How to Sell Coral Frags: A UK Seller's Guide

Ready to Sell Some Frags?

It happens to every reefer eventually — the tank's thriving, corals are encrusting everywhere, and space is running out. Fragging and selling is a natural next step that offsets costs and connects sellers with other hobbyists across the country.

Getting Started

A business licence isn't needed to sell coral frags as a hobbyist in the UK. For occasional home-grown frag sales, there's no issue. If it becomes regular income, HMRC's trading allowance (currently £1,000 tax-free) is worth looking into.

What's needed:

Healthy, established corals — don't sell frags from stressed or recently acquired corals
Basic fragging tools — coral cutters, frag plugs, super glue gel, a container for fragging
Decent photography setup — a phone with a good camera and an orange lens filter is enough
Shipping supplies — bags, rubber bands, heat packs, polystyrene boxes

Photography Tips

Photos sell corals. Bad photos mean no sales, even for gorgeous corals.

Use both blue and white light photos — buyers appreciate both
Orange filter for blue light shots — shows actual fluorescence without the blue wash
Include something for scale — a frag plug, ruler, or coin
Be honest — don't oversaturate photos beyond recognition

Pricing Your Frags

Common softies — £5–15
Named zoanthid morphs — £10–40+
LPS frags (torches, hammers) — £15–50
SPS frags — £10–40 for common, £40–100+ for rare morphs

Check what similar corals are going for on Reefsy's coral frags marketplace and price accordingly. Slightly under market for the first few sales helps build reputation.

Shipping Corals Safely

Double-bag each coral with a small amount of tank water
Rubber band bags closed with air trapped for cushioning
Heat pack in winter — tape to the inside lid, not directly against bags
Polystyrene box inside cardboard outer
Ship Royal Mail Special Delivery or DPD Next Day — nothing slower

Ship Monday to Wednesday only.

Common Mistakes

Shipping frags that haven't healed (give them 1–2 weeks after fragging)
Using old photos that no longer represent the coral
Not communicating shipping days and tracking info
Pricing too high with no seller reputation