Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Pipe dream...

  1. #1
    Grand Master Reefer wildeone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    1,030
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Pipe dream...

    Since my last frag swap, I have been kicking around the idea of actually starting up a small coral business. I am not sure to what extent I would go, I could be a wholesale distributer, or an online retailer. My thoughts are that I really, really like this hobby, I think if you do it right there is money to be made, and it seem as thought you could scale your operation as you needed as well as you could do it in a limited capaciy; i.e. still keep your day job.

    I have some space in a temperature controlled area already. I guess I would need tanks, lights, pumps etc. Here are a few questions I was hoping others could help out with.

    What are the obsticals that I would run into having just corals in my tank? Would the reduced bio load cause any issues?

    Would it be wise to have all the frag tanks piped together?

    Is the trade already saturated? Can you make money?

    What am I missing?

    (just thinking out loud here...)

  2. #2
    Grand Master Reefer wwest's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Southeastern,Ohio
    Posts
    2,118
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Im not sure about your questions but you would also have to look at shipping costs, web page development and maintaining, being able to ship out the corals, and also last but not least finding a wholesaler in ohio to buy from that has good corals. if you want to go online only.

    where you thinking about having alot of diferent choices purchased and brought in or where you thinking about fraging and selling those frags as you get them?


    Save a coral, Trade a frag.
    Stop The World, I Want Off

  3. #3
    Grand Master Reefer wildeone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    1,030
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Actually, I am not sure at what level I would want to be in the distribution process. I am just kicking around ideas. I could be a wholesaler myself, but I would have to have a much larger scale operation. I thought it may be cool to specialize an online business in a specific type of coral or corals.

    It just seems to me that I could find something to do to make a little $$$ (I am not looking to be a millionaire) doing something that I like to do.

  4. #4
    Grand Master Reefer Amphibious's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Ft. Pierce, FL
    Posts
    4,702
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 122 Times in 91 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by wildeone View Post
    Since my last frag swap, I have been kicking around the idea of actually starting up a small coral business. I am not sure to what extent I would go, I could be a wholesale distributer, or an online retailer. My thoughts are that I really, really like this hobby, I think if you do it right there is money to be made, and it seem as thought you could scale your operation as you needed as well as you could do it in a limited capaciy; i.e. still keep your day job.

    I have some space in a temperature controlled area already. I guess I would need tanks, lights, pumps etc. Here are a few questions I was hoping others could help out with.

    What are the obsticals that I would run into having just corals in my tank? Would the reduced bio load cause any issues?

    Would it be wise to have all the frag tanks piped together?

    Is the trade already saturated? Can you make money?

    What am I missing?

    (just thinking out loud here...)
    The obsticles are hard to determine ahead of time. You plan, move in that direction, hit an obsticle, adapt, move on.

    There are no obsticles to having just corals in your tanks. Although most coral growers will have one reef safe tang or some other algae grazer in there.

    The trade is not saturated for anyone putting out a good product and giving service.

    Can you make money??? My wife's counting on it making us some money.
    Amphibious

    Good Luck comes to those who research and prepare.


    Our Talking Reef Forum The Cultured Reef Forum
    My tank journal Amphibious' 135 mixed reef.
    The Cutured Reef toll free number - 888 745-0449




    Amblyeleotris randalli commonly, Randall's Goby.

  5. #5
    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    14,980
    Blog Entries
    4
    Thanks
    69
    Thanked 179 Times in 166 Posts
    That is what I think Chad does from his home. He also just took over a lfs here.


    Carmie


    Only disasters happen fast!





    Carmie's 54 Corner Tank
    Carmie's Cube


    Show people you value their advice! Click the STAR icon at the bottom of the post to add to their reputation.

  6. #6
    Grand Master Reefer wildeone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    1,030
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    The trade is not saturated for anyone putting out a good product and giving service
    .

    That is true Amp. I suppose you start out small and see what develops.

    Chad has some nice stuff on his site. I was unaware he existed.

  7. #7
    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    14,980
    Blog Entries
    4
    Thanks
    69
    Thanked 179 Times in 166 Posts
    He is only about 15 miles away from my house and the store he has taken over is less than a mile from my office. In fact I think I am going there after work tomorrow and seeing if they still have some pink zoas I saw last week.
    Carmie


    Only disasters happen fast!





    Carmie's 54 Corner Tank
    Carmie's Cube


    Show people you value their advice! Click the STAR icon at the bottom of the post to add to their reputation.

  8. #8
    Grand Master Reefer Amphibious's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Ft. Pierce, FL
    Posts
    4,702
    Blog Entries
    1
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 122 Times in 91 Posts
    I sell on the web and work out of my home. I'm getting my frag operation going, hope to have frags available soon.

    Lay down some plans and move in that direction.
    Amphibious

    Good Luck comes to those who research and prepare.


    Our Talking Reef Forum The Cultured Reef Forum
    My tank journal Amphibious' 135 mixed reef.
    The Cutured Reef toll free number - 888 745-0449




    Amblyeleotris randalli commonly, Randall's Goby.

  9. #9
    Site Owner Rob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    9,845
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    one recommendation i would have is to start doing it unofficially now.
    grow the frags, sell and trade them locally and on sites like frags.org, here, RC, or any other place you want. if you want to stay local, sell them to your LFS as you can.

    this way you find out exactly what you are in for, you'll get an understanding of shipping and how to do it best before you stake your reputation on it.

    you can even get a site up for your personal frags for sale, many people do this.

    then once you are comfortable and ready to take it to the next step, then you can, but before you do that you will have had the chance to earn some capital, learn the tricks of the trade, and build up some clientele

    Just my thoughts.. HTH..
    Show people you appreciate there advice, click the icon under there name and give them Reputation points



  10. #10
    Insightful Reefer Bernie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Hiram GA
    Posts
    198
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Wildeone, check out Calfo's "Book of Coral Propagation, vol 1"... It seems like the first half of the book is geared toward starting your own propagation business... It might help with some of the questions... not to mention it is just a good book to have around.
    Hop inside, I'm headed south, take a ride, I'm just the next man that you're gonna blame

  11. #11
    Our Brotha Down Unda
    V's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Terra Australis
    Posts
    6,773
    Blog Entries
    15
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 29 Times in 28 Posts
    frag tanks as you've prob seen on some posting doesn't have to be showstoping units like the effort you apply to the the main display. in actual fact they can be crude but effective holding vessiles. using an acrlyic viewing pane on the water surface even does away with the personal need to view them through glass or acrylic! as long as everything is plumbed in correctly, the parameter needs are met there no reason why the start-up costs have to overly huge!
    just as an example of such a posible set-up i borrowed this from the frag posting.


    ive considered it because theres a genuine viod down here, and i wanted to start up workbench programs for reefers of any level so the level of involvement and awareness increases. its also a way to constantly drum up business



    Vquilibrium Productions

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. The Road to DanaMcK's 240g and 180g Dream Tanks
    By Danamck in forum Member Tank Projects
    Replies: 313
    Last Post: 06-08-2013, 12:57 AM
  2. Show us a photo of your tank!
    By wildeone in forum Show us your...
    Replies: 146
    Last Post: 03-24-2008, 01:11 PM
  3. Quality of products
    By chem_fun in forum PodCast Show Questions
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 07-17-2006, 12:54 PM
  4. Vinyl pipe for plumbing
    By fishcounter in forum DIY Projects
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 05-15-2006, 04:15 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •