SPS market, trends, prices?

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7095612#post7095612 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zapata41
agreed, just calling it as i see it. too bad most nice pieces that arent LE dont really get traded much.

Tim -

Couldn't agree more. It's just silly how focused folks are by names - as if only a few reefkeepers have found an incredible unusual form.

But - given how many folks `try SPS' - only to decide they're not successful/interested down the road ... seems like a continual market for these overhyped/priced pieces - and folks who are unlikely to have these pieces thrive + eventually trade them.

How many of these pieces do you see that aren't small frags in peoples tanks? I swear, - after time about 80% of these corals you see [IMO] are the newly bought frags, rarely to be seen again. Maybe folks aren't showing them ... or maybe they're lost, brown, or much less impressive.
Just my take, but after a while - that's what it seems IMO.

 

[phlipper84]

I have tried the frag route and have just given up. True, I have only bought frags through club type meetings, so they are not in the same category (sort-of) as these 80 dollar 1/2 inch pieces. But my problem is this. I am running a large tank, 60 X 30 X 30, and these little pieces disappear. Not by me not caring, but by critters knocking them over and them falling into the rock-work, or falling upside down into the substrate. By the time I realize they are gone, it is too late. So I look at what I have spent on frags, and I have decided that I would rather have one colony instead of nothing at all. Maybe this takes me out of the ungodly expensive, rare stuff, but it has such a low survival rate in my tank. Just not sure that for me, the hobby includes a completely seperate system for growing out frags. Hey, that is just what I need, another tank to suck down my time, money, and exasperation! All for a bunch of little sticks that may grow to colony size in 2 years! Uh-oh, fish store calling and telling me my frag system is ready to go! LOL

 

[jjjimmy]

While I can agree that some of the "LE" corals are rather stunning and I do have a few of the higher demand corals because I was impressed by their appearance not their name.

Personally that is why I like to get the wild colonies. Bash me if you would like for it but I would rather have in my tank that which every one else does not have. I like knowing that me and my system made a coral what it is today and not recreating what some one else has already done.

I guess that you could say that I have a bunch off my own "LE" corals because they started in the ocean and then came to me and no one else. At that point if some one would like a piece because they like the way the coral looks and not because it has a catchy name, great.

Jimmy

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7102393#post7102393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjjimmy

I guess that you could say that I have a bunch off my own "LE" corals because they started in the ocean and then came to me and no one else. At that point if some one would like a piece because they like the way the coral looks and not because it has a catchy name, great.

Jimmy

Thats the thing, thats the problem right there. Any wild caught you get is not unique. Do you think this these colectors are breaking 1 fist sized colony off of a 6 foot tall coral? No, theyre breaking tons of them off, and plenty of other people are gettign them too. Nothing about it is unique.

 

[jjjimmy]

I can agree with you to a point. The same coral 9 times out of 10 will look different in each individual system that you put it in. I guess that what a I was trying to say is that every coral in my tank is "LE" to me and me alone.

 

[FastFish720]

IMO I am not super impressed with many of the Tyree LE's. Not to bash him or anything, but the photos on the site need to be clearer. For example, I am not impressed with UFO coral as there was one much better available to him. Personal experience. The green sunset polyp coral don't appeal to me, psammocora doesn't look that great, purple bullseye acan, favia speciosa <--seriously!

Personally I would rather have something with bright colors, and an unusual branch structure. I'm more into the thin branching or tabling corals. I really don't like many of the stags, but was very impressed with the Steve Elias blue stag.

 

[jay24k]

I have the loisietta (sp) and the tips are blue but the stalk is a bluish green. On their site it is mainly blue. However, several I talked to have the same thing.

 

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7103757#post7103757 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjjimmy
I The same coral 9 times out of 10 will look different in each individual system that you put it in. I guess that what a I was trying to say is that every coral in my tank is "LE" to me and me alone.

Exactly. Any grown out coral is yours alone

Whether garden variety, named LE, wild, maricultured ... given time and successful husbandry, your colony - given time - will be unique. Variations in color, shape, growth form ... I think it's one of the more interesting parts about keeping Acropora. Almost across the board I don't know of one variety that doesn't look unique in one tank I know.

I've seen a number of green slimer colonies - and while it might be common as dirt, none looks exactly like mine. My tank grows it differently than friends of mine - one of the joys of Acropora IMO.

Once we're talking about a foot in size ... I get a lot less picky about it's amazing genetics Once it's got complex form, color [while nice] is often overshadowed by how it fills the tank IMO.

Some corals are similar tank to tank, but few 100% IME - and that's part of why I like them. Grown out, they're all pretty unique.

Does it matter how `limited' a coral grown to much bigger than this is?

Not to say it wouldn't be nice ... but essential? I'm not so sure ...

 

[jay24k]

That looks JUST like mine so it can't be named! In retrospect, wow that is a huge piece. I thought my slimer was getting up there but that thing is gigantic.