No more new (unique) corals?

[NeutronMan]

I’m recently getting back into the hobby after losing just about everything to a 600mi tank move. While I’ve been busy rebuilding, I’ve noticed something: all of the “new” “must have” corals look just like many of the “oldie but goodies” just with new names and ridiculous prices.

I won’t name names so as to not tick anyone off, but I sure see an awful lot of the following: Walt Disney, Homewrecker, Fireworks, ASD Rainbow, Maleficent, (and many others) look-a-likes out there. They are all many hundreds of dollars for a 3/4” fresh cut frag.

It’s as if people started realizing that a Walt Disney ( just for example) in one tank might look totally different in another tank so they tried to create a “new” coral or something.

What happened?

 

[TX_REEF]

I agree the designer name markups are goofy and predatory.

 

[Matt L]

The brand names are worth more than the coral now.

 

[386reeftrader]

This has been going on for the past decade or so. Every big vendor out there is constantly renaming stuff.. It's not like there is an unlimited supply of new unique corals being found so they do what they can to rebrand/market stuff to look like some crazy new piece. Many of these corals, at least 60-70% IMO have been in the hobby since late 90s early 2000s but tanks were run different, actinic lighting was not as big and a lot of the wild colors remained hidden under warmer spectrums.

I feel the coral bubble is slowly bursting. Prices got way too high, and the variety of species available to consumers cut way back. Every mari farm is now growing these "designer" corals by the boat load so there's no shortage. What was common 20 years ago is now what is unique today. It's been a few years now since I've seen something truly unique or a one off specimen. I think the grafted/splice pieces or tank grown hybrids like Sci Reef is creating will be the future for new unique corals.

 

[NeutronMan]

This has been going on for the past decade or so. Every big vendor out there is constantly renaming stuff.. It's not like there is an unlimited supply of new unique corals being found so they do what they can to rebrand/market stuff to look like some crazy new piece. Many of these corals, at least 60-70% IMO have been in the hobby since late 90s early 2000s but tanks were run different, actinic lighting was not as big and a lot of the wild colors remained hidden under warmer spectrums.

I feel the coral bubble is slowly bursting. Prices got way too high, and the variety of species available to consumers cut way back. Every mari farm is now growing these "designer" corals by the boat load so there's no shortage. What was common 20 years ago is now what is unique today. It's been a few years now since I've seen something truly unique or a one off specimen. I think the grafted/splice pieces or tank grown hybrids like Sci Reef is creating will be the future for new unique corals.

With all the renaming going on, the corals that should have become common and priced accordingly are now “scarce”…

Sucks to see the hobby has gone this route.

So tired of seeing a confetti being sold as a “purple rainbow fart” or something.