Do you purchase your coral based on the name?

[slipondajimmy]

Hey Hey,

With all of this Crazy super rare stuff on that market I got to thinking. How many people here really do purchase because of the name of the piece? I am a poor reefer so I do not base my purchase on the "Super Rare, one of a kind, Neon green out of this world with some purple and red mixed in zoa" name. I just think wow that's cheap, and its a color I do not have.

I see sellers like elite reefs who ship out some stuff that looks better than any of the "ultra rare" stuff (zoas anyway)on the market but yet he has figured out a way to make affordable for any reefer to purchase.

So how does everyone else purchase?

 

[macawmagic]

I'd say I buy based on color and coral species...but of course...the really pretty ones have names. LOL I'd say something I used to do that was extremely fun was buy brown corals too see what colors they would turn...extremely cheap and sometimes you get a gem. but now that my tank is full, I don't have the room to do this. One of my favorite corals are aussie acans. the rainbows preferably. They're extremely expensive though, but they're soooooooo gorgeous!

 

[Ladipyg]

I purchase by looks and potential...not names. Darn near every coral, zoa and paly has a name preceeded by LE, Rare, etc, these days and to me means nothing. I have a friend that calls me, Ladipyg...Hunter Queen of the Browned Out Coral. I'll always take a chance on some rather plain, browned out, nothing special corals (always cheap, sometime free with another purchase) and wait to see what good husbandry skills will do to them. I have found some totally unbelievable treasures out there that way.

These were just solid brown when I got them, but other than that, they were healthy. If you click on picture, it will enlarge. I haven't been about to post larger pics...I'll have to see how it's done.

 

[slipondajimmy]

Well yesterday I bought something that was like 40 bucks and I still dont even know what it is or why I bought it. I think it has a name like LA Laker something or other, but hell if I know what it was. That might even be the most I have ever spent on anything.

I am guessing it was the name/color. But now that I am looking at it I do not even see the LA laker colors in it..hahah

 

[Burks]

Nope. The day I buy a coral just for the name....I'm getting out of the hobby.

 

[FaviaFreak]

The only thing a named coral is a refrence point, if you tell me that you have a bubble gum monster or a lime in the sky acro, I know exactly what your talking about. It's much easier to use mummy eye instead of saying that green colored chalice with reddish orange eyes because that could mean a few different corals. I do however have to admit that some named corals are complete gems and do add to the mystique of those pieces, a few examples are the mummy eye that's just a classic, baby's breath favia, Miami hurricane, purple monster, garf bonsai, candy apple reds, the names are cool

 

[Saltysteele]

i don't purchase on the name only. however, someone could have a browned out coral, and knowing the name could make it more valuable to me, as i would know what it could turn into (of course, you'd have to know the person to trust if it is truly the coral they are telling it is)

for instance, if skyhigh told me he had a tec watermelon that was browned out, and he was going to give it to me for 60 bucks (or twice what i would consider for an ordinary chalice), i'd buy it

 

[Hypertek99]

I buy corals that looks good and have potential. But i also buy some named ones because i really like them. So i guess what i like is what i buy. Now there are some named corals that are just dirt ugly to me and i wonder why they sell for big bucks??

 

[slipondajimmy]

I buy corals that looks good and have potential. But i also buy some named ones because i really like them. So i guess what i like is what i buy. Now there are some named corals that are just dirt ugly to me and i wonder why they sell for big bucks??

I was thinking that same thing in my head when I mentioned the great looking zoos from Elite reefs. I dont see any fancy names in the ads just cool stuff. But if he put a fancy name on one, and call it RARE, or ULTRA RARE it seems people would jump in line to hand him $56354635636354656 a polyp.

 

[Wild1]

Picking corals based on the names makes as much as betting football because you like the teams colors...Johnnie

 

[slipondajimmy]

Picking corals based on the names makes as much as betting football because you like the teams colors...Johnnie

I agree,

But when I see "Super duper xxxRARE, PPE with OCD and ADD in a bright shade of sunburst orange" and people are lining up to buy it makes me wonder. Is it a bragging thing? That you were the first to get it, or what?

I would look at it and go WOW, thats a pretty cool looking peice. Check out that bright orange color it has.

I cant say I have anything special in my tank (maybe and just dont know it) And I can honestly say if I do have something with a fancy name I dont know what it is. Other than Zoas/palys I could not tell you what anything is..haha