I've been reefing for 5+ years and what I've noticed most is the massive rise in cost for fish/coral. I spoke with a friend who's a local retailer and he told me it's mostly shipping that kills them. To ship 4 fish in a box you're paying for the cost of the water to be shipped overnight and that's what Wrasses that were $20 5 years ago are now $50.
I've also noticed that LFS's sell fish in days. If a store gets a good shipment of tangs in you better grab one that day. the problem with that is the survival rate at home. The last 3 Tangs I bought all had intestinal parasites. I QT'd and prazipro'd them but they didn't last. That's over $150 worth of cool fish dead before the display tank. That sucks but it seems more and more common. I'd like stores to QT fish before they sell but if you go to JL in the evening after a shipment you can see them acllimating the fish in the shipping boxes and the next morning they are for sail. Roll the dice...
So because of the price and the turn over we have started counting on each other for frags ect. This is great in one respect but it also hurts LFS's which isn't great. If JL, King Ed, ect go out of business we'll have no place to quickly pick up a pump or test kit when we need them.
If I was confident my fish would live I'd have no issue paying $100 for that cool fish I always wanted but lately I just don't feel its a good idea at any LFS in the lowermainland.
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