I agree that a few corals are just BEYOND expensive ( acros and zoas mostly) but there are some really nice pieces nobody seems to want, namely the ‘brown’ pieces. I wouldn’t buy a brown clam or anemone, just because I know that it will never be pretty; but I wouldn’t hesitate to jump on a brown acro/LPS because making it beautiful is part of the fun for me. I don’t think reefing should be about having the ‘best’ corals, but it should be about having corals that you like. I remember the names of stuff so I can sell it to others later, and I like the fact that we have names so if I’m buying a browned piece, I have a basic idea of what I can be looking forward to (instead of accidentally putting 10 green acros next to each other cause they were all brown originally). There’s definitely things I feel are unnecessarily expensive (looking at you euphyllia, especially torches right now) but those prices will start to come down when the next big craze hits. Patience, searching, and haggling are what make buying coral fun for me, because I feel like I got a good deal. Trading with other reefers is also really fun, a couple of zoas for a browned acro and you can just watch that baby bloom in your tank, coral rehab is very rewarding imo. In conclusion, there are things I would shell out a lot of money for (like my CSB) but it’s because I like how the coral looks, not because I care about making people jealous of a name. If my tank is colorful, happy, and growing then I think it’s beautiful. It would be beautiful if it was just full of name-brand pieces and it would still be beautiful if it was full of no name pieces from my LFS or other reefers. Just buy what makes you happy y’all, if you don’t like the price that someone is selling it at, then save up for it or find somebody else that’s selling it for less. I have a Walt Disney and I think it’s pretty, but my green slimer is much more vibrant. Don’t brush off the cheap or common corals because they’re cheap and common, all of them deserve the same amount of love in my philosophy. So buy that brown $10 acro and put some love into it, buy that JF gobstopper if you love the colors, buy that acantho or scoly or BTA or whatever you’re wanting, but just know that they are all beautiful in their own way and you don’t need the ‘best’ corals because there is no ‘best’, there is only what you like. If you’re on a budget, buy from hobbyists, buy from your LFS, haggle and bargain and trade your way to it. There is always a way to get what you want if you are willing to work for it, and I find that’s true for more than just corals.
