If there were no environmental concerns I'd prefer wild collected corals or at the very least maricultured and here's why:

[livinlifeinBKK]

I've always felt that part of what is truly incredible about this hobby is the fact that you can make every aspect of your tank completely unique and unlike any other. I do support aquacultured corals strongly because of the environmental aspects involved in wild collection of corals but that's pretty much the sole reason. This might not be something that bothers anyone else and many reefers have probably not stopped to think about it but when shops get in shipments here and in similar places, no two pieces are the same and it's very visibly noticeable how unique each piece is. When I look at the available corals, I couldn't care less about seeing the name before looking at what's available. (The names are ridiculously annoying to me too but that's for another rant.) The only reason I'd ever ask the name (meaning genus) is to be sure I can properly care for it. Believe me, regardless of your personal preferences most people have towards certain species of Acropora for example, the chances are high that you'll see a completely different SPS that's so unique it outranks what you thought your favorite coral was. This is different than how the vast majority of shops do things in America and Europe where 20 or so identical small frags are placed in a neat row for you and the next 20 customers to purchase the same coral essentially. A lot of them might as well be clones...that's not special at all to me. I want a unique piece that catches my eye and when I buy it, I own a unique part of the sea I feel is perfect for my tank. Yes, you can still mix the "clone frags" in infinite possibilities, but that's not the same as a unique one of a kind piece. Aquaculture serves a very important purpose for corals but for me at least it removes a very special part of the hobby. You also know half the shops inventory before ever visiting unlike here where you have no idea what species will come in or what they'll look like. How do you guys feel about it?

 

[jda]

I want wild if all else was equal. It is the best chance to get something unique or at least not common. Mari and AQ are mass produced although the corals are usually chosen to do well in aquariums.

I can land wild acros with no problem and get them acclimated with powerful 6500k lights and all of that. I can also handle QT once they acclimate with separate tanks and stuff.

I have no interest in most Mari or AQ.

All of this said, the rest of this is not equal, so this is tough in the real world.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I want wild if all else was equal. It is the best chance to get something unique or at least not common. Mari and AQ are mass produced although the corals are usually chosen to do well in aquariums.

I can land wild acros with no problem and get them acclimated with powerful 6500k lights and all of that. I can also handle QT once they acclimate with separate tanks and stuff.

I have no interest in most Mari or AQ.

All of this said, the rest of this is not equal, so this is tough in the real world.

I do believe aquaculture of corals is important like I said but if it weren't for the environment, I wouldn't be a fan.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I like coloring up no name maricultured acros myself. But getting them to survive the initial exposure to captivity is a challenge. To make things more successful, I usually get them as frags after they have been initially acclimated. Wild and maricultured do keep things interesting and fresh, but aquacultured coral are much easier to keep for the average hobbyist, imo. But I do appreciate those who find new things and take the time to grow them out to share

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I like coloring up no name maricultured acros myself. But getting them to survive the initial exposure to captivity is a challenge. To make things more successful, I usually get them as frags after they have been initially acclimated. Wild and maricultured do keep things interesting and fresh, but aquacultured coral are much easier to keep for the average hobbyist, imo. But I do appreciate those who find new things and take the time to grow them out to share

I wait to buy until they grow a little or still look very healthy after a little time with the shop. I know most of the shop owners here so if I wanted to reserve a piece for that reason, I could just pay and if it died use the money for a credit. I love never having any idea what will be in the next shipment as well or what they'll look like.

 

[soreefed]

I think craving something so unique and for the feeling of being the gate keeper of a coral is a negative mentality for reefing in general.

So many corals are beautiful, and at least for me, having a successful tank far outweighs uniqueness. And if you can have both cool, but striving to be the most unique reefer or have the most unique coral collection is an effort of vanity.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I think craving something so unique and for the feeling of being the gate keeper of a coral is a negative mentality for reefing in general.

So many corals are beautiful, and at least for me, having a successful tank far outweighs uniqueness. And if you can have both cool, but striving to be the most unique reefer or have the most unique coral collection is an effort of vanity.

I would strongly disagree with that which is a very common response to wanting anything unique. Wanting the most expensive is vanity. Is wrapping Christmas presents and feeling excited because you got something special vanity and a bad quality? It doesn't really matter though honestly because it's only your opinion that seeking uniqueness (don't name your child something out of the ordinary either or you're seeking attention) is somehow wrong.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Just because I find a unique piece perfect doesn't mean it's special in any way. It simply fits what I feel I want in my tank and I personally like it while other may hate it.

 

[soreefed]

I would strongly disagree with that which is a very common response to wanting anything unique. Wanting the most expensive is vanity. Is wrapping Christmas presents and feeling excited because you got something special vanity and a bad quality? It doesn't really matter though honestly because it's only your opinion that seeking uniqueness (don't name your child something out of the ordinary either or you're seeking attention) is somehow wrong.

I understand and it is my opinion. I think its interesting that you compare corals to getting gifts. In reefing we dont just get something and forget about it, we take care of it, its a living animal and the taking care of the coral or fish is the defining aspect of reef keeping. Whether the coral is unique or common it doesnt change anything but the look of your tank, which agreeably is an enjoyable thing to do, but being unhappy with coral selection because everyone else can buy them or does have them is vain for sure.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I understand and it is my opinion. I think its interesting that you compare corals to getting gifts. In reefing we dont just get something and forget about it, we take care of it, its a living animal and the taking care of the coral or fish is the defining aspect of reef keeping. Whether the coral is unique or common it doesnt change anything but the look of your tank, which agreeably is an enjoyable thing to do, but being unhappy with coral selection because everyone else can buy them or does have them is vain for sure.

We're a little different right off because I take care of my gifts and don't forget them...I didn't say rare either. No, I wouldn't be happy if everyone in the world looked the same either just like if every tank was the same I wouldn't like that. If there is no purpose or value in having anything you feel is unique (not sought after by others, never said that either), what's the perfect tank and why don't you replicate is as precisely as possible. I said it feels a LOT MORE special having something unique to choose from. That's actually a pretty basic human quality. Would you like living in a country where you could have only one haircut and only wear the same uniform as everyone else? It's self expression through what I see as a form of art. When an artist paints, do they like for their paintings to look like other artists' paintings or want it to represent their unique taste and expression? Are they vain?

 

[soreefed]

We're a little different right off because I take care of my gifts and don't forget them...I didn't say rare either. No, I wouldn't be happy if everyone in the world looked the same either just like if every tank was the same I wouldn't like that. If there is no purpose or value in having anything you feel is unique (not sought after by others, never said that either), what's the perfect tank and why don't you replicate is as precisely as possible. I said it feels a LOT MORE special having something unique to choose from. That's actually a pretty basic human quality. Would you like living in a country where you could have only one haircut and only wear the same uniform as everyone else? It's self expression through what I see as a form of art. When an artist paints, do they like for their paintings to look like other artists' paintings or want it to represent their unique taste and expression? Are they vain?

No it’s different than you you say here. I mean go look up the definition of unique. There are plenty of corals to choose from to allow you to express your individuality as a reefer. You are acting like there’s 6 corals to choose from.

You have made it abundantly clear that you want corals that others can’t easily get. Literally the whole point of your post.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

No it’s different than you you say here. I mean go look up the definition of unique. There are plenty of corals to choose from to allow you to express your individuality as a reefer. You are acting like there’s 6 corals to choose from.

You have made it abundantly clear that you want corals that others can’t easily get. Literally the whole point of your post.

I have a sun coral I feel to be unique. Do you not have access to sun corals?

If a painter paints 10paintings and 8 are identical and 1 is different, 99% of people would want the two not identical. Don't you think there's a reason certain color variations of some species cost much more? There are innumerable names considered common. Is naming a child something different vain or seeking attention. Even if it is, please elaborate why that's wrong. I want the corals I like because I value my tanks and want to create what I feel to be the perfect tank for ME. Sorry if one of the 20 inch X inch cyphastrea squares isn't quite as special (unique) to me. What is the problem with that? I really like triangles.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

You aren't wrong just like I'm not. You just are happy with getting the cookie cutter option while I want to spend my money on what I feel to be most worth it which isn't a cookie cutter piece like the others beside it. I like diversity when I go diving...so vain of me...

 

[bushdoc]

I have different approach:

• First, aquacultured corals are more adapted to reef aquarium environment and easier to keep.
• Second- as a former scuba diver with 3k logged dives I found out that coral reefs are not as colorful as our reef tanks, but more monolithic, built from fewer coral species and for me this is what I want to emulate
• my approach is more a biotop tank, for example Caribbean gorgonian forest ( albeit most gorgonians are collected from nature)

 

[d2mini]

I've always felt that part of what is truly incredible about this hobby is the fact that you can make every aspect of your tank completely unique and unlike any other. I do support aquacultured corals strongly because of the environmental aspects involved in wild collection of corals but that's pretty much the sole reason. This might not be something that bothers anyone else and many reefers have probably not stopped to think about it but when shops get in shipments here and in similar places, no two pieces are the same and it's very visibly noticeable how unique each piece is. When I look at the available corals, I couldn't care less about seeing the name before looking at what's available. (The names are ridiculously annoying to me too but that's for another rant.) The only reason I'd ever ask the name (meaning genus) is to be sure I can properly care for it. Believe me, regardless of your personal preferences most people have towards certain species of Acropora for example, the chances are high that you'll see a completely different SPS that's so unique it outranks what you thought your favorite coral was. This is different than how the vast majority of shops do things in America and Europe where 20 or so identical small frags are placed in a neat row for you and the next 20 customers to purchase the same coral essentially. A lot of them might as well be clones...that's not special at all to me. I want a unique piece that catches my eye and when I buy it, I own a unique part of the sea I feel is perfect for my tank. Yes, you can still mix the "clone frags" in infinite possibilities, but that's not the same as a unique one of a kind piece. Aquaculture serves a very important purpose for corals but for me at least it removes a very special part of the hobby. You also know half the shops inventory before ever visiting unlike here where you have no idea what species will come in or what they'll look like. How do you guys feel about it?

I can totally respect this.

Cost is a huge factor for me. You'd never see me going out and spending $200 on a little frag with a crazy name. But... that cost concern is also what keeps me picking up tank grown corals, because their survival rate is higher. I can't stand spending money and then seeing what I spent money on disappear. Poof.

So i shop by what is appealing to me and how much it costs. Where it comes from or what it's called has no bearing on my decision, other than favoring home grown coral vs wild as stated above. I'm not looking to have things that are more unique than other tanks because my tank is the only one I look at day in and day out. If someone else out there has every identical coral and fish I have, I don't care. If I see a coral in my LFS that I don't have, well then it's unique to me.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I have different approach:

• First, aquacultured corals are more adapted to reef aquarium environment and easier to keep.
• Second- as a former scuba diver with 3k logged dives I found out that coral reefs are not as colorful as our reef tanks, but more monolithic, built from fewer coral species and for me this is what I want to emulate
• my approach is more a biotop tank, for example Caribbean gorgonian forest ( albeit most gorgonians are collected from nature)

That's a very unique approach! I prefer to be surrounded by diversity when I dive but that's just my personal opinion. It blows my mind seeing how nothing is exactly the same.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I can totally respect this.

Cost is a huge factor for me. You'd never see me going out and spending $200 on a little frag with a crazy name. But... that cost concern is also what keeps me picking up tank grown corals, because their survival rate is higher. I can't stand spending money and then seeing what I spent money on disappear. Poof.

So i shop by what is appealing to me and how much it costs. Where it comes from or what it's called has no bearing on my decision, other than favoring home grown coral vs wild as stated above. I'm not looking to have things that are more unique than other tanks because my tank is the only one I look at day in and day out. If someone else out there has every identical coral and fish I have, I don't care. If I see a coral in my LFS that I don't have, well then it's unique to me.

Yes! Unique to ME is what I want...I never said rare...I was talking about shapes and how the individual specimen looks, regardless if the same species is beside it. I just care that its unique to me.

 

[soreefed]

Yes! Unique to ME is what I want...I never said rare...I was talking about shapes and how the individual specimen looks, regardless if the same species is beside it. I just care that its unique to me.

But if there’s twenty next to each other at a shop then it’s not unique? Two you can buy but twenty nooo too many reefers will buy that after me.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Imo, vanity goes beyond sense. It would be spending far more than you can afford because nothing else satisfies other than the fact others can't afford it.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

But if there’s twenty next to each other at a shop then it’s not unique? Two you can buy but twenty nooo too many reefers will buy that after me.

No, it's because there nothing different about them and they pretty much are clones! Do you not understand that I don't care who has the same coral species as me? You never answered about the sun coral btw...I love it and feel it's unique because it's NPS and I just like it. Is that out of reach and unreasonable for you because there werent identical pieces beside it?