This is a topic that has come up before on Reef 2 Reef, and one that I have had multiple warnings for addressing head on. Recently I finished an article for TFH about some of these issues, and will provide a link when the article hits print. In research, I found that various coral vendors have profited greatly from naming corals. This name has led to a jaded consumer base that believes to get rare, high quality animals, they must have a signature name applied to them. Scolys are a prime example, as an LFS close to my home sells Scoly colonies for $40 a pop, some nearly as gorgeous as those selling at vendors listings for over 300+ dollars. While naming, in and of itself, isn't a bad thing - it can be used to mislead customers into paying many times over what a specimen is truly worth. Other vendors have employed friends, employees, etc into masquerading as fellow aquarists, to promote the high priced corals that they sell. They act as though they have ordered a shipment from ABC VENDOR, and it was amazing and encourage others to do the same, when the entire time it was just an employee of the vendor. Then of course is the process of photoshopping, where corals are made to appear much more extravagant then they truly are. All of these things take place, on a massive scale. Now being a vendor myself, it makes my stomach turn when I see these types of abuses, knowing just how much someone is being ripped off. IMHO it's ruining this hobby.
As far as snake oil supplements, that is another way to get a post removed, if you name the name of one of the vendors on R2R. There are many snake oil supplements, and it takes a good understanding of reef chemistry and biology, to know what works, how to use it, and when it is needed. There is no FDA like agency that polices aquarium additives, and companies are free to print whatever they like on a label, even if the product does nothing, or causes more harm than good.
