Acros. Are they the new chalice craze?

[FishLipz]

First, let me start this by saying is this in NO WAY a bash thread over any vendors pricing of their products so please keep any negativity to yourself. I am a complete supporter of supply and demand and hold no ill will toward anyone for asking what they think something is worth. Let's face it, if someone isn't willing to pay it, they wouldn't get it.

That being said, I've recently moved away from the chalice craze to keeping acros to get away from the multi hundred dollar frags, and have been enjoying the more modest prices of beautiful SPS corals with proven track records. Lately there have been more introductions of "named" SPS than in recent memory and the prices have been climbing in response it seems. Are we seeing the latest wave of coral fever? Who here has taken more of an interest in acropora lately? Your thoughts?

 

[Steven R]

I have i am converting my one system in to a SPS only tank from a softie/lps tank and I do agree I have some chalices that were 1300 a eye and some acros that have way better color and patters for only 40 bucks for a 1 1/2 inch piece I think acros are cheaper since they are easier to frag and ship and there is a lot more to go around since alot of people do not have the skill,patience, time or money to keep up with Acros. I do not think it will be the next craze because of these factors but there does seem to be alot of buzz going on about acros/mili's so I think it will take off but a acro is a acro and a chalice is a chalice no matter what name you put on it. in a way I hope they are the next crazy but i doubt it will be like acans,chalices, palys,and zoas but I could only hope since this would bring a whole new world of light to sps alot of people look at SPS as the holy grail of corals but do not read and learn alot about them so maybe this will be a good learning experience for alot of people including my self about SPS.

 

[prsnlty]

I have just recently been able to support acros. I sure hope they don't get the kind of prices chalices do. The hobby is expensive as it is when trying to support their sensitivities over LPS corals. I was planning on buying an acro every other month but not if the prices climb much more

I am hoping to get a pearlberry or green slimmer next.

125g mixed reef Peninsula

 

[SteezySPS]

me too! I'm planning on selling and trading in my entire lps collection. I'm more in to acros not because of the prices but because chalices and other corals dont hold my interest for long anymore and after getting a rainbow chalice, other chalices no longer WOW me

 

[Rmorales13]

I think it's mostly about supply and demand, especially if it is new and just recently available. I remember buying acros that I paid way more than what I'm seeing them for now, as more become available the prices will drop like anything else. There's always a premium with wanting to be the first or among one of the few firsts with corals. Saying that, there are lots of amazing looking acros for very good prices from hobbyists and vendors alike and I doubt those will go up in price anytime soon.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[chort55]

Prices have been pretty steady for SPS, IMO. A colorful one will be more then a green or brown one... atleast at most places, but at the places that sell green ones for alot look at everything else, thats just their pricing style

Yes there are some "higher" prices SPS, but they usually aren't exactly easy to keep and are slower growers.... the way I see it, it may save an animals life and keep someone who is inexperienced or doesn't have the set up to maintain them from killin it anyways. And well some pieces are just hott, and deserving of a higher price!

 

[Pkunk35]

I have been bitten recently pretty good by the SPS bug and I have noticed that there are some more named SPS popping up but i think in general that is how pricing works for coral now...if it looks nice and is unique, the vendor is going to tag it with a name and sell frags at a premium. That said, I still think that sps are priced well tho considering coral prices today. I also think that corals you can find today (either with a vendor or in a person's tank) are better looking than ever before too.

I myself hope to get more into trading as it seems to be a really good answer to collecting these uber priced pieces. Thing is tho, you got to have something worth trading...

 

[huuta]

I think it's the next craze for the next 6-12 months cause alot of new acros are coming out because most country are opening up their reef for collecting.When the market is full of new acros 6 months from now then the prices will come down because of all the selection that is out there.I've notice that the market is importing a boat loads from Australia in the last few months and the colors and pattern is insane.Just look at the red dragon,you can get a frag now for 50-60 bucks.I say more power to the vendors if they can get the prices they want but as for me,i'll waite untill the prices come back down to earth for those nice acro that are out now

 

[Waynel333]

Nah, this is nothing new. Premiums for named SPS's have always been around. Look at the Red Dragon when it was first introduced. It was selling for $300+ for quarter inch frags. Heck, I remember even the Pink Lemonade selling for $300+ 7-8 years ago when Hugo first released it. Now you can probably get the RD for less than a hundred dollars for a 2 inch frag and people throw the PL in as freebies in frag packs. It's just supply and demand...

First, let me start this by saying is this in NO WAY a bash thread over any vendors pricing of their products so please keep any negativity to yourself. I am a complete supporter of supply and demand and hold no ill will toward anyone for asking what they think something is worth. Let's face it, if someone isn't willing to pay it, they wouldn't get it.

That being said, I've recently moved away from the chalice craze to keeping acros to get away from the multi hundred dollar frags, and have been enjoying the more modest prices of beautiful SPS corals with proven track records. Lately there have been more introductions of "named" SPS than in recent memory and the prices have been climbing in response it seems. Are we seeing the latest wave of coral fever? Who here has taken more of an interest in acropora lately? Your thoughts?

 

[WesF]

They will come back down. There are a few vendors/people trying to charge $250-500 a frag but the market will correct that pretty quickly.

There are many very nice acros already available in the market that have been proven to do well in captivity for years that are nicer than most of these newly named corals with big price tags.

I'm not going to start charging more for my "old school" LE frags just because there are a few vendors charging huge mark-ups.

Acros are not like chalices. With Acropora, "New" usually means it has not been in captivity long enough to know what it will end up looking like in a closed system under artificial lighting. I prefer an acro that has proven to do well in captivity for a few generations.

Chalices are much easier to adapt and less likely to morph/shift after collecting them and placing in an aquarium.

 

[chort55]

Chalices are much easier to adapt and less likely to morph/shift after collecting them and placing in an aquarium.

I've seen quite a few chalices come in wholesale that were blah at best end up.... wow. Same for acro's.

 

[WesF]

I've seen quite a few chalices come in wholesale that were blah at best end up.... wow. Same for acro's.

Healing/recovering corals is not what I am talking about.

It is not uncommon for wild Acroporas to completely shift and end up looking different.

I think people are too quick to name 1st gen collected acros without knowing what they will end up looking like long term.

 

[snipersps]

I love SPS.

 

[BillyC]

I don't think acros will ever be the next "craze" because they're very difficult to keep alive for the majority of reefers. This doesn't mean that there isn't a market for incredibly high priced pieces. Those will always be coming around

 

[Bubbles_B]

not in my book. i go kookoo for chalices :tongue:

 

[Rick]

I think chalices and zoas are more popular because (in most cases) any idiot can keep them alive so if your a moderatley skilled reefer with no budget you can have a tank jam packed with the hottest smears of old chewing gum money can buy and they are pretty hardy , It requires skill and experience to maintain a thriving system full of sps. That being said I do have some chalices and zoas I mean why not grow sone stuff in the shade of your acros..

 

[prsnlty]

I've had a lot of trouble with zoas. Never tried chalices due to cost. Palys do well for me though. I was told that the reason zoas don't thrive in my tank is because it's too clean.

Monti caps and digis do well. So now i have a blue monster acro that has great polyp extension and color.

125g mixed reef Peninsula

 

[chort55]

Healing/recovering corals is not what I am talking about.

It is not uncommon for wild Acroporas to completely shift and end up looking different.

I think people are too quick to name 1st gen collected acros without knowing what they will end up looking like long term.

Healing/ recovering chalices aren't what I was talkin about either lol Apparently someone ^ hasn't seen a chalice fresh from the wholesaler.... and I'm not talkin about the one that sat there for months colorin up before it was picked up because it started to show potential either. I've seen both come in also and hold their colors/ not change much either.

 

[tnyr5]

Acros were the craze before people even knew what a chalice was ;-).

 

[WesF]

I see plenty of stuff direct from the wholesaler and know what you are talking about. Nonetheless you are missing my point.

Color shift for the better is a nice surprise. My concern is with paying for a newly named acro only to find out it shifts and looks different (worse) in captivity.

Chalices tend to look better under artificial lighting vs natural sunlight. Acros do not always adjust well.