Oh the names...the glorious glorious names.

[KrisReef]

If you are a collector, the names can help identify morphs that are available.
SuperNova for sale atm.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Seems like over the last few years, the words: Master, lord, venom, acid, cryptonite, Toxic, rare, super and many more have pooped up. To me, nothing more than sale enhancers or attention getters.

 

[User1]

There is no winning or losing in this thread. Just personal opinions. Mine included. I don't play in the boutique or chop shop market. I also don't judge those that do.

I recently saw a "sale" that listed 4 boutique named corals such as the Walt Disney and Home Wrecker with 2 others for a measly $650. Original asking was $1200. Knocked down and then an additional 30%. I've paid more for a bottle of wine so again back to that comment of mine above about thinking it is silly or not - I have no say because I'm just as silly with my other hobby. Well, my wiser and better halfs hobby honestly.

But for a bit of clarity I'm also active scuba diver and I've never seen a Walt Disney on a reef crest. I have seen Acropora though It is a fine line for sure but a market I'm not a player in. Pretty they are but just not for me.

All the best and hope everyone has an amazing holiday and staying safe!

 

[Doctorgori]

I buy the cheapest or prettiest or whatever is unlike my current stock .... the silly name is forgotten within minutes after gluing down
I don’t frag and if you want a piece its gonna be “pink mille” or “green digi”, et
I’ve said this before, its like “Aquatic pokémon” cards

 

[don_chuwish]

I think the fun names are fine - but should always be followed by the scientific names in parenthesis. Whenever possible include a photo of a mature colony/specimen so that people can see what growth form it will take. Light requirements, care & feeding, etc., would be helpful too.

 

[robbous]

I buy on strictly colors and colors alone I could care less about the names of a Coral, having a 500 gallon system my corals tend to grow into large colonies and when it comes time to sell these corals even if they are high End or high end named corals I would probably still sell a 1 inch frag for $40 even though some people are getting 400 for it. Colors for me not names and selling Frags I won’t ask a **** ton of money for my frag’s. I’m in it for the hobby not the profit

 

[Hermie]

Jason Fox brand name is higher quality in my opinion after seeing the behind the scenes tour of his location; the quarantine is very extensive for his frags and he picks some wild colonies himself. It's different than other places.

 

[Biokabe]

For me, a name is only worth it if it sticks around for multiple years. For example, Walt Disney acro, California Tort, Eagle Eye zoa, Indo Gold torch, Bleeding Apple Scoly, Dragon Soul favia, etc. If someone tells me they have any of those corals, I pretty much know what they're talking about without needing to see the coral. Names are useful for establishing a common frame of reference, but if the name was just invented yesterday, it doesn't serve that purpose. Saying, "Oh, here, you need to see my Ultra Master Rainbow Radioactive Iron Man acro!" doesn't tell me anything. If it's truly a unique color morph that you've been able to reliably reproduce over years of cultivation, go ahead and give it a name. But if it's just a colorful zoa with an interesting pattern on the face, a name tells me nothing.

I also wouldn't mind if we took a page from horse breeders and actually had some industry standards about naming. Then the names actually would serve a purpose, even if the morph was just identified yesterday.

 

[Riqaq]

Yeah! It’s now standard to present all corals for sale under actinic light only.
That’s just a small part of the whole lighting picture.

Of course I enjoy seeing my corals under actinic blue, although not not at the levels where my coral sand looks like a late evening sky, and yes I have a black light (so I can check the fluorescence for a few seconds, for both enjoyment and to see if there is anything special to worry me) but I also like to check what corals look like under white light. Under white light, some of the craziest corals that I've seen appear to look like the carefully chewed and shaped chewing gum. But I still like to see it.

I spent €100 on getting a copy of Charlie Veron's "Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific" and with the majority of the Corals available and the different names, I am rarely any wiser as to which Acropora is which.

 

[ElectricMusic]

Zoa and paly names are a waste. I don’t buy them based on names. I buy on health, color and cost. That’s it. (I will never remember all the names anyways).

 

[RichardinTN]

I have two main issues with this practice. #1, I’ve never understood the term “Limited Edition” being applied to something that, given good conditions, is anything but limited in availability. If a person can buy it, grow it, and frag it, then it’s not limited, no matter how few you decide to sell (this month ). #2, a coral can morph quite a bit depending on lighting and chemistry so selling something that differs only slightly from something else as a totally different “variety”, IMO, is just not accurate. There’s just no guarantee that it will look like that grown under your conditions. Personally, I like buying something browned out and watching it color up to see what I’ve got, but that’s just me.

I’ve been keeping tanks for over 30 years now. I started before there were even actinic bulbs in the hobby , so yes, I’m old school. If you choose to pay big bucks for a tiny nub, and that makes you happy, then go for it and be happy. We all make our own choices and I’m sure I make some that others would think foolish. But, I do miss the days when a “mother colony” was at least the size of your fist and not what I used to buy as a “frag” 15 years ago. Old guy rant over

 

[Fishfinder]

I think the names are very important. It tells me exactly what I’m getting. I what the coral looks like. If you are selling a “Walt Disney” or a “red planet“ I know exactly what I’m getting. If you say you’re selling an “acropora” I have no idea. It could look like anything. That could be any various species or color morph. Completely useless to me

 

[Bdoncford]

As a person who is new to the hobby I find all the crazy names overwhelming. I like to try to find out the scientific name so I know how to keep it then forget the crazy names unless they are short and sweet. Some of the names out there don't even make sense

 

[chadfish]

As a person who is new to the hobby I find all the crazy names overwhelming. I like to try to find out the scientific name so I know how to keep it then forget the crazy names unless they are short and sweet. Some of the names out there don't even make sense

I am also new to reefing and I agree. I find the names useless. If you just name a frag “Sunburst” or “Venom” it does nothing for me. What kind of coral is it? What am I even looking at? I need to know so I can research how to take care of it.

 

[coralbeauties]

What gets me the most is how the same coral will get a different name with several different vendors. I have an asd rainbow right next to a jf solar flare and you can’t tell them apart. I have even allowed them touch each other with no problems. I paid good money for each of them only to have two of the same coral. Wcr rainbow, princess peach same coral, bc awarewolf, ea fuzzy wuzzy same coral. I’m sure there are a lot of others out there!
Jeff

 

[DeniseAndy]

I think naming will have a place. As some stated, it tells them exactly the color morph they want. Obviously these are collectors and those who already know the scientific names and the care needed.

To new to hobby individuals, the names can get a bit "annoying". They need more info than a name can give.

To sellers at frag swaps or online, it is easier to identify by a name than by the color definition and scientific name. For instance, if I want to sell rastas, I will say rastas, not zoanthid with green, orange, etc, etc. However, it has to be a name that has stood the test of time (as stated above).

I purchase corals based on the type of coral they are, whether I have the correct environment, and color, texture, interest for me. Do I keep the names of the zoas and palys with description - yes, I just started that again. This is so as mine grow out and I frag them, I know what to call them. I keep where I got them too and how much I paid. Crazy accountant in me. Especially since I do not really sell them. I give away and "sell" to lfs for credit.

So, names can help, but they also have gotten a bit on the crazy side.

 

[GeoSquid]

I don't mind the names....it's the price they add after the silly names.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I like names for acros and zoas, it just helps me research everything a little more thoroughly. Like, “yellow zoa” is a poor name because maybe I already have yellow zoas, I can’t tell if this one is different or the same. Also, I can’t just google the name and get a plethora of references for what that exact coral looks like under several different lightings.

I start hating names when it drives prices through the roof. I don’t think any coral should be more than $100 for a frag, 1”, polyp, however that coral is fragged. That coral is just going to grow back and that’s more money, soon everybody has it and every frag is $50 anyway. Some previously expensive corals are now $20 a frag because every reefer and their grandma has it.

I also hate it when people re-name a coral for more profit. For example, I have WWC Halle Berry Zoas and JF Cry Babies. They are exactly the same, completely indistinguishable without a microscope. It’s horrible and misleading, because I bought cry baby during a live sale where it was photoshopped out of proportion then when acclimating i had to double take because I’d just blown $60 on a frag I apparently already had. It’s frustrating.

TL;DR- I like people naming corals for identification purposes, but using a name to drive up the price and renaming corals is just shady

 

[Boomer52]

I'd definitely prefer more scientific names. Its much easier to research what a specific type of acropora needs for its parameters and specifically which trace elements it prefers. Looking for things with random names like a Captain America or a Golden Gods just seems ridiculous for one, and its one more step separating you from the answers you need to keep this living creature healthy, which is all that should really matter.

I agree. If you want to call it Rudolph's Red Nose that's fine. But please, include the scientific name as well so I know how to care for it.

 

[Proteus Meep]

I don't mind the names....it's the price they add after the silly names.

Agreed the names can be fun, but I believe it is purely an invention to increase price and desirability...when it increases the price the fun stops

Some of these expensive corals I see from certain sellers named already in this thread are nothing special just intensely photographically presented and named

Its quite disturbing, when I first started in the hobby a Scolly would for example be
"Scolly £40 now its Master Grade Zodiac Mindwarp's Beanbag Ultra Rare Scolly £350 reduced was £550 grab this bargain before it goes

I just wont play the price vs sellers initials and name game...there are some LFS that get nice pieces even Ebay sellers but sell at a reasonable prices still, exactly the same colours for a fraction of the price without a name attached