World Wide Coral, Sexy Coral, Cherry Coral, Pro Corals. Definetly not the cheapest but very nice pieces. Also Fleebay and forums like RC and R 2 R. Also look for Group Grow Outs. People will get a group together of super high end Chalices, cheap in anywhere from $200-$500 per person, and in a year or less get really nice pieces for a fraction of the costs. __________________ Everything in moderation. 5D Mk1\|17-40 F4\|50 F1.8\|85 F2.8\|100 F2.8\|70-200 F4 Current Tank Info: 60g Cube

04/01/2012, 12:06 AM	#16
lucky_snapper Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Destin FL Posts: 344	Ever thought about craigslist ? Every single day there is a new listing here where someone is tearing down a tank and selling off their livestock. There are many deals to be had in just your local paper if you look. As far as online goes Divers Den is by far the best bang for the buck when you factor in that they give you a 15 day money back guarantee. Your water could be total sewage and they will still refund your money not questions asked. Their quality is top notch and the selection is updated daily. They are expensive yes, but when you factor in the shipping and guarantee it makes it well worth it.

04/01/2012, 11:20 AM	#17
catfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 52	Ebay

04/02/2012, 05:02 AM	#18
Big E Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: South Euclid, OH Posts: 4,281	I know your'e probably aching to buy corals right now, but spend a few months scanning a group of vendors & get a feel for how their pricing & inventory levels work. Know what you want to buy & avoid spur of the moment purchases. The more research you do now, will avoid disappointment later. Do searches on the corals you want & vendors that carry them. Be patient................there's always another coral & sale just around the corner. __________________ 80g Rimless Acropora System reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142&page=31 Ed

04/02/2012, 10:33 AM	#19
buddythelion Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: San Jose Posts: 1,325	There's a lot of great advice in this thread.