Why are (most) Canadian SPS garbage?

Aquattro · #1 07-31-2014, 01:39 PM

I mean really, why can't the standard supply chain supply something that the LFS can actually sell.

Mine doesn't order SPS because they can't sell them. They can't sell them, because they're crap. I've seen toadstools with more color than the box full of tenius colonies.

I know the nice stuff gets here, but I have to order it online as a frag. That online place got it in, how come the LFS can't get the same pieces?

Ok, I'm done. Coffee time

reefwars · #2 07-31-2014, 02:11 PM

Its the same for zoanthids , if I want something i have to buy online as a tiny frag or polyp , the pieces that come in on coral shipments Are the same as they have been for years.

Without getting stuck in the middle of something I will say that buying the nicer and unique stuff costs a lot of money and hard for stores to do , unlike buying online for corals retailers don't get a whole lot of piece by piece pics a lot of it is a gamble with no pic or descrtion at all and the one time they do buy a nice order it's either not nice enough or suddenly no interest. The word ultra gets tossed around a lot now on coral lists and most retailers now don't want to take a risk on a lemon. It's hard to get back the money you invest %100 , sure a few pieces sell like hotcakes but rarely does a whole order sell out right away, it's hard to get the initial money back.

I guess that's how it goes though lol

Coral sizes are getting smaller too if anyone else has noticed .......drastically smaller

daplatapus · #3 07-31-2014, 02:14 PM

I think the problem stems from the lower temperatures the corals must face while being delivered to the LFS on snowmobile. That and the almost perpetual darkness this far north of the border...

Aquattro · #4 07-31-2014, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daplatapus

I think the problem stems from the lower temperatures the corals must face while being delivered to the LFS on snowmobile. That and the almost perpetual darkness this far north of the border...

No, the pieces coming in were never nice, nor will they ever be. They're just substandard pieces.

Aquattro · #5 07-31-2014, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefwars

Coral sizes are getting smaller too if anyone else has noticed .......drastically smaller

Yup, I've noticed

deeznutz · #6 07-31-2014, 02:42 PM

Maybe you should move to the GTA

I know Reefraft is only 30mins from me. I can't say there sps are garbage

Aquattro · #7 07-31-2014, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeznutz

Maybe you should move to the GTA

I know Reefraft is only 30mins from me. I can't say there sps are garbage

I should ban you for that -lol

Yes, GTA does seem to have nicer stuff. All our online frag dealers are back east, and all of them have nice stuff. I just wonder why retail stores can't get nice stuff?

I see all the emails and lists promising nice pieces. I've ordered specific inventory numbers. Never (well, 99% of the time) does the stuff promised actually get delivered.

I don't mind ordering, we've actually got a group buy going for Fragbox, but it annoys me that he has a whole site of nice pieces, and we can't get one nice piece this side of Toronto

Bill@IA · #8 07-31-2014, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquattro

I mean really, why can't the standard supply chain supply something that the LFS can actually sell.

Mine doesn't order SPS because they can't sell them. They can't sell them, because they're crap. I've seen toadstools with more color than the box full of tenius colonies.

I know the nice stuff gets here, but I have to order it online as a frag. That online place got it in, how come the LFS can't get the same pieces?

Ok, I'm done. Coffee time

Brad,

Its not that easy for the LFS. For example, I have imported many colonies of Blue Millepora with very little luck obtaining the BLUE I was looking for. In fact I wouldn't have the bluest of all blue milleporas, a colony I have today, if it wasn't for the help of a past Reef Central TOTM winner. It also took him several colonies until he landed a true beauty that held it's colour. He then sold me an AquaCultured Frag which I had to grow out myself. It takes time.
You have keep in mind a LFS needs a lot of time and patience to collect, receive and acclimate. Hopefully the exporter he is dealing with has decent product to begin with of course. If the LFS has the skills to keep SPS it will take months maybe longer to get an idea of the true potential of that imported piece, and that goes for both Mari-Cultured and Wild Colonies received.

HTH

Bill@IA · #9 07-31-2014, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeznutz

Maybe you should move to the GTA

I know Reefraft is only 30mins from me. I can't say there sps are garbage

True, Reef Raft receives many beauties but they don't all come in like that and Jay goes through a lot to get a portion of them to reach outstanding potential.

It starts with selecting them at the source, shipping, receiving and then a lot of TLC from there.

Ron99 · #10 07-31-2014, 03:50 PM

And just as a side rant; what's with the prices of frags from other hobbyists? I know I was out of the hobby in terms of buying livestock for a few years but what many people are asking for zoanthid frags has gone through the roof??? I remember buying frags of 15 or 20 polyps for $15 or $20 4 or 5 years ago and now people want $10 to $20 per polyp