Reefing USA Sticker

On February 25, 2024 I attended my first frag sale event since COVID shutdowns.  This was also the inaugural Reefing USA event in Buffalo, NY.  Having these little road trips with fellow hobbyists is a great way to socialize that seems to be forgotten. Other than checking out some corals, it was nice to chat with some of the vendors about the industry.

I was surprised how many people attended. The admission line was practically out the door from the back of the hotel to the front lobby. The majority of the license plates I saw in the parking lot were from New York and neighboring Erie Pennsylvania.  With that we definitely missed out on the free frags they were giving out to the first 100 attendees. Though the event time was surprisingly short, from 11am to 3pm, it apparently was plenty of time. After the door prize raffles were announced at 1pm things died down to a manageable crowd. I had some nice conversations with Jason Fox and Todd Cherry of Cherry corals, who have been regulars in a previous Buffalo coral events.

I ended up supporting the economy and purchased a few corals since the prices were reasonable.  The most notable piece was a Fiji Trachyphyllia I picked up from Cherry Corals. I figured it will be my first Fiji coral since it was shutdown on December 28, 2017.  It’s a small contribution to support the livelihood of Fijians and vendors that rely on this supply stream.

Ultimately I went just to socialize and hang out with fellow hobbyists. I really did not need anything since I am already out of space in all my tanks. I really need to clear out my frag tank again but this was a chance to acquire some things I never see at my local fish stores.  So take the opportunity and mingle with fellow hobbyists outside your local community. Reefing USA provides this in various cities and I’m glad they added Buffalo to the list of stops.

The other corals I purchased were WWC Bloodshot goniopora, ARC Pacman Favia, and a Gold micro-Torch from a $20 mystery bag.