Where did plain discosoma go?

[Andamaite]

Back in the day every shop had them! Sometimes the tanks were absolutely lousy with them. Individual polyps hanging out on the sand! Blue, purple, green, red, stripey, metallic. Smooth or warty! Usually for around five bucks each. Now I can't find any of those plain old shrooms. Even online retailers seem to only have Yuma, or hairy, Rhodactis and Florida Ricordea.

Did something happen where they're just not available anymore, or is this a changing tastes thing like what seems to have happened with leather corals?

 

[tREEFarm]

I see plain ol' discosoma almost everywhere and they are still cheap.

 

[JTP424]

I think you may have hit the nail on the head.
They're almost like GSP! Bullet proof and can take over if not contained.
I had like one or two green ones and now I have a ton!
I had some blue cool ones in a previous tank but I ended up killing them all off accidentally... (didn't realize what they were and was just starting)

 

[BeanAnimal]

I have hundreds, matts of them, covering rocks and tank walls. They are growing out of control and killing SPS, a real mess. I have been battling them for decades and regret every putting one in my tank.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I've seen some "basics" at a recent show/swap and they were not cheap at all... because there are just not as commonly found.

Everybody switched to "hairy", "fuzzy" and bounces and some of the old school plain or striped are nowhere to be found.

 

[Andamaite]

I've seen some "basics" at a recent show/swap and they were not cheap at all

The few I've found online are around $25-$50 per polyp. Respectfully: That is a no from me.

I see plain ol' discosoma almost everywhere and they are still cheap.

If any of those places are online vendors please let me know. I'd love to take a look and see if I can't pick up an assortment.

I have been battling them for decades and regret every putting one in my tank.

That's precisely why I want them! I prefer having a few unkillable pests in my tank so that no matter what there's always something pretty to look at. In a softy-only (or softy-dominant) setup they shouldn't be able to do much harm.

 

[JTP424]

The few I've found online are around $25-$50 per polyp. Respectfully: That is a no from me.


If any of those places are online vendors please let me know. I'd love to take a look and see if I can't pick up an assortment.


That's precisely why I want them! I prefer having a few unkillable pests in my tank so that no matter what there's always something pretty to look at. In a softy-only (or softy-dominant) setup they shouldn't be able to do much harm.

If you consider these plain Discosomas more than happy to send you a few freebies.
I can get better photos later.

 

[KrisReef]

The market has changed, and the new focus is on the high dollar stuff. The old discos defied economic stability for coral vendors and created maintenance problems once they took hold in display tanks. They became equally valuable to aiptasia and about as popular.

 

[dwest]

I had them years ago and they are pretty but a real nuisance. If I were to buy some I’d look at cultivated reef.

 

[Andamaite]

Seems like the consensus is "People got sick of their tanks getting taken over." and "Tastes moved on." which makes total sense.

Right now I'm running a tiny little pico so "taking over" is ... y'know one rock. Much lower stakes.

If you consider these plain Discosomas more than happy to send you a few freebies.
I can get better photos later.

That is a very kind offer. Those are gorgeous. After I get my "larger" (Still a nano) tank up and running I may well take you up on that!

They became equally valuable to aiptasia and about as popular.

Truth be told I also find Aiptasia to be the perfect desk pet. Especially the really "big" ones. It's just a shame that they like to cause so much trouble.

 

[Rob A]

They are still really popular I harvest 25 4-5 inch orange ones a month and the places trade them to sell them like hot cakes for decent money.

 

[mfinn]

I haven't seen too many plain ones lately. When I do rocks with 4-5 on it command a $100 price tag or more.

I wish I could find some blue ones. I kind of miss them, even if they do spread like crazy.

 

[KrisReef]

I haven't seen too many plain ones lately. When I do rocks with 4-5 on it command a $100 price tag or more.

I wish I could find some blue ones. I kind of miss them, even if they do spread like crazy.

I just removed my bouncy ones and the other stragglers, including metallic blue and sent them to a person who is eager to grow them. They really are beautiful but just too prolific.

 

[mfinn]

I just removed my bouncy ones and the other stragglers, including metallic blue and sent them to a person who is eager to grow them. They really are beautiful but just too prolific.

I can remember using kalk paste to remove bunches of them because they spread like gsp.

 

[Tcook]

I have hundreds, matts of them, covering rocks and tank walls. They are growing out of control and killing SPS, a real mess. I have been battling them for decades and regret every putting one in my tank.

I feel your pain

 

[19Mateo83]

I have hundreds, matts of them, covering rocks and tank walls. They are growing out of control and killing SPS, a real mess. I have been battling them for decades and regret every putting one in my tank.

I need some of those for my pico