Most Overrated and Underrated "CORALS!"

[ZoWhat]

To me it's the difficultly level. IMO keeping acros alive and growing is one of the most difficult things in reefing, and when I'm successful it's exciting! I had softies for decades and never even bothered with water changes. But acros, that takes a bit of skill.

Since I love acros, I'll answer the question from that perspective. There are some overrated and some underrated. I would say in general, most of the "new" corals like the previously mentioned Walt Disney are overrated. I like my Walt Disney, but I have other more common corals which I feel are much nicer to look at. Most of the older corals, such as PC Rainbow, PC Superman, ASD Rainbow Milli, Bali Green Slimer are underrated. They are absolutely beautiful corals which can be purchased for far less than some of the newer, less beautiful acros.

To me, it's all about what the acros look like (under realistic lighting). I'm happy to pay more for a more beautiful acro, with or without a fancy name.

Yes and you make one little mistake and water quality goes BRIEFLY sideways and most of them die after years of TLC.

Acros are too hi risk with your reward being, one day, you wanna take a baseball bat ti your tank when most of your Acros turn white and lose all their tissue.

Best Acros are the ones that STAY at the coral store and i can go look at them and let the LFS owner eventually kill 'em

 

[Dburr1014]

Yes and you make one little mistake and water quality goes BRIEFLY sideways and most of them die after years of TLC.

Acros are too hi risk with your reward being, one day, you wanna take a baseball bat ti your tank when most of your Acros turn white and lose all their tissue.

Best Acros are the ones that STAY at the coral store and i can go look at them and let the LFS owner eventually kill 'em

To each his own as the saying goes.

I must say, I don't have any controller for my tank. I'm old school. Timers and floats. I've had power go out for a few hours. I've have a few gallons of kalk go in my 100 gallon system. Nothing turned white and died. I'm sure my numbers have swayed. I haven't even checked them in a few months.
So that is my reward. I will frag a few, not to make money, but to just feed my bug.

 

[dantimdad]

They look like Those tumors Tasmanian Devils get.

I KNEW I had seen them somewhere!

 

[AlexStinson]

I fall into the underrated category. Under white lighting from 5 feet away I think some of the cheaper classic corals are as breathtaking as the much higher priced collectibles. A simple brightly colored staghorn (think green slimer) and monti caps stick out from across a room much more than these designer corals, imo. If your goal is to run blue lighting and take wonderful macro shots the pricey corals may be what you want. If you want a tank that looks great when you admire it from a distance, feel free to stick with the basics.

I couldnt agree more. A lot of these super nice multi colored acros don't have near the pop of some of the classsics from more than macro lens away. Also a soft spot in my heart is the old purple death and nuclear green paly's. Still trying to get my hands on some of the OG stuff.

 

[Sailingeric]

I am going to say, underrated is the Kenya Tree. Sure it can become a pest but keep it in check it is pretty swaying in the flow. I had one go from almost nothing to a monster in about year, pulled it out and got credit at the LFS. I have a couple dropped branches growing up nicely again and once it gets big I will "chop it down" for some more credit.

 

[Hemmdog]

I couldnt agree more. A lot of these super nice multi colored acros don't have near the pop of some of the classsics from more than macro lens away. Also a soft spot in my heart is the old purple death and nuclear green paly's. Still trying to get my hands on some of the OG stuff.

I got Nuke greens. Hit me up in like 4 months. lol. My fav LFS in the Bay Area pretty much only sells old school names or just no name stuff that looks sweet. I like it a lot. And nothing is more than $100.

 

[Kremis]

I got Nuke greens. Hit me up in like 4 months. lol. My fav LFS in the Bay Area pretty much only sells old school names or just no name stuff that looks sweet. I like it a lot. And nothing is more than $100.

what LFS? I am also in the bay area.

I think that some corals are underrated (like zoanthids) and others are overrated (like JF homewrecker) not saying that its bad if you like it, its your tank you can do whatever you want. I just am never able to get acros to color up to their potential it seems, and a good zoa garden looks amazing

 

[Hemmdog]

what LFS? I am also in the bay area.

I think that some corals are underrated (like zoanthids) and others are overrated (like JF homewrecker) not saying that its bad if you like it, its your tank you can do whatever you want. I just am never able to get acros to color up to their potential it seems, and a good zoa garden looks amazing

Infinite Aquarium, it’s by Great America and where the 49ers play. Super cool dudes. If you like sps he’s big into the old school ones and very cheap, like 20-40 a frag. Pc rainbow, the vinh, purple monster, green slimer, red planet, borealis, mystic, red dragon, 500 efflo. Pretty much anything people wanted a decade ago theyve got it lol.

 

[YumaMan]

Yo, reefers! Good discussion. I voted Yes and No. My take: Stick with the classic, named corals and you won't be too disappointed. There's a reason why these are still around and have their admirers. Cream will always rise to the top. As for Photoshop -- well, color science is a very technical subject. Cameras, software, light sources, the health of the coral, water conditions, even your own eyes (try looking at your corals when you have cataract in both eyes -- they all look like the ubiquitous brown Montipora digitata) all contribute to the coral's appearance.

 

[thehammer1985]

some are as amazing as the company makes them out to be... but here's the problem they make them unattainable and mark the prices up ridiculously. anyone who has come up in this hobby in the last decade in a half I'm sure are floored theres no more 20 dollar frag section. they have literally named every coral and created an overinflated price tag with them. We need to stop buying corals like this as it helps enforce this business model. stick with trades and buying low until they finally realize this is insane.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Every acro over $25, ever. Things that can't be fragged, like trachy or scoly ect... I can justify the price, but something you can cut a piece off and glue it to a plug and in a couple months you got an identical piece? Nope.

 

[Reefing-Around]

Going with yes and no. Not a softie kind of guy and really prefer the challange of keeping (trying my best) SPS/LPS. I have a mix of expensive and not so expensive pieces, all pretty young. If I am shopping and see something I like, I buy it... This is an expensive hobby with choices for everyone.

I am retired military still working for the Govt. and for 24 years, was never really able to have a hobby.

If you like it and can afford it, get it. Who knows what tomorrow has in store for us!

 

[Bastray]

I buy what I think looks good and fits my budget. Honestly, I try and buy the most colorful SPS that I can for the least amount of money. I don't think that I have paid more than $40-$50 for a frag. I would prefer to fill my tank and stand back and watch it grow. I think that many of the designer corals are overrated. I don't really care about a name I guess. I think the underrated corals are the inexpensive SPS that sit at the LFS for a while because they don't have some designer name on them and the really cool ones I can pick up in frag packs on the cheap. Usually get larger frags of coral that still look pretty sweet to me.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I feel back in the day people were open to trading/sharing. Rising prices and everything having a funky name, it appears everyone wants to frag as quickly as possible to flip for a profit. I would say any frag <1" for more than $30 is overrated.
Some SPS like montis are great, but having a tank full of acros never seemed appealing. Add the sticker shock of some of these frags and would say the vast majority of this category is overrated.

One of the most underrated corals are photosynthetic gorgonians. Definitely gives a nice reef look with a lot of motion and low maintenance.

 

[kintle]

Overrated, sticks. Having seen the prices some go for for tiny frags I just dont get these sps heavy tanks. They aren't appealing to me dominating tanks. To be fair I would like one or two mixed into my tank as it matures out but there is no way I can admit to my wife what I may pay for a frag.
Underrated, discomusas and rhodactis. I've found myself becoming obsessed with getting differant varieties to mix in adding colors on the rock around other corals. No bounce mushrooms yet but maybe one day if I can justify the price in a larger tank.

 

[Gonebad395]

I just find it funny to see the word ultra ultra ultra all the time and overly saturated photos of corals. It seems since I been in the reef keeping hobby to see so many ask what’s the name of these or what’s the name of this. Not someone truly asking what they have but wanting to know what super cool name it is. For example and I’d never do this but someone having a Zoa that’s a little off in color from others and say it’s ultra super duper hevans gate. Now is a 20 dollar frag going for 100 cause of the super cool name. I myself can careless of name if I find it appealing and worth the cost I’ll buy it if not hundreds behind me will for sure. Over saturated photos misleading people is a problem as of late along with bs wysiwyg photos.

 

[kintle]

I am going to say, underrated is the Kenya Tree. Sure it can become a pest but keep it in check it is pretty swaying in the flow. I had one go from almost nothing to a monster in about year, pulled it out and got credit at the LFS. I have a couple dropped branches growing up nicely again and once it gets big I will "chop it down" for some more credit.

I picked up a little rock with a tiny Kenya tree and a bright green and black tiny mushroom that my lfs threw in for free from a low flow net they had set up with a "rainbow" bubble tip. The low flow net is stuff they hope attaches to something but aren't sure make it. I got the "rainbow" bubble for 50 bucks with those 2 attached to the pebble for free and a mostly clear and white with a splash of orange rodacta (also free) and now a month later that Kenya tree is 4 inches tall and one of my favorites in the tank as it added depth and movement to what was just my rocks with what started as my mushroom garden. I'd agree this is another underrated coral ar I'd never considered it but for that bright green discomusu.

 

[Hemmdog]

I picked up a little rock with a tiny Kenya tree and a bright green and black tiny mushroom that my lfs threw in for free from a low flow net they had set up with a "rainbow" bubble tip. The low flow net is stuff they hope attaches to something but aren't sure make it. I got the "rainbow" bubble for 50 bucks with those 2 attached to the pebble for free and a mostly clear and white with a splash of orange rodacta (also free) and now a month later that Kenya tree is 4 inches tall and one of my favorites in the tank as it added depth and movement to what was just my rocks with what started as my mushroom garden. I'd agree this is another underrated coral ar I'd never considered it but for that bright green discomusu.

That’s a kryptonite. They are like 300 bucks

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

I have found that I like all corals and such I have a mixed reef. With that said, it also has caused a few headaches along the way.

The corals I find underrated are the ones nobody knows about or cares. Yes the designer corals are pretty, but me personally (even with the money) I couldn’t justify it, for more than a few reasons. I find these to be overrated because more people will want them.

As like in anything, I believe peer pressure kinda makes people buy things that are crazy spendy, regardless of what it is. The wow factor of oh my goodness you have that, or wow look at this is probably what drives this the most (and money). People have to find ways to find their hobby so I can see why they do it, (I just won’t drop 400 on a home wrecker or whatever the cost is now).

But for one that’s underrated and rare where I am from is strawberry napalm. In the time I have been in this hobby I have seen one from my lfs and I loved it and bought it. Now it’s probably dime a dozen in larger places but I haven’t seen many (but I haven’t looked much either).

One that I also find underrated if done correctly are like purple stag horns, or digi forest fire when it’s the nice red and lots of lps and softies .

 

[kintle]

That’s a kryptonite. They are like 300 bucks

I wish I was that lucky. It's more like a dark green with radiating black bands from the mouth if what I'm seeing in Google pics is a kryptonite. The kryptonite is pretty but I'd never spend $300 on a coral and would feel guilty if I scored that big from my lfs.