Want to start keeping high end sps but.

[urban coral farmer]

But I am terrified of losing a 200 dollar frag.
I'm keeping basic sps Including acros with success but not sure if there is a care level jump from Lower end acros like slimers to say somthing like walt Disney or orange passion.

My tank runs at
.25 nitrates
Undetectable phosphates
8.5 alk.
440 cal
1300 mag
No fluctuations at all with dosing pump
AI prime hd setup to match the spectrum of radions ideal output.

 

[Elegance Coral]

If you're keeping multiple other acros/sps you should have no problem with the higher end stuff. The "high end" stuff is not more difficult to keep. They're just "high end" because of their color, and someone gave them a cool name.
Peace
EC

 

[Tahoe61]

Even in long established tanks you loose the occasional frag. If you're keeping other Acropora with success than go for it.

 

[urban coral farmer]

Even in long established tanks you loose the occasional frag. If you're keeping other Acropora with success than go for it.

Sounds like I just need to nut up and go for it lol

 

[urban coral farmer]

Tank shots for you helpful folks

 

[jwshiver]

They're just "high end" because of their color, and someone gave them a cool name.
Peace
EC

Well said. Eventually the "high end" $300.00 corals will be just another $50.00 frag after they have been around for awhile and become more readily available after people start fragging them. I bought a Hollywood Stunner chalice frag a few years ago for decent money and I have seen them sell recently for $19.00. Don't get caught up in the price. Buy what appeals to you be it shape and/or color that fits in to your budget and enjoy your tank.

 

[urban coral farmer]

Well said. Eventually the "high end" $300.00 corals will be just another $50.00 frag after they have been around for awhile and become more readily available after people start fragging them. I bought a Hollywood Stunner chalice frag a few years ago for decent money and I have seen them sell recently for $19.00. Don't get caught up in the price. Buy what appeals to you be it shape and/or color that fits in to your budget and enjoy your tank.

Color and shape that appeals to me seem to be 100+ for frags. Which the price I dont care about to much it's just the fear of flushing money down the drain. Also everything I so in this tank coral wise has the end goal of re selling after grow out this the big fear of losses of funds that could ofbe allocated to other more stable coral

 

[jda]

My only advice, once your tank is super-mature, is to know the difference between "high end" and "trendy" corals. Both can be expensive, but they do not have the same paths going forward.

High End stuff keeps it's value and will even sometimes go up in value - SC Orange Passion is on of these... while never a $500 frag (that I know of), good sized hunks can still get several hundred and you can get $100 for nubs. Other high end stuff are mostly the old school classics and stuff that is collected by Battlecorals and Rocky Mountain Frags (to name a few).

Trendy stuff is just expensive and the prices comes down like crazy. RBTA craze of the early 2000s with roses going or $250+. Acan Lord Craze for $100+ a head. Encrusting Monti Craze. The current one is black-light lit A. Tenius craze like Walt Disney and Homewrecker. These are cool to spend your money on, but if you wait for them to grow into a colony, then you missed the chance to sell a nub for a lot of money. Most people buy, grow and frag nubs of these than let them grow into colonies.

Some stuff is just overpriced. The RR Orange Passion, for example used to be very expensive, but it was just a so-so looking frag not even close to as colorful as the usually-disappointing-to-a-lot-of-folks Walt Disney.

Some corals evolve from Trendy to High End. Fox Flame is one of these. It was a $250 frag a few years ago, but now you can get them for less than $50, but they are cool and legit.

If you have decent expectations, you can do OK. Don't be one of those people who log in after a year of growing your "trendy" coral and complain that they frags are worth 10x less now.

 

[Medic58]

Well said. Eventually the "high end" $300.00 corals will be just another $50.00 frag after they have been around for awhile and become more readily available after people start fragging them. I bought a Hollywood Stunner chalice frag a few years ago for decent money and I have seen them sell recently for $19.00. Don't get caught up in the price. Buy what appeals to you be it shape and/or color that fits in to your budget and enjoy your tank.

Right on the money. No pun intended I was just at a frag swap and a big time coral guy was there and I was like no way to some of the prices. I told myself I’m buying what is going to make my tank look good. Cause the high end stuff will look different in your tank anyway.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

ebay auctions are a good way to get higher end stuff cheaper

 

[Medic58]

ebay auctions are a good way to get higher end stuff cheaper

Do i just go to eBay corals

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

wwc has them end on every monday and cornbread corals

 

[Medic58]

wwc has them end on every monday and cornbread corals

Ok I’m head over now thanks

 

[BigJim]

Many of the other posts are accurate that prices usually come down over a couple years. My advice would be to look for local sellers for the frag or see if there are any frag swaps in your area. I have been able to get about 1" frags of WD, OP and Pink Floyd for around $75 locally. Some locations they are going for even less. You can get the frag cheaper and not pay for shipping if there is a local market. I will also add that my WD has been the hardiest acro in my tank. I'm hoping this doesn't turn into another acros are overpriced and sellers are greedy thread.

 

[Alfrareef]

Try similar corals first. At my tank some type of acros never come thru.

 

[HB AL]

If your having success with acros already and perfectly fine spending the BIG $$$$$, then no reason not to.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

All corals go on sale sooner or later. It's not that they are hard to grow because they because they are high end, just harder to afford.

 

[Idaho-reefer]

It’s a hobby, if it makes you happy, go for it. I have bought some real high end sps, most have done well some haven’t. If you can afford it don’t think about what can go wrong, if you have success with coral the $$$ ones are no different. They just look better. Just don’t go overboard with special treatment, dips, moving etc. the more you “care” for them the more likely you will have a failure if that make sense. Meaning even if it’s expensive don’t do anything different if you already have reef husbandry down.

 

[Idaho-reefer]

As I type that I look at my WD and home wrecker that just look okay, haven’t grown much and the colors are washed out. Sitting next to it is my red dragon that is growing like a weed a beautiful color. At least they haven’t died yet but I won’t change things up because my 50 other corals are happy.