Is this an $800 coral?

[TangerineSpeedo]

What makes an expensive coral expensive? Or rather what makes you want that coral?
Green smoothie with reddish PE and pink coralites.

 

[cilyjr]

$200 maybe. Can we see what it grows out to?

 

[LPS Bum]

Not a chance. But then again I’m not into sticks.

I have paid $500 for some of my Acanthophyllia though.

 

[JGT]

Get your mom some flowers. Wouldn’t spend $20 on it. Nothing remarkable about it.

 

[MONTANTK]

Absolutely not

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

$200 maybe. Can we see what it grows out to?

Nope… just like on the vendor sites… a pic of the frag… bonus this is a chunkier frag at 1.5 inches.
Also did you get my DM about the wetside?

 

[billyocean]

I mean..I would easily throw 20 bucks on it..lol.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Get your mom some flowers. Wouldn’t spend $20 on it. Nothing remarkable about it.

Which is the point I am exploring. What makes a coral more remarkable than another.

 

[Rusty_L_Shackleford]

Lol, not one of my setups cost even close to $800, 0% chance I'm ever paying that much for a coral.

 

[jabberwock]

I have purchased cars for less than $800.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I have purchased cars for less than $800.

Cheap cars and expensive corals are out there. There is a market for both. What are the factors that make it so.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Does it come with a couple of free bottles of vintage Don Perrion? ;)

 

[Red_Beard]

Cheap cars and expensive corals are out there. There is a market for both. What are the factors that make it so.

Demand. Stuff is 'worth' whatever someone is willing to pay for it. I would say that one is pretty, but no way $800 pretty. I would go maybe $100. That is what it is worth to me.

 

[Holmes Grown Coral]

I have a few acros that were $100-200 but for a good sized frag, that's my limit. I just wait until the next big thing comes around and the price drops on the old one.

 

[jabberwock]

Cheap cars and expensive corals are out there. There is a market for both. What are the factors that make it so.

Deep snow, primary transportation is a motorcycle. Bought a 1978 GMC Sierra that was an old City of Cleveland, OH DOT vehicle. I gave $200 bucks for it in 1991.

 

[KrisReef]

Which is the point I am exploring. What makes a coral more remarkable than another.

Who told you that my moms name is Coral?

 

[JonoH]

I wouldnt spend that much on anything that wasnt a colony size to be honest.

Also would want to see it full size, in an established tank - see so many fancy looking frags, that look amazing. But rarely see the same one's full colony size.

 

[jabberwock]

I paid $200 for that truck. It would carry me to town. Can you ride that coral?

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

Nope… just like on the vendor sites… a pic of the frag… bonus this is a chunkier frag at 1.5 inches.
Also did you get my DM about the wetside?

Wait…is this actually for sale somewhere for 8 hundo?

 

[areefer01]

Which is the point I am exploring. What makes a coral more remarkable than another.

Hobbyist. Social media, influencers, instagram, and the marketing machine. Those are probably the driving force behind the price. Some will say lineage but one could argue that is difficult to prove as we don't have any registry (think AKC) for proof. ORA used to provide certificates with some corals is the closest I've personally experienced.

If we look at say a Acropora coral. Brief example of recognized species:

• Acropora abrolhosensis Veron, 1985
• Acropora abrotanoides (Lamarck, 1816)
• Acropora acervata (Dana, 1846)
• Acropora aculeus (Dana, 1846)
• Acropora acuminata (Verrill, 1864)
• Acropora alvarezi† Wallace, 2008
• Acropora anglica† (Duncan, 1866)
• Acropora anthocercis (Brook, 1893)
• Acropora arabensis Hodgson and Carpenter, 1995
• Acropora arafura Wallace, Done & Muir, 2012
• Acropora aspera (Dana, 1846)
• Acropora austera (Dana, 1846)

I don't see Home Wrecker or Walt Disney listed although both are Acropora tenuis I believe. Point being is that both are considered to be some of the best looking Acropora with articles and vendor/sellers promoting it as such. Color morph probably the driving factor.

To put this into perspective there is a rather long thread here asking if a particular coral is a ORA Pearlberry. As you can imagine there are lots of guesses, pictures, and jokes that shed light on the subject. How does one justify the price and trace it back to the actual parent colony and/or lineage without a registry of sorts.

Quite the conundrum if we are being honest.

Note 1: these are just my opinions
Note 2: what is remarkable to me may not be to you
Note 3: color morph or name doesn't give me satisfaction, growing a frag into a colony does (hobbyist are different)
Note 4: vendor/seller or coral in question source of origin may be a factor


Note 5: most important note of all - hope your day and evening is well.