Artificial corals

[ZoWhat]

With modern technology and new materials and very skilled Artists.... I believe there will come a time where you can not tell a real-life coral from an artificial one. Even looking at it in your display tank inches away, you'll swear the artificial coral is dead-on real

IMO some Artist is going to tap into their talents and create a Multimillion dollar industry where artificial corals are going to look PERFECT and REAL-LIFE and you simply pull them out every so often to gently clean them.

Would you buy them?

P.s. I'm waiting for the day where I can have an artificial LAWN installed that look like a manicured golf course and all I have to do is clean it by using some machine. No mowing ever again

 

[albano]

... artificial corals are going to look PERFECT and REAL-LIFE and you simply pull them out every so often to gently clean them.

I think that the problem is that you will have to clean them TOO often!

 

[King Turkey]

I would think this would only work if they were covered in coraline algae. Otherwise they light get pretty gunked up. Even then the challenge of growing the real deal is satisfying

 

[BamboozleBean]

Feeding my coral is one of my favorite parts, I don’t want to lose that.
I also get a feeling of pride from taking care of my coral, wiping off a piece of “coral” once a week wouldn’t really do it.
I’m sure there’s some talented people that could make really realistic corals, but it’s not the same.

 

[sfin52]

The inserts in fo tanks look amazing for a few years. The constant cleaning starts to take a toll.

 

[Sean1986]

If you want artificial grass it’s call Astro turf and it comes in many colors and sizes

 

[Blknovass]

Yea pride. I would not be able to take pride in a fake tank that took 2 days to set up.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I spent a bunch of cash on fake grass, it looks amazing but I do take the shop vac to it once a year.

 

[Mical]

I guess "to each his own", personally if I was considering artificial coral it would be easier to get a framed picture of a an aquarium and hang it on the wall. Sorry I'm not a fan of fake corals.

 

[flsalty]

If you are talking about living corals, no way. It would be great for dead coral skeletons like we had back in the day. I still feel bad about using those in the 80's.

 

[flsalty]

BTW, this sort of reminds me of Tanked when they say their inserts are modelled after real corals lol

 

[Mical]

BTW, this sort of reminds me of Tanked when they say their inserts are modelled after real corals lol

More like modelled after real profit...

 

[Dsnakes]

If there was ever a material that algae could never grow on I would consider it for a fish only tank.

Unfortunately I can barely keep my glass clean, I can’t imagine cleaning artificial corals as well.

 

[flsalty]

If there was ever a material that algae could never grow on I would consider it for a fish only tank.

Unfortunately I can barely keep my glass clean, I can’t imagine cleaning artificial corals as well.

It's a pain for sure. Back when the dead coral was all the rage we would take the pieces out and soak them in bleach water to clean them. Some people had two sets of decorations so they pull one set out and replace them with clean then soak and rinse the dirty stuff. Otherwise you'd have to go a couple days with no decor. It was very labor intensive to keep a pristine tank. I was so happy when live rock and reefing came along.

 

[ZoWhat]

If you want artificial grass it’s call Astro turf and it comes in many colors and sizes

Daaaaah. Really I didnt know that..lol.

Astroturf still looks FAKE 200 yards away. They need to put more science into artificial grass looking dead on a natural golf course grass

 

[ZoWhat]

So if I understand this correctly.... all the people who said no would not want to spend....let's say $1500 for a cutting edge artificial coral system that looked exactly like the pic above, only required 3 cleanings a year bc the material wont grow algae on it.......and at even 6 inches away you couldn't tell the difference btwn real or fake ????


Interesting

 

[old salt reefer]

It would be great for dead coral skeletons like we had back in the day. I still feel bad about using those in the 80's.

In the 80s. I still have all my coral from when I started saltwater fish. My first piece( cluster coral) I bought from Pier 1 Imports in 1968 for 99 cents and yes I still have it.

 

[flsalty]

So if I understand this correctly.... all the people who said no would not want to spend....let's say $1500 for a cutting edge artificial coral system that looked exactly like the pic above, only required 3 cleanings a year bc the material wont grow algae on it.......and at even 6 inches away you couldn't tell the difference btwn real or fake ????


Interesting

It'll make sense after you realize you are asking a group of people who are passionate about growing corals. We aren't the target market for something like that.

 

[ZoWhat]

It'll make sense after you realize you are asking a group of people who are passionate about growing corals. We aren't the target market for something like that.

Good point...I wasn't trying to sell anyone... just it would be an interesting topic of how many would "bail" out of growing live stuff