What characteristics do you look for in acros

[Hausser]

Here is my question, if I go to my LFS I can get a mini colony of SPS for 50.00 to 75.00 and for those who purchase acros from there LFS what do you look for prior to purchasing? What says to you that acro has potential? You always see pictures of people buying browned out corals and then a year later they are colored up and beautiful, why did you buy that browned out coral? Was it the price or was there something else about it. I would like to buy more maricultured corals, I am just looking for some ideas on what others look for.

I do buy the "big name" corals from the vendors on R2R & Facebook, such as HW, RR Angry Bird and Cadillac. I mainly buy those because of the name and they are what everyone is after. I refuse to buy a bounce mushroom because I personally feel they are ugly.

Please don't make this post an attack on vendors or other people. I want this post to be fun and informative for newer people.

 

[Biggles]

Nice thread topic mate, i will get things going.

These are frags from frags from wild collected branches. They original pieces came out of the ocean about 18 months before these were released for sale. They are grown under shaded sun in outdoor tubs in Cairns Qld with large NSW water changes often - they are basically wild colored but proven tank hardy to a large degree. From experience i know some will remain similar colored but some will alter drastically just as occurs frequently with fresh collected wild acros.

Two of the circled frags are stunners after they settle for a couple of months. Two are just nice at best. One you would never touch unless you have rocks in your head. I have two of these acros but from a shipment a month earlier than the one pictured.

I'm giving you the $65- to go to the store and buy yourself the same frag as this one - just don't screw it up because i will go right off the deep end if you bring back magic green acro beans instead of the insane blue frag i asked for...............

 

[happyhourhero]

Sometimes they just stick out to me. I will look at a bunch of green or browned frags at the LFS and will see hints of another color or some contrasting areas that look like they could develop. Sometimes a colored polyp will get my attention too.

An example: I looked at this and saw hints of pink around the coralites and the polyps fluoresced a bit and thought it could turn into something cool.

It surprisingly turned into this:

 

[Hausser]

Some great looking corals.

 

[revhtree]

Interesting thread!

 

[revhtree]

Nice thread topic mate, i will get things going.

These are frags from frags from wild collected branches. They original pieces came out of the ocean about 18 months before these were released for sale. They are grown under shaded sun in outdoor tubs in Cairns Qld with large NSW water changes often - they are basically wild colored but proven tank hardy to a large degree. From experience i know some will remain similar colored but some will alter drastically just as occurs frequently with fresh collected wild acros.

Two of the circled frags are stunners after they settle for a couple of months. Two are just nice at best. One you would never touch unless you have rocks in your head. I have two of these acros but from a shipment a month earlier than the one pictured.

I'm giving you the $65- to go to the store and buy yourself the same frag as this one - just don't screw it up because i will go right off the deep end if you bring back magic green acro beans instead of the insane blue frag i asked for...............

Hmmm I choose #2.

 

[Hausser]

Nice thread topic mate, i will get things going.

These are frags from frags from wild collected branches. They original pieces came out of the ocean about 18 months before these were released for sale. They are grown under shaded sun in outdoor tubs in Cairns Qld with large NSW water changes often - they are basically wild colored but proven tank hardy to a large degree. From experience i know some will remain similar colored but some will alter drastically just as occurs frequently with fresh collected wild acros.

Two of the circled frags are stunners after they settle for a couple of months. Two are just nice at best. One you would never touch unless you have rocks in your head. I have two of these acros but from a shipment a month earlier than the one pictured.

I'm giving you the $65- to go to the store and buy yourself the same frag as this one - just don't screw it up because i will go right off the deep end if you bring back magic green acro beans instead of the insane blue frag i asked for...............

My problem is I like all of them except #1.

 

[Hausser]

Man I was hoping more people would have commented on this by now. I know it's Monday and everyone is at work (except me).

The reason I started this thread is I was laying in bed all excited about a LFS receiving some acro colonies on Friday and I want to get over there and buy them, especially when a buddy seen them and wanted to buy them on Friday ( sucks to be him with a tank not ready) So I am looking for some pointers on what ones to buy. Guess I will have to just buy them and then take pictures and post.

I would like some of the vendors to comment on this. When you receive a shipment of corals how or when do you decide if that coral is worth holding onto for grow out and which ones do you frag and sell off because they are not worth you time?

 

[BoomCorals]

Honestly it's a numbers game with wild and maricultured. You'll buy some that will RTN inexplicably after being in your tank a week or 6 months. Others will turn various shades of green or something else plain. And then sometimes you'll get a winner. But even then I've seen a wild beautiful acro in someone's tank for 3 years but soon as it's cut, the frags never look quite the same as the mother. And everything in between. You just have to be willing to take the chance and understand it might not turn out.

 

[Bangai64]

I look for hints of color or the type of coral it is. For ex: brown millies have potential to turn into amazing acros. Also any tenuis colony. But the key factor is it cheap enough to take the chance. Lol!

 

[Ibn]

Been looking at tenuis lately when they come in a different color than the standard solid greens and blues. Saw one at the LFS with blue tips and light pink/beige body that looked interesting and decided to take the chance on it. The LFS didn't want to sell it since it came in rough shape (looked like the tips were burnt from high alk) but I told them to bag it for the $40 that they wanted for it ($45 thanks to Ca taxes).

After bringing it home, I did have second thoughts about it since it shows signs of STN from the base and the tips were indeed pretty ugly. I decided to frag the colony from the mariculture base and left one big cluster intact.

The secondary cluster was a series of 4 individual frags that I mounted near each other on half of a marinepure sphere.

Those pics were from 6/25 and here are both clusters today, which is about 1.5 months after.

Main cluster. It's very meh still, but the piece is in way better shape, with healed tips, showing polyps, and slowly picking up colors. This piece gets quite a bit of flow and decent amount of light.

Top down of the secondary cluster. This one has been on the sandbed the entire time so it gets less light and also less flow. Same as the other half, it's healed over well and growing. It also seems to be picking up colors quicker than the other piece.

It's been 1.5 months since acquisition and both halves seems to be doing well, with both showing recovery and growth. Now just to wait for colors to come back in to see what it eventually ends up at.

 

[erk]

I don't buy expensive SPS, period. So that leaves me with the brown ones for the most part. I know they will eventually show some color if I provide them with the best environment possible. Currently have 2 brown SPS that are lightening up and showing progressively more polyps. Hopefully in a couple months they will start to color up.

 

[Hausser]

Here is the mini colony I picked up today, the picture is a bad pic but it's pink body with blue tips. Hopefully it turns out good.

 

[BoomCorals]

I don't buy expensive SPS, period. So that leaves me with the brown ones for the most part. I know they will eventually show some color if I provide them with the best environment possible. Currently have 2 brown SPS that are lightening up and showing progressively more polyps. Hopefully in a couple months they will start to color up.

I'm actually considering offering cheap brown frag packs to people that want them. It seems there is a market for them, and if it only costs them about $10 a frag it's a pretty cheap gamble. I actually think this might be the next "hot" thing in SPS. I think people like the excitement of seeing what it might become someday.

 

[Hausser]

I'm actually considering offering cheap brown frag packs to people that want them. It seems there is a market for them, and if it only costs them about $10 a frag it's a pretty cheap gamble. I actually think this might be the next "hot" thing in SPS. I think people like the excitement of seeing what it might become someday.

This just could be a good idea. We all waste more than 10.00 on other stuff.

 

[erk]

I'm actually considering offering cheap brown frag packs to people that want them. It seems there is a market for them, and if it only costs them about $10 a frag it's a pretty cheap gamble. I actually think this might be the next "hot" thing in SPS. I think people like the excitement of seeing what it might become someday.

It really is exciting to see a browned out coral become a nice show piece. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. It is similar to keeping orchids. I tend to buy the dying orchids and rehabilitate them. I've never seen the flowers, so when they bloom it is a nice surprise even if I don't really care for the coloration or form.

 

[BoomCorals]

It really is exciting to see a browned out coral become a nice show piece. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. It is similar to keeping orchids. I tend to buy the dying orchids and rehabilitate them. I've never seen the flowers, so when they bloom it is a nice surprise even if I don't really care for the coloration or form.

I admit I myself have taken a gamble on browned frags before. Lost some, others thrived but didn't become anything awesome, and a couple turned into pretty gems that I even frag and sell today. If you have the patience it's actually fun to do.

 

[Biggles]

Hmmm I choose #2.

You chose.......... wisely.......

Number 5 is this one

That is a stunning color mate, the red polyps just top it off - you have a good eye

My problem is I like all of them except #1.

Are you saying you would buy number 3 - don't ever buy acros with brown polyps when the pigments are nice. Polyp color is the most important consideration for me when looking to buy wild pieces. For example, if you are looking for a clean electric pink milli - one that will make your friends drool then look for white polyps that extend the entire length of the branch. If there is a hint of pink to them you are looking at a red milli even though you think you are buying a pink with pink polyps milli crazy stunner. Wasn't having a go at you btw so please don't take my post the wrong way.

Man I was hoping more people would have commented on this by now. I know it's Monday and everyone is at work (except me).

The reason I started this thread is I was laying in bed all excited about a LFS receiving some acro colonies on Friday and I want to get over there and buy them, especially when a buddy seen them and wanted to buy them on Friday ( sucks to be him with a tank not ready) So I am looking for some pointers on what ones to buy. Guess I will have to just buy them and then take pictures and post.

It's very hard to cover everything to look out for but don't be over awed by pastel colors as in many cases they will lose all the pop that caught your eye. Look for unusual color/species combinations.
If you look at the pic below you can see what a fresh box of acros looks like soon after unpacking.

I am very spoiled in that i see stuff like this regularly so when i looked the only piece that jumped out at me as unusual was the staggy looking pale salmon pink branch back right. You see blues, greens, purples often but you don't see pinkish looking stags ever imo.

Ignore all the glowing bright stuff for a minute and look at the piece i'm talking about, it's dull and washed out compared to the other in your face stuff but when you put the possible color with the growth pattern the payoff might be a one off stunner. Those are teal and blue tipped stags to the left of the branch btw.

Right after i fragged one of the colonies for a good mate.

Are there any particular colors or pigments you're really looking for.

 

[Hausser]

I am not looking for anything in particular. I mainly after what everyone looks for prior to buying. my LFS who'd show me what is available to him then I would pick those out. The new LFS I don't have that option.

 

[Biggles]

Fair enough, i will leave with a few tips just on say echi's.

If it looks like the one bottom right in the pic above it is classic white/blue icefire, if you want that classic look then the branch skin should look tan brown if it's really poopy but that will go fast under your lighting. Most icefire echis are actually tan brown and blue in the ocean. If you look at the echi branch and instead of a clear tan/brown hue you see a rusty reddish hue then you are looking at an echi that will likely turn solid blue or close to it. The rusty browny red pigment is usually dark even when the acro is stressed. The blue will look like it could almost be purple on all blue echi's when fresh collected but it means the blue will be very intense and deep rather than pastel like on the tan branched versions.
If you see any echi that looks teal skinned or green in any way whatsoever on the branch skin buy it above any other blue echi - it will blow away every other echi you've ever laid eyes on trust me.

Hope that helps if you're chasing an echi in the shipment.