So, here I am out in the reef world, espousing that you do things and keep animals that appeal to you- not to the slobbering masses…so what do I do NOW? I wake up and write some gibberish on corals that a lot of reefers think are cool. THAT, my friends, is an example of my hypocritical thinking…But, as I have stated hundreds of times over the course of my ramblings- I’m really not concerned with how I come across, and this is a cool topic, anyways. Debatable. Controversial. Subjective. Discussible. PERFECT for one of my opinionated, insanely constructed ramblings.
Let’s face it, despite my apparent disdain for following trends and the taste of others, the fact is, I’m a coral vendor. I am in a weird position to not only see the trends and tastes of my customers and the greater hobby at large- I am actually able- in some small way- to help influence what is cool and worth keeping in our reef keeping culture. Strange. Not only is it a bizarre position to be in- it requires a certain amount of responsibility on my part. Arghh…I hate responsibility…Oh well, time to put on my “big boy shoes†(But I don’t wear shoes, I wear ‘slippas, brah…) and consider the impact of my writings.
Nah, enough of that. I’m just going to give you some corals that seem to have a certain “je ne sais quoinâ€- a “cool factorâ€, I suppose you’d call it. These are totally my opinions, and, like everything opinionated that I blurt out to you, I’ll give you my reasoning why. Feel free to trash my choices, discuss them, disagree, support, or -hopefully, add to them. Some of them I present simply because of what I observe- people love them for reasons I may not understand. Part of the fun of writing this kind of stuff is getting the feedback from you guys…Let’s see who’s awake today.
Here goes my list- in no particular order:
Ricordea yuma- Ahh, starting off in fine fashion, Fellman. Here’s a “coral†that’s not really a coral. It’s sort of an “in-between†organism that is classified somewhere in the “Twilght Zone†between a coral and an anemone. Science calls it a “corallimorphâ€- basically a coral without a skeleton. Confusing. This earns cool points already, simply because its very classification is annoying- and you know my love for annoying people. Although somewhat less available in the hobby than everyone would like, “Yumas†are some of the least demanding corals we can keep.
They require reasonably stable water parameters (what we’d dare call “typical†reef conditions, gulp) and moderate lighting (like not being blasted 8†under MH. We’re talking 12â€-18†or more under T5, LED, etc.). You can feed them if you want, but they’re largely photosynthetic. Easy. The cool thing about “Yumas†is that they come in an array of ridiculous colors, with pretty much no two being identical. They are somewhat more difficult to find than the more common Ricordea florida, aren't eerily easy to propagate, and- you saw this coming- are more expensive. “Yumas†more than compensate for this with their individuality, elusiveness, and size: Some of ‘em can expand to 2 inches or more. You can create a “garden†of them with about the same financial pain level as Chalices (moderate to intense)- which means that reefers love ‘em! Cool.
Not your father's "Mushroom Coral."
Acropora efflorescens- Woah, I’m giving away market intelligence here, so listen up. Inexplicably, this Acro is probably one of the top-selling Acros available. Can’t keep ‘em in stock as maricultured specimens and frags. Even the uglier ones. Why? Well, the “efflo†(I love how us reefers give nicknames to EVERYTHING) is pretty much THE prototypical massive plating coral to reefers everywhere, conjuring up and maintaining the evocative myth of the cool Acropora-based reef system that eefers everywhere drool over. Like most cool things, it’s kind of a pain in the butt, requiring pretty high amounts of water movement, lighting, and typical stable “SPS (gulp) conditions in your aquarium to thrive and go nuts. They blow through trace elements as they grow, so you need to monitor that (Ohh- shameless plug for the Triton water testing!).
“Efflos†can become REALLY large in an aquarium, and can shade others as it grows, so take this into account and give it a BIG place of its own on your reef structure to grow into unimpeded. The nice thing about the “efflo†is that it DOES have some intense colors, particularly blue and purple, which are ideally viewed from above, so most reefers place them slightly to the middle in their systems for optimum viewing. Part of the cool factor of this coral is that it has had its branches, at one time or another, in the scary world of “LE†corals back in the day, meaning obscene prices and “legacy/lineage†discussions come up when talking about this one. Curiously, the ones that are truly coveted “LE†versions by coral pervs are always from a colony that seemed to have mysteriously “crashedâ€â€¦I think they came from colonies that were simply in someone’s tank for a while, photographed, then hacked up for profit. But that’s just me and my “grassy knoll†conspiracy theories again. Whatever. It’s cool anyways.
Funny thing how popular this one became...
Acanthastrea lordhowensis- Ahh, what discussion of “cool†corals would be complete without this “Acan†at least getting some mention. These are some of the most coveted corals around, and it’s pretty much no secret that super-colorful ones are always in demand, sell well, and may command absurdly expensive prices. The fact is, nice looking Acans are not all that scarce, really. It’s a matter of perspective. Like the Yuma, the sexier ones go for more money. How much more is truly a function of how much someone wants to pay for them. I mean, it wasn’t much more than a decade ago that the majority of Acanthastrea languished away in importer’s holding bins and at stores, called “Closed Brain Corals†or something like that, and were just bland, nondescript corals that you could barely give away. Then, collectors took notice of the more colorful ones, and the race was on to bring in the crazier-looking Acans, which started a true crazy trend.
The fact is, many of the insane-looking Acans are still pricy. However, this coral has managed to transcend the absurdity of the “LE†thing and prevail as what it is: A really nice-looking, interesting coral. Some of the endearing (or annoying, depending on your perspective) traits of these corals are that they have tendency to “morph†colors over time, so the crazy yellow blue Acan you see today might be the muted orange-grey one next month. There is a certain “Las Vegasâ€-type of appeal to them, and they still inspire reefers with an aura of “cool.†They require a certain degree of specialized care, with more muted lighting, and arguably, slightly lower temperatures than many other popular corals. And they are super easy to propagate. Yet, despite the apparent trickiness in providing them with optimum care, they still hold a special allure for us. Many reefers have whole collections of them. And why not? They are awesome looking corals that, if provided with optimum conditions, can grow into gorgeous colonies that are a continued source of amazement to their owners. That’s cool that stands the test of time, IMHO.
If it didn't really look like this, you'd accuse me of Photoshop abuse.
“Dragon Soul†Favia- I’m actually happy to put this one on the list. You might think I'm nuts, but bear with me here for a few. It’s a really attractive color morph of a species that doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Favia tend to be regarded as a “cast off†reef-building stony coral genus by the coral “gliterattiâ€, and just tend to languish in obscurity, despite their cool appearance and relative ease of care. However, the “Dragon Soul†color morph has managed to transcend this undeserved exile and became one of the most popular corals of it’s kind. In fact, this coral did have a controversial brush with the dreaded “LE†crowd earlier in the decade, but seems to have shrugged off this shameful legacy to stand on its own as what it is- a really nice-looking Favia.
With amazing contrast between the inner corallite and the skeletal ridges, and fourescing pigment throughout, this Favia has a lot going for it in the appearance department. It’s real down side is the stupid name. There. I said it. The name is STUPID. Of course, since the coral had its brush with “LE†fame a while back, I would expect nothing less. Regardless, it’s a very hardy, relatively fast growing morph which definitely deserves inclusion in a well-rounded coral collection. It’s cool, in my opinion, because it’s from a genus that is really well known for green and brown, so it stands out nicely. It has great-looking morphology, and it’s a coral that you really CAN start out with as a tiny frag and have it grow into an impressive colony in a relatively modest period of time. It keeps it’s cool coloration as it grows, too! IN the end, the “Little Favia that Could†has emerged from its gangly adolescence and “LE†period with the dignity of a champion, to take its rightful place as one of the coolest corals you can own.
Be it ever so humble...it's still cool.
ORA Red Planet Acropora- One of the hobby/aquatic industry’s most respected institutions is Florida-based ORA (Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums). The pioneers in captive propagation have given us some wonderful varieties to play with over the years, and many have cemented their place in our hearts as all-time hobby favorites, like the “Pearlberryâ€, “Bird of Paradiseâ€, “Stuber Staghornâ€, and the guest of honor- the “Red Planet†Acropora. This beautiful Acro has so much going for it that it’s not even funny. It is fast growing, maintains it’s beautiful color under remarkably diverse conditions, and can form an impressive showpiece over time in your reef. Notoriously tight-lipped about species ID, it’s been postulated that the “Red Planet†is either an A. millepora or A. prostrate, but no one you ask really seems to know…and who cares? It’s predominantly vivid red with pink tips and a greenish base…VIVID FREAKING RED! How many Acros do you know that can claim that color? Not too many.
Although it’s one of the most widely-known and distributed Acros of all time, it still is a top seller, and is one of those species that has the elusive “It†factor…Everyone loves it and no one really has anything bad to say about it. You see a nice specimen in a friend’s reef, and you can instantly recognize it, and you’ll almost always say, “Wow- nice coral.†In short, it’s beloved. It grows in the rarified air of the greatest corals of all time in our hobby, along with the “Green Slimer†and the “Cali Tortâ€â€¦species that have transcended the obscurity of reefing’s darkest cultural maze- the world of “SPS†keepers, to become legends. To own a “Red Planet†is to own not only a great coral, but a piece of hobby history- an iconic coral that deserves its place on any list of the coolest of the cool.
The coolest of the cool...
Okay, so there you have my biased take on five of the coolest corals in the reef keeping world. Sure, you may not agree with me…You might even think I’m nuts (as you should). Regardless, there are dozens more that I could have included here, and I’m sure you’ve got many more in your now mind…
Let’s hear about your choices for the coolest corals…Not just names…Let’s hear why you think they are so cool, and perhaps a pic or two to back up your assertions!
Stay nice, share your opinions…
And stay wet.
Chill out this weekend.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Let’s face it, despite my apparent disdain for following trends and the taste of others, the fact is, I’m a coral vendor. I am in a weird position to not only see the trends and tastes of my customers and the greater hobby at large- I am actually able- in some small way- to help influence what is cool and worth keeping in our reef keeping culture. Strange. Not only is it a bizarre position to be in- it requires a certain amount of responsibility on my part. Arghh…I hate responsibility…Oh well, time to put on my “big boy shoes†(But I don’t wear shoes, I wear ‘slippas, brah…) and consider the impact of my writings.
Nah, enough of that. I’m just going to give you some corals that seem to have a certain “je ne sais quoinâ€- a “cool factorâ€, I suppose you’d call it. These are totally my opinions, and, like everything opinionated that I blurt out to you, I’ll give you my reasoning why. Feel free to trash my choices, discuss them, disagree, support, or -hopefully, add to them. Some of them I present simply because of what I observe- people love them for reasons I may not understand. Part of the fun of writing this kind of stuff is getting the feedback from you guys…Let’s see who’s awake today.
Here goes my list- in no particular order:
Ricordea yuma- Ahh, starting off in fine fashion, Fellman. Here’s a “coral†that’s not really a coral. It’s sort of an “in-between†organism that is classified somewhere in the “Twilght Zone†between a coral and an anemone. Science calls it a “corallimorphâ€- basically a coral without a skeleton. Confusing. This earns cool points already, simply because its very classification is annoying- and you know my love for annoying people. Although somewhat less available in the hobby than everyone would like, “Yumas†are some of the least demanding corals we can keep.
They require reasonably stable water parameters (what we’d dare call “typical†reef conditions, gulp) and moderate lighting (like not being blasted 8†under MH. We’re talking 12â€-18†or more under T5, LED, etc.). You can feed them if you want, but they’re largely photosynthetic. Easy. The cool thing about “Yumas†is that they come in an array of ridiculous colors, with pretty much no two being identical. They are somewhat more difficult to find than the more common Ricordea florida, aren't eerily easy to propagate, and- you saw this coming- are more expensive. “Yumas†more than compensate for this with their individuality, elusiveness, and size: Some of ‘em can expand to 2 inches or more. You can create a “garden†of them with about the same financial pain level as Chalices (moderate to intense)- which means that reefers love ‘em! Cool.
Not your father's "Mushroom Coral."
Acropora efflorescens- Woah, I’m giving away market intelligence here, so listen up. Inexplicably, this Acro is probably one of the top-selling Acros available. Can’t keep ‘em in stock as maricultured specimens and frags. Even the uglier ones. Why? Well, the “efflo†(I love how us reefers give nicknames to EVERYTHING) is pretty much THE prototypical massive plating coral to reefers everywhere, conjuring up and maintaining the evocative myth of the cool Acropora-based reef system that eefers everywhere drool over. Like most cool things, it’s kind of a pain in the butt, requiring pretty high amounts of water movement, lighting, and typical stable “SPS (gulp) conditions in your aquarium to thrive and go nuts. They blow through trace elements as they grow, so you need to monitor that (Ohh- shameless plug for the Triton water testing!).
“Efflos†can become REALLY large in an aquarium, and can shade others as it grows, so take this into account and give it a BIG place of its own on your reef structure to grow into unimpeded. The nice thing about the “efflo†is that it DOES have some intense colors, particularly blue and purple, which are ideally viewed from above, so most reefers place them slightly to the middle in their systems for optimum viewing. Part of the cool factor of this coral is that it has had its branches, at one time or another, in the scary world of “LE†corals back in the day, meaning obscene prices and “legacy/lineage†discussions come up when talking about this one. Curiously, the ones that are truly coveted “LE†versions by coral pervs are always from a colony that seemed to have mysteriously “crashedâ€â€¦I think they came from colonies that were simply in someone’s tank for a while, photographed, then hacked up for profit. But that’s just me and my “grassy knoll†conspiracy theories again. Whatever. It’s cool anyways.
Funny thing how popular this one became...
Acanthastrea lordhowensis- Ahh, what discussion of “cool†corals would be complete without this “Acan†at least getting some mention. These are some of the most coveted corals around, and it’s pretty much no secret that super-colorful ones are always in demand, sell well, and may command absurdly expensive prices. The fact is, nice looking Acans are not all that scarce, really. It’s a matter of perspective. Like the Yuma, the sexier ones go for more money. How much more is truly a function of how much someone wants to pay for them. I mean, it wasn’t much more than a decade ago that the majority of Acanthastrea languished away in importer’s holding bins and at stores, called “Closed Brain Corals†or something like that, and were just bland, nondescript corals that you could barely give away. Then, collectors took notice of the more colorful ones, and the race was on to bring in the crazier-looking Acans, which started a true crazy trend.
The fact is, many of the insane-looking Acans are still pricy. However, this coral has managed to transcend the absurdity of the “LE†thing and prevail as what it is: A really nice-looking, interesting coral. Some of the endearing (or annoying, depending on your perspective) traits of these corals are that they have tendency to “morph†colors over time, so the crazy yellow blue Acan you see today might be the muted orange-grey one next month. There is a certain “Las Vegasâ€-type of appeal to them, and they still inspire reefers with an aura of “cool.†They require a certain degree of specialized care, with more muted lighting, and arguably, slightly lower temperatures than many other popular corals. And they are super easy to propagate. Yet, despite the apparent trickiness in providing them with optimum care, they still hold a special allure for us. Many reefers have whole collections of them. And why not? They are awesome looking corals that, if provided with optimum conditions, can grow into gorgeous colonies that are a continued source of amazement to their owners. That’s cool that stands the test of time, IMHO.
If it didn't really look like this, you'd accuse me of Photoshop abuse.
“Dragon Soul†Favia- I’m actually happy to put this one on the list. You might think I'm nuts, but bear with me here for a few. It’s a really attractive color morph of a species that doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Favia tend to be regarded as a “cast off†reef-building stony coral genus by the coral “gliterattiâ€, and just tend to languish in obscurity, despite their cool appearance and relative ease of care. However, the “Dragon Soul†color morph has managed to transcend this undeserved exile and became one of the most popular corals of it’s kind. In fact, this coral did have a controversial brush with the dreaded “LE†crowd earlier in the decade, but seems to have shrugged off this shameful legacy to stand on its own as what it is- a really nice-looking Favia.
With amazing contrast between the inner corallite and the skeletal ridges, and fourescing pigment throughout, this Favia has a lot going for it in the appearance department. It’s real down side is the stupid name. There. I said it. The name is STUPID. Of course, since the coral had its brush with “LE†fame a while back, I would expect nothing less. Regardless, it’s a very hardy, relatively fast growing morph which definitely deserves inclusion in a well-rounded coral collection. It’s cool, in my opinion, because it’s from a genus that is really well known for green and brown, so it stands out nicely. It has great-looking morphology, and it’s a coral that you really CAN start out with as a tiny frag and have it grow into an impressive colony in a relatively modest period of time. It keeps it’s cool coloration as it grows, too! IN the end, the “Little Favia that Could†has emerged from its gangly adolescence and “LE†period with the dignity of a champion, to take its rightful place as one of the coolest corals you can own.
Be it ever so humble...it's still cool.
ORA Red Planet Acropora- One of the hobby/aquatic industry’s most respected institutions is Florida-based ORA (Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums). The pioneers in captive propagation have given us some wonderful varieties to play with over the years, and many have cemented their place in our hearts as all-time hobby favorites, like the “Pearlberryâ€, “Bird of Paradiseâ€, “Stuber Staghornâ€, and the guest of honor- the “Red Planet†Acropora. This beautiful Acro has so much going for it that it’s not even funny. It is fast growing, maintains it’s beautiful color under remarkably diverse conditions, and can form an impressive showpiece over time in your reef. Notoriously tight-lipped about species ID, it’s been postulated that the “Red Planet†is either an A. millepora or A. prostrate, but no one you ask really seems to know…and who cares? It’s predominantly vivid red with pink tips and a greenish base…VIVID FREAKING RED! How many Acros do you know that can claim that color? Not too many.
Although it’s one of the most widely-known and distributed Acros of all time, it still is a top seller, and is one of those species that has the elusive “It†factor…Everyone loves it and no one really has anything bad to say about it. You see a nice specimen in a friend’s reef, and you can instantly recognize it, and you’ll almost always say, “Wow- nice coral.†In short, it’s beloved. It grows in the rarified air of the greatest corals of all time in our hobby, along with the “Green Slimer†and the “Cali Tortâ€â€¦species that have transcended the obscurity of reefing’s darkest cultural maze- the world of “SPS†keepers, to become legends. To own a “Red Planet†is to own not only a great coral, but a piece of hobby history- an iconic coral that deserves its place on any list of the coolest of the cool.
The coolest of the cool...
Okay, so there you have my biased take on five of the coolest corals in the reef keeping world. Sure, you may not agree with me…You might even think I’m nuts (as you should). Regardless, there are dozens more that I could have included here, and I’m sure you’ve got many more in your now mind…
Let’s hear about your choices for the coolest corals…Not just names…Let’s hear why you think they are so cool, and perhaps a pic or two to back up your assertions!
Stay nice, share your opinions…
And stay wet.
Chill out this weekend.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
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