Reef Hacks was born out of passion. As reefing enthusiasts, our entire team is driven by a deep-rooted desire to educate without deception. The continued evolution of our digital world is the best and worst thing to happen for our hobby.
Okay, let me break that down a little further.
The Internet offers instant access to virtually unlimited resources. Unfortunately, this also means virtually unlimited opportunities for unscrupulous vendors. I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve read throughout my career from beginner reefers who fell for slick marketing campaigns and overinflated promises.
At best, they wasted money. At worst, the “affordable” and “amazing” corals purchased from an online vendor ended up being neither.
In my quest to identify the best coral vendors, I’ve investigated startup ventures and established businesses. While there’s a myriad of quality suppliers sprinkled throughout the United States, few offer such zeal and transparency as World Wide Corals.
From the moment I first engaged with WWC, I was immediately entranced by their genuine enthusiasm for reefing. Needless to say, when time came to review this respected vendor, I jumped the opportunity.
Without further ado, let me introduce you to the gold standard in coral vendors: World Wide Corals.
About the Vendor - World Wide Corals.
The year was 2006. Google had just bought YouTube and Californians sweltered under the most intense heat wave up to that point. While the world was reeling from political upheavals and social battles, Lou Shiavo and Victor Fornari began an adventure in a Florida garage that would soon change their lives (and the lives of countless reefers).
Founded with little more than a passionate dream, little did these dedicated reefers know that in only one decade their company would be one of the largest coral propagation farms in the world.
The Beauty of Transparency - Business Model.
Since WWC first made a blip on my radar, I’ve watched in pure fascination as this startup has literally changed an entire industry. What’s long been considered a secretive process, WWC adopted a unique approach: 100% transparency.
Production visibility isn’t something most coral vendors even consider, much less advertise. Think about it. When was the last time a large-scale supplier encouraged you to explore not just their products, but also their facility?
This level of visibility, in my opinion, demonstrates their commitment to our hobby. Instead of relying on Photoshopped images or hyped marketing copy, WWC leverages its brilliant facility and industry recognized propagation methods to attract and retain customers.
World Wide Corals Facility Highlights.
Typically, I wouldn’t feel the need to explain a vendor facility. However, WWC isn’t your typical coral supplier. Here’s a brief snapshot of their advanced facility located in Orlando, Florida:
- Equipment - WWC didn’t achieve their status among reefers by luck and solid marketing campaigns. It’s the beauty, health and quality of their corals that propelled them into legendary status. WWC are huge fans of EcoTech Marine devices. In fact, they’ve partnered with EcoTech to progress the efficiency of refined reefing techniques. Their project, CoralLab, offers a streamlined way to improve flow rates, and ultimately coral health. Definitely check it out along with our reviews of the Ecotech Vectra S1 and MP10QD.
- Nutrition - Obviously, reaching infamy requires more than good looking coral. What I love about WWC is their coral is as healthy as they are attractive. Their dedication to advanced nutrition and supplements is why their corals are notoriously healthy. Not only do they attribute part of their success to PolypLab products, but they’re also a PolypLab Certified Coral Center. First time I've ordered from World Wide Corals, a REEF-ROIDS sample was included in the box and I love this product like many other reefers.
While there’s so much more to say about World Wide Corals, let’s move into the grit of the review.
How to Order - Easy & Convenient.
If there’s one thing I truly detest it’s complicated ordering systems. Thankfully, World Wide Corals shares my viewpoint. Since this vendor began with a physical retail store in Orlando, they’ve mastered the unique art of online ordering.
Like most modern businesses, WWC offers a variety of ordering methods. Of course, they offer ordering via their website (standard order form, by phone or by email), but that’s not all. Here’s a brief rundown of their current ordering methods, followed by an overview of my most recent ordering experience.
- Ebay - Yes, you read that right. WWC offers an interesting way to order: auctions. While this isn’t a traditional way to place an order, if you’re looking to add a dose of excitement and mystery to your experience, without sacrificing quality, then you should definitely visit the World Wide Corals eBay store.
WARNING: Hunting for awesome Ebay prices on WWC frags is addictive!
- WWC Coral Club - This is possibly the most intriguing development in the reefing marketplace, at least when it comes to buying corals. The Coral Club is, essentially, a monthly subscription service. Instead of scrolling through their impressive offerings, WWC experts choose the latest and most interesting corals based on your tank requirements and ship them right to your door.
It’s important to note that the subscription service offers different levels. For the sake of brevity, I’m only going to discuss my purchase, which is the Platinum Highroller at Expert Level.
As a side note, I adore Acropora corals (obviously). My only “complaint” is that I wish there was a way to only choose Acropora corals. In reality, I’d be more than happy to pay a little more to have that option (maybe even give it a cool name, like “Sticks Hacker” or something along those lines). Here’s to hoping WWC adopts this option in the near future!
Before moving on, I have to mention one of the greatest resources for help: Chris Turnier. If you’ve communicated with WWC on any social media platform or through one of the many forum’s like Reef2Reef, then Chris is likely who you’ve chatted with. As their Web Manager, Chris truly excels at his job. From answering ordering questions to providing advice, he’s the guy to turn to for fast, friendly and knowledgeable help.
Okay, now that we’ve got that covered, let’s move into the next level of my experience: shipping.
Shipping - Quality Starts Here.
When you visit the WWC website, they proudly advertise the quality of their shipping. And unlike other vendors, they aren’t lying.
They only provide FedEx Priority Overnight, which in my opinion, is the absolute best way to safely ship corals. In fact, their refined methods result in an impressive mortality rate that’s less than 0.5% (can’t say that about very many vendors).
All corals are shipped in a temperature and quality controlled environment, and just in case you’re one of the unlucky 0.5% who receive dead or injured corals, they offer a shockingly easy 10-day quality guarantee. Seriously, they literally won’t hassle you. If you’re interested in learning more about their shipping, check out this helpful Shipping FAQ page.
Awesome Packaging for Amazing Corals.
Here’s a fun fact about me: I love good packaging. So to say WWC has really hit the nail on the head when it comes to their packaging strategy would be an understatement.
When I opened my package, I was pleasantly surprised to see:
- 100% dry box interior (no leaks).
- Advanced frag containers/packaging (I’ll get to that in the next section).
- An insane amount of WWC and R2R SWAG, which included a t-shirt, stickers, a towel, orange glasses (perfect for admiring corals under blue lights) and a host of other little additions. This was a delightful addition, which actually explains my entire experience: delightful.
- Printed frag acclimation instructions.
- Company/order information (business card, invoice, etc.)
Corals - The Star of the Show.
So, how were my corals? Let’s just say, I couldn’t stop smiling. Although this isn’t my first time ordering from World Wide Corals, they never cease to amaze. First things first, the frags:
- Frags are encased in an insulated foam container.
- Each coral was bagged individually with a metallic clip securing the bag shut.
- Each bag rests inside a larger bag, which adds an additional layer of leak protection.
- A protective cup covers each frag.
As I was expecting, the frags were extremely happy and healthy upon arrival. In fact, there was polyp extensions already happening inside the bags. When’s the last time you’ve ever seen that?! WWC All-In Montipora lost coloration during the shipping, but after two weeks in my tank it's very happy and growing. While I could write for hours about the brilliance, health and happiness of my new corals. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves:
Official Reef Hacks Recommended Vendor.
Summary:
Ultimately, World Wide Corals is a fantastic coral vendor. From their ordering options to years of experience shipping these beautiful creatures, do yourself a favor and try them out.
As I knew I would be, I’m beyond satisfied with my order. While the price of my subscription may seem expensive at $299, if you bought each included coral at retail price you’d spend over $750. Sure, you may find each of these corals during a live sale, but in all likelihood the coral would already be purchased before you had time to click the “Pay” button.
Although there are many quality vendors, few achieve the status as this company. Let me close out this review with the greatest compliment I could ever give: World Wide Corals has a customer for life.
