Recent content by zbt

My local store gets them from Bryan at Holiday Corals in Indiana. He has the Bali corals, but supposedly my local store guy says he is really difficult to deal with and my guy complains how he gets cheated all the time, yet he still buys from him so he must be making money on the stuff.

The butterfly or other reef fish that supposedly >90% die in captivity within 1 year, how long would they live in the wild? What is the percentage of eggs/larvae that survive and grow up to be fish collected for aquarium use? Doesn't someone now collect eggs or larvae on many species and raise...

Mike, Its too much trouble to show pics of the dead reefs?? With all due respect, that makes no sense at all. It IS worth everyones time to come on this forum over the years saying the hobby is responsible for a great amount of reef destruction, talking ad infinitum, yet showing a couple of pics...

Cortez, To help the doubters could you post pics of the places you have been to that show destruction of reefs due to the aquarium trade? I think showing the real sites, rather than debating numbers, would go a long way to convincing folks and getting more on the reform bandwagon. Otherwise, if...

cortez, Thanks for the parting swipe. I'm just a hobbyist, your in the trade man, so do something about your passions and don't put me down as some detached boob. I buy a few corals now and then and was just telling you folks my experiences and opinions, I have little impact on the situation and...

I guess everyone could be not telling the truth about the origin of the Bali corals, they do not look like the Fiji cultured--which he also gets, totally different species. I, the poor hapless hobbyist, suppose I have no clue compared to you guru industry types. Anyway, they are Bali corals, he...

kalk, Not sure your info is correct on Bali corals, the store I mentioned got 60 cultured bali Acros 2 weeks ago in one shipment and I doubt he is the only store in the US or world that is getting Bali corals, these were the cultured ones so I don't know if that is included in your CITES number...

cotez marine, Actually the retailer in question buys from one of you folks in LA--does not transship, and his prices are not low ball at all, in fact higher than the same corals can be bought online, just that he has a very nice set up, lots of cherry corals, he is very knowledgable and readily...

Just my opinion again, JennM--I think if you set up some stunning display tanks with metal halides and tons of SPS corals and made a great display and then also carried a bunch of SPS, not just 2 colonies, then you would have a huge customer base for these corals. I guess its the chicken and egg...

JennM, maybe your store and business practices are different than the average reef store I have been to, but most are deplorable in stock and knowledge yet keep going year after year so your statement that the bad ones don't survive is not true in my personal experience in regard to brick and...

Seems you folks are painting etailers with a broad brush, not all are fly by night basement operations, starry eyed hobbyists, or drop shippers, or really owned by the wholesalers in LA that are selling to your customers. Brick and mortar folks should quite your whining and get with the 21st...