Color, Price, Size, Culture, Lineage, Hardiness, Cleanliness...

When buying coral what is most important to you? (Pick your top 3)

  • Coral Size

    Votes: 136 31.3%
  • Coral Price

    Votes: 290 66.7%
  • Coral Color

    Votes: 325 74.7%
  • Coral Cleanliness

    Votes: 108 24.8%
  • Coral Hardiness

    Votes: 114 26.2%
  • Coral Lineage

    Votes: 29 6.7%
  • How it's Cultured

    Votes: 63 14.5%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 18 4.1%

  • Total voters
    435

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,603
Reaction score
85,991
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
@ReeferBlaine inspired the QOTD with a thread he had recently posted about what gets you going when you unbox coral. So to kinda go along with what he was saying I would like to see what the most important thing is to the majority of you when buying coral. What do you care about the most? Is it price, color, coral size, cleanliness or something else? Let's talk about it!


When buying coral what is most important to you? Tell us about it!


Beautiful coral images via @TopShelfAquatics
50923036622_8f84f826ec_b.jpg
 

Reefs and Geeks

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 2, 2019
Messages
789
Reaction score
800
Location
Transylvania
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Color for me! to me, that's kind of the point. Bigger pieces are nice, but a small frag will grow, and over the years I've gained the patience to not mind. Though some of the high end ones I've gotten back in November have barely grown, which is a bit disappointing. A good price is a nice bonus, but I don't mind spending a reasonable amount of $ for the coral I want.
 
OP
OP
revhtree

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,603
Reaction score
85,991
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Color for me! to me, that's kind of the point. Bigger pieces are nice, but a small frag will grow, and over the years I've gained the patience to not mind. Though some of the high end ones I've gotten back in November have barely grown, which is a bit disappointing. A good price is a nice bonus, but I don't mind spending a reasonable amount of $ for the coral I want.

Thanks for the feedback!
 

guylaga

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Messages
299
Reaction score
371
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I didnt see health listed, so went with Hardiness.

9 times out of 10 I would take the browned out acro thats fully encrusted a frag plug and has great PE or Euphyillia that is fully extended and kind of bland colored than compared to some named acro thats blue+red+yellow but looks dried out and has no PE, or a dragon soul that is recessed.
 

Pkunk35

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
1,988
Reaction score
1,126
Location
Chicago
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Definitely color as said by Reefs n Geeks!

I really like growth patterns, textures of the coral as well.

I think price is quickly becoming a huge concern too for most people and myself with skyrocketing coral prices, delayed shipping, banning of imports, etc.

Most of all though if I appreciate how a vendor conducts business (coral farming skill, exciting product availability, fair pricing, ethical customer service) then I will simply shop with them more, period.
 

dbowman5

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
2,299
Reaction score
11,493
Location
Dayton, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
i went with price color and hardiness,
as a newbie with a newish tank i won't spend a fortune on a coral i am not sure will thrive. to add to those i have i would want a contrasting color, and as referenced above i would want coral that would survive my beginner learning curve.
 

Eagle.

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 3, 2020
Messages
982
Reaction score
1,081
Location
orlando Fl
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am just starting off with reefing and I look for easy pieces and try to get as much information about the piece to see if it suits my tank. But If can get a cheap coral or an amazing deal hard to say no even if its harder to keep. You never know it might work out. But overall the color and body shape of the corral lets you know if you have a healthy coral or not.
 

lpsouth1978

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 7, 2019
Messages
1,425
Reaction score
2,045
Location
Queen Creek
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Price and color are the biggest things I am interested in. I have never been into the name game, paying more because someone decided to name a coral. If I like the color/look of the coral and it is well priced, I will buy it. NO $200+ frags for me, show me the cheap stuff. :)
 

Lowlandreef

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 11, 2020
Messages
245
Reaction score
430
Location
The Netherlands
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. First thing I look for in a coral is color.
I try to look for a coral with a color that adds a new interesting dynamic to my tank.

2. Next important thing is coral hardiness (maybe more care of the coral).
I want a coral to thrive in my tank, so I need to make sure I can take good care of the coral (NPS is a no go).

3. Last thing is price.
As a student I don't have a lot of money to spend on corals. But I'd rather buy 1 cool coral, than 3 less interesting pieces. Size is also a factor in this, smaller frags are cheaper than the bigger ones obviously.
 

Ron Reefman

Lets Go Snorkeling!
View Badges
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
9,264
Reaction score
20,824
Location
SW Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a different criteria that I guess is related to color, but not specifically.

Fluorescence. How well does it fluoresce under all blue leds?
 

Oregon Grown Reef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 6, 2019
Messages
1,154
Reaction score
1,784
Location
Salem
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm surprised more people aren't selecting cleanliness. After getting an acro from an online vendor that came in with aefw, that's by far my biggest one. I also chose color and hardiness. I need to know that the coral grows well in captivity and has done so for a long time. I don't want a coral that is fresh off the plane.
 

rtparty

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Messages
4,667
Reaction score
8,024
Location
Utah
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I had to select other because it truly is a combination of all of them and the order totally depends on each indivudual piece. I even take the vendor I am buying from into account. Are they an honest vendor that understands what they are selling? Or are they a chop shop that takes a well known coral, throws their own stupid name on it, and then charges an insane amount? Knowing full well there are enough new reefers that they can continue to practice deceiving business practices. Yes, there are big names out there doing this and it is wrong and damaging the hobby.

I live by the motto that 99% of coral colors we see online from these vendors are shopped to some degree. They are also blasted under blue LEDs and the real color is nowhere near what they have pictured. So be prepared to be let down when you see an ultra rainbow unicorn fart that doesn't hold its color in your tank.

You want a truly colorful coral that is impressive? Put it under some white light and see the reflective colors and tissue health. Anyone can make corals pop under blue LEDs. That takes no skill.
 

ReefGeezer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
1,972
Reaction score
2,849
Location
Wichita, KS
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I voted "Other". All the things listed in the poll are important considerations... BUT... Once I see a frag I'm willing to pay for I want it to look like its picture when it arrives at my house!
 

atlantean

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 31, 2020
Messages
244
Reaction score
258
Location
Oregon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Price, color, and health of frag. Also, I’m more inclined now to give my money to places that don’t exploit “foot in the door” marketing strategies. Cheap drops are designed to get you to make an impulsive decision and get in for shipping costs. This is to make you feel pressured to make other purchases to justify the shipping. I don’t mind a little bit of it but I think some places abuse it. I generally like AquaSD’s practices. Also planning to put my order in for my first battlebox soon.

Vendor practices matter.
 

Sharkbait19

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 13, 2020
Messages
10,849
Reaction score
13,293
Location
New Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Price, color, and size. However, perhaps size isn’t everything, because I did buy a giant wall hammer which contracted BJD. So maybe health is more important.
 

zoaprince

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
505
Reaction score
680
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. How it's cultured
I refuse to buy coral straight from the ocean (even maricultured). Aquaculturing should be our future. Obviously all coral had to come from the ocean at some point, but there's so much coral in our possession already that I wouldn't be upset if they stopped collecting all coral and we had to culture everything in farms.

2. Color
I love me some bright coral

3. Coral cleanliness
Another reason I won't buy coral straight from the ocean is the risk of hitchhikers.
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Should add all of the above to multiple chioce:)
On certain collector pieces its lineage thats most important consideration before ill even consider buying.
Then it's reputation of vendor/seller offering coral. This doesn't only come down to most corals sold. Quality of reefer definitely plays part as ive been burned on a couple sales in seller pulling out of deal because of higher bids coming in over agreed upon price.

Perhaps it should be added to rules that a seller can't back of out agreed upon sales prices once agreed on? Or treat sales threads like auction thread?

Way its cultured- I guess I'd change that to system and parameters its being grown under and clean and hardiness falls into making that choice. Too many super farmed corals out there in less than adequate conditions. Cheaper is not always better. Natural split is main consideration now as I won't buy another mushroom frag. Ive lost 7 out of 10 in last year.
If all that passes the test its defientely size of piece, color that plays into price and purchase making decision:)
 
Last edited:

Azedenkae

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
2,448
Reaction score
2,317
Location
Seattle
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Color, hardiness, cleanliness for me. I had thought it would be color, price, and size, but then thinking back, I realize that I may be put off by high price tags, but conversely, even if something has a low price tag, I would not go for it if I worry about its hardiness and cleanliness. Same with size, I would not buy a large frag if there was an issue with hardiness or cleanliness.

So turned out, color, hardiness, cleanliness for me.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 68 52.3%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 67 51.5%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 33 25.4%
  • None.

    Votes: 29 22.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.9%
Back
Top