Have to say old school acros still top in my eyes

[Potatohead]

Everyone at reef shows are on acid. You didn’t know?

Maybe that's my problem

 

[duke62]

I do not want to purchase corals based on how they look under blue lights and in front of orange filters, but I have to say that it's another way to enjoy many corals. Sure, I prefer corals that don't need actinic lighting and filters to catch my eyes, but it is fun to see what they look like in that environment. I don't see anything wrong with the filters and blue lights as long as buyers are able to identify what the corals look like without them. To me, it's a novelty to have orange-lensed glasses next to the tank to allow friends and family that aren't into the hobby see the corals in an unnatural way because it tends to spark more conversations. However, it's not often that I would look at my corals in that manner.

You realize this is the only hobby or should I say the only thing in everyday life you guys are fine spending big money on something that only looks good in certain lighting while you then manipulate that with a pair of glasses lol. You don’t purchase a car at night while wearing blue sunglasses and show it off to your car enthusiast friends in the same way. It’s a way these guys are getting over on us and you all justify it lol. We didn’t have to do this with red planets, ice fire exhinata, pearl berry, shades of fall. They were gorgeous with our lighting with whites and with our blue strip lights. By justifying the way these corals are portrayed you encourage all others to do the same. I remember when people photo shopped corals to make these colors were called out for scamming us and now it’s a everyday practice that you are all fine with. Makes no sense to me.

 

[Variant]

You realize this is the only hobby or should I say the only thing in everyday life you guys are fine spending big money on something that only looks good in certain lighting while you then manipulate that with a pair of glasses lol. You don’t purchase a car at night while wearing blue sunglasses and show it off to your car enthusiast friends in the same way. It’s a way these guys are getting over on us and you all justify it lol. We didn’t have to do this with red planets, ice fire exhinata, pearl berry, shades of fall. They were gorgeous with our lighting with whites and with our blue strip lights. By justifying the way these corals are portrayed you encourage all others to do the same. I remember when people photo shopped corals to make these colors were called out for scamming us and now it’s a everyday practice that you are all fine with. Makes no sense to me.

While I agree with the sentiment, I don't think there's an argument as to whether its right or not. In my mind it's just consumer preference. It's confusing to me personally why someone would buy a coral that only looks a certain way in select lighting situations, but then again I see super cars stuck in traffic with me in Los Angeles; it confuses me why someone spends $$$$ on a super fast gas guzzling car to sit in 10 mph traffic. But with the super car at least you know what you're getting even if it means under utilizing its potential. Many coral sellers online don't provide what I think is adequate transparency.

I am not a lawyer but there may be a private case to be made on mis-advertising but I don't believe penalties will be incurred.

 

[Jon Fishman]

The “fully utilize the potential” argument can be made about anything really though

 

[Phycodurus]

i am back in this hobby a year now after a 10-12 year hiatus (FOWLR back then ... mixed reef now but no SPS ... yet). what are some really ‘classic’ favorite SPS corals?

the plethora of all these crazy trendy names is almost a turn-off (to me anyways).

 

[Hemmdog]

i am back in this hobby a year now after a 10-12 year hiatus (FOWLR back then ... mixed reef now but no SPS ... yet). what are some really ‘classic’ favorite SPS corals?

the plethora of all these crazy trendy names is almost a turn-off (to me anyways).

Green slimer, red planet, pc rainbow, red dragon, pc Superman, mystic, purple monster, ice fire echinata, Cali tort, miyagi tort, Oregon tort, pearl berry, strawberry shortcake/shades of fall, pink lemonade, pink Cadillac, lengsy monti, $500 efflo, “highlighter” Acro, So many good ones. Most can be purchased for under $30 too

 

[Jinko]

Agreed miyagi tort and red planet still my favourite acros.

I don't have an issue with tweaking the colours of a picture a little bit as its very hard to get an accurate picture sometimes, but you gotta draw the line somewhere.
If it looks too good to be true it normally is.

 

[duke62]

Agreed miyagi tort and red planet still my favourite acros.

I don't have an issue with tweaking the colours of a picture a little bit as its very hard to get an accurate picture sometimes, but you gotta draw the line somewhere.
If it looks too good to be true it normally is.

I got a WD at a great price. It’s average at best with white lights on but you put on blues and put on orange glasses you got yourself a winner. Only problem is I only have blues in for 2 hours a day lol

 

[hatfielj]

I LOVE old school corals like purple monster or oregon blue tort, pink lemonade. They look amazing in every light. I also really like fox flame, asd rainbow, or home wrecker under super strong blue lights. And I like using white balancing glasses or photography to see their amazing colors without the blue.
It’s important to realize that even though we’re using artificial lights to see them, the pigments of these corals are all natural and made by the coral itself to help the algae. The only way humans can see these pigments is with artificial light. Even the old school corals rely on artificial light to display what we consider their true colors. Under natural sunlight most corals are fairly dull. Whether you use 10k or 20k, you’re still using artificial light to view your corals.

 

[duke62]

I LOVE old school corals like purple monster or oregon blue tort, pink lemonade. They look amazing in every light. I also really like fox flame, asd rainbow, or home wrecker under super strong blue lights. And I like using white balancing glasses or photography to see their amazing colors without the blue.
It’s important to realize that even though we’re using artificial lights to see them, the pigments of these corals are all natural and made by the coral itself to help the algae. The only way humans can see these pigments is with artificial light. Even the old school corals rely on artificial light to display what we consider their true colors. Under natural sunlight most corals are fairly dull. Whether you use 10k or 20k, you’re still using artificial light to view your corals.

Yes we know we are using artificial light. You are not getting the point. Don’t want to have to look at my corals using blue lights and orange glasses while emptying my wallet lol. That wasn’t the case with old school acros

 

[duke62]

I would pay plenty for a mattv rainbow envy, HR JF jolt etc etc if it actually looked like online pics. Just dropped some cash on fruity pebbles acro because it actually looked like the pic.

 

[vetteguy53081]

There were like 2 or 3 booths selling orange glasses lol. Reminded me of the movie “they live” with rowdy roddy piper.

Great movie. Put the fear in me of roaches!!

 

[Hallowhead]

See now... Being that RAP NY was my first convention for reefs I thought that the sunglasses were to stop your eyes from hurting so bad from all the blues... I didn't know that they enhanced what you were looking at... That's just foolish. I was not in the hobby 5 years ago so I have no clue what anything looked liked, however, i can say walking through RAP there was some really cool looking corals, of course blues were required but still awesome.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I went to a local frag swap a few months back, almost all the booths were running high actinic. Was kind of frustrating trying to figure out what the corals actually looked like in a tank not saturated in blue. Wasn't sure until I brought them home. May have not bought one if I could have seen it under daylights. I definitely understand their goal of wanting to make everything pop in hopes of making more sales. Recently I have been seeing quite a few private tanks running mostly actinics, not my taste, but for them I imagine the high saturation of blue at the swap represented what they would see at home.

 

[Fiesty]

Undoubtedly the nicest corals there were Bali Green Slimer and Oregon Blue Tort.

I live in oregon snd definitely have the blue tort in the tank.

 

[Fiesty]

Everyone at reef shows are on acid. You didn’t know?

I more thought most where just "reefers?"

 

[Twocorns]

Thas why I always ask for pics of frags under white light. Get a more natural feel for the coral.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

If the pigments in these corals are natural, why do we have to use crazy light and then on top of it use an unnatural way of viewing the coral like orange glasses or lenses? Your not seeing what’s really there. If you were, you could see it without the glasses.
I am going to stick to growing corals the best I can the old school way and hope that things like calling corals by species and color catch on again, or growing large colonies and selling large frags catches on or something.

 

[Jet Sled]

My PC rainbow under orange glasses. Classic acros + orange filter even better! I paid 10 bucks for this frag.

 

[Waynerock]

Why doesn’t someone start selling orange polarized glass to make the tanks out of. Million dollar idea right there