Hey Old Timers - Do you wonder where it's all coming from?

[zoomonster]

I've been keeping Reef tanks consistently since 1987. Around 1998 I was a little bit bored with my 125 reef and contemplated getting a bigger tank. It was the first time I used the internet to look up aquariums and reef tanks to see what the latest and greatest was.

Having successfully kept basic LPS, leathers, colts, mushrooms, gsp, etc for years - I have a 125 that was packed with colorful life from top to bottom and edge to edge.

But when I did my search I came across Japanese SPS tanks. And I was mesmerized by the variety and intensity of the colors --- So I jumped in and have been an hard core addict of stony corals ever since.

I'm fortunate in that I have been involved in the aquarium trade and had the opportunities to get the best of the best, as soon as it arrives in the states.

But I am overwhelmed how the quality and vareity of livestock has changed in just the last 5-6 years. Torches, Colored Hammers, Rainbow Goni, Acantho's, Indophyllia, Tenuis, Millepora, the list goes on. Corals are not coming from new oceans, we are not collecting from newly found island chains.

These corals have been collected and brought into the trade for decades. Why do you think it's only in the last few years that the livestock collected has gotten so wildly diverse? And what's been your favorite coral that has changed through your history of reefkeeping?

Dave B

Well, a few things, I think. One is Australia opened up to export for what was supposed to be a 3-year period and that brought in a lot of new variety. As far as Indo and places like that go, they started farming stuff and figured out people want the colorful stuff and not the common stuff so much. Farming allows them to find one awesome piece and grow it into many pieces vs. finding and shipping one piece. From what I understand with CITES permits they want to pack the allotted boxes with the most expensive possible. Plus, as I have said for years, I think a lot of it is aquaculture lighting/water chemistry which colors up stuff or even morphs it.

 

[zoomonster]

BTW I've seen a few pieces lately that claim to be Tongan and I even got a Tonga blue inchoata shroom recently. They used to have some really nice stuff and wondering if Tonga is actually back online again for exports.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

Selective propagation not to surprising, just think what we did with cats and dogs over the last hundred years.

 

[Wasabiroot]

I feel like I read recently that euphyllia collection was getting worse and the coral wasn't keeping up according to surveys - wondering if Australia will finalize another ban after an extension or maybe modify - not sure how that will play out, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can chime in - could be relevant re:discussion

Not talking about whether it's a good choice, would leave that for a separate topic/thread

 

[Wasabiroot]

BTW I've seen a few pieces lately that claim to be Tongan and I even got a Tonga blue inchoata shroom recently. They used to have some really nice stuff and wondering if Tonga is actually back online again for exports.

I have seen Tongan maximas maybe?? Not sure. But recently