Most Important Feature of a Z/P?

[mastaslash]

As my zoa/paly collection grows, I see some of a new and some of the old. I notice how some of the old have stuck around longer than others and will also outlast most of the new. That would be because...some have that one particular feature that hobbyist find unique, while most new only have a fancy name.

What is that most important feature you as a hobbyist are wanting in your tank? Some examples listed below:

One particular hard to find COLOR (Red, Blue, etc.)
Rainbow pattern (Rastas, Shazaams, Bowsers, CARs)
Vibrant/Noticeable/Bright (Utter Chaos)
Unique Patterns in Skirts (Hornets)
2 Color/Hard Lines (Clementines)
Highest Value (New Releases)

These are just some of the features found in zoas/palys. Which zoa and paly out there is hot and what feature does it have that makes it "HOT!"...

I think anything that has a true Rainbow Pattern, with a colorful skirt (Example: Shazaams and they have a blue skirt) is as good as it gets. It is important to me to not have a brown, green, or common colored skirt.

 

[11purewater]

I think the most important feature is the the challenge of keeping the notorious melters,(which usually dictates the premium prices)The colour morphs nowadays can produce a beautiful species specific tanks.Some Zoas/Palys are not considered" beginners" coral anymore especially the Hawaiian PE's.When I started there was brown,light brown,and green and brown LOL.

 

[KJAG]

I think the most important feature is the the challenge of keeping the notorious melters,(which usually dictates the premium prices)The colour morphs nowadays can produce a beautiful species specific tanks.Some Zoas/Palys are not considered" beginners" coral anymore especially the Hawaiian PE's.When I started there was brown,light brown,and green and brown LOL.

+1. A lot of the notorious melters are at the top because its considered an accomplishment ( and rightly so) to even keep them healthy and growing, and a lot of reefers no longer have their stock. The top tier isn't limited to melters however. There's a few more hardy insanely colored morphs that will always stay at the top because of their truly unique traits. For me, part of the fun is the risk in discerning the truly unique polyps from the classic " only two frags will be released!" threads, where the same wild polyps end up coming through a couple weeks later to other vendors. The hallucination paly is one I'd consider truly unique.

 

[Pkunk35]

Great question,

I too really appreciate a rainbow or speckled/colored skirt. I also love the hard to find colors such as black and or unique patterns such as found on Utter chaos or agave type morphs.

 

[mastaslash]

Wow, 2 answers so far and both are Melters??? Interesting... What polyps polyps are you guys considering to be melters? Sopranos, Nightmares, Hawaiian PE (but which ones?), what else....

I would say that melters are an interesting buy, however, those melters have to have a feature that would want you to put in the effort. No one wants a brown polyp just because it melts.

 

[KJAG]

Wow, 2 answers so far and both are Melters??? Interesting... What polyps polyps are you guys considering to be melters? Sopranos, Nightmares, Hawaiian PE (but which ones?), what else....

I would say that melters are an interesting buy, however, those melters have to have a feature that would want you to put in the effort. No one wants a brown polyp just because it melts.

Right. And they usually do. I can keep Bloodshots happy, but i can't for the life of me keep nightmares or campfires. I've tried multiple times. Not happening. Ill prob try again however. The challenging pieces/ fish are usually some of the most popular for that reason. Alot of them just happen to be the most colorful as well.

 

[11purewater]

I think as time goes by the value will be in the lineage proven strains.who found them,named them,etc.for example true Eagle eyes as opposed the the various morphs and geographic claims of a better version like antartic baboon butts,which are nicer than the Indo ones.But lawyers may need to be involved:tongue:

 

[mastaslash]

Great question,

I too really appreciate a rainbow or speckled/colored skirt. I also love the hard to find colors such as black and or unique patterns such as found on Utter chaos or agave type morphs.

Blue Agaves are definitely in my top 5. Deep Red with splotches of White and Blue!!! And every polyp is unique.

 

[11purewater]

As we get corals from differant parts of the ocean now,keeping everything happy is the challenge in a little box.

 

[Pkunk35]

Blue Agaves are definitely in my top 5. Deep Red with splotches of White and Blue!!! And every polyp is unique.

i really like the point of unique polyps even amongst the same colony. I love my Darth mauls because each polyp looks about the same but the pattern is slightly different for each...as a colony i think this gives a totally different look than colonies that are identical clones such as fruit loops (I love those too) plus it gives the feeling that interesting morphs are just a polyp away...

 

[Dsdaley77]

For me it just needs to look different than something I already have...... And since I don't have much yet, that's not hard I will say that I don't mind some brown or green as long as the other/secondary color is amazing.

 

[buddythelion]

I think as time goes by the value will be in the lineage proven strains.who found them,named them,etc.for example true Eagle eyes as opposed the the various morphs and geographic claims of a better version like antartic baboon butts,which are nicer than the Indo ones.But lawyers may need to be involved:tongue:

Antarctic Baboon butts. I like that name. Going to the next un-named blue morph I find!

 

[buddythelion]

As for most important features, I'd have to say it needs to stand out from the crowd, and that when you show a picture of it people will instantly know what it is.

Size matters too. Paradise Zoas are really pricey, but for the price I think most people would opt for a bigger zoa or multiple morphs rather than $60 for a microzoa. I'd rather pay more for a paly than a zoa too.

For something to be a classic, it has to have a combination of both and be able to grow and hardy enough for people to keep. It can't be a killer fast morph like pink and golds, but moderate like Utters, CARs, rastas, and Space Monsters. Something along those lines. Notorious melters like Bloodshots, Nightmares, etc are usually only on the hit list of people in the zoa game a bit longer and feel like they can tackle them. But other than that, they're still popular because they're so bright and stunningly beautiful.

They can't come in by the hundreds either. I love the look of those golden mauls that come in. If only a small colony was found by one vendor and not by the hundreds like now, it would be a very hot morph! But they're so easy to get as a wild piece, that they're cheap since the prices keep on going down and there's no hype around it.

Idk if the vendor thing applies, since Rastas, Sunny Ds, and Utter Chaos are three examples where I don't know and don't care where they came from. But I still love them! The hornet stories are the same too.