Your favorite cheaper corals!

[bleedingthought]

After reading an older article by Calfo (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/ac/index.php) I started to think about how when one thinks a coral looks nice or unique it just does! But I still find it silly to get corals ONLY because they're LE or rare. But hey, that's just me! :lol:

Point being, what are some your favorite corals that aren't limited edition/rare? Or even further, what are your favorite "cheap" corals? (I know the definition of cheap can vary from person to person but you know the general idea...)

Let's see some pics too, if you've got them!

 

[trido]

All of them. As they came as frags, I would say they were all cheap. :lol:

 

[Unarce]

But I still find it silly to get corals ONLY because they're LE or rare. But hey, that's just me! :lol:

I took this personally! How dare you! :lol:

Anyway, at the risk of sounding defensive, I do have very specific reasons why I only collect the LE or rare stuff.

1) I don't like to have any coral that's directly from the wild or not tank-cultured. Most, if not all the LE or 'named' corals have been cultured over years, thus preserving the reef.

2) My tank's too small, so limiting myself to just these types, keeps me from going willy nilly and using up valuable real estate.

3) The lineage makes it 10X easier to trade and acquire other expensive stuff. Thus, making it possible not to spend a dime on over 90% of your collection.

4) They just happen to be some of the best looking corals out there

 

[Unarce]

My favorite 'cheap coral' would be the Purple Monster. Acquired in a trade, it took me 15 months to grow it from a 1/4" nub to when this picture was taken :? Slow @$$ growth, but well worth it.

 

[Anonymous]

common montipora are good coral. Cheap, and some are colorful.

 

[Anonymous]

Millieporas are usually pretty cheap ($40 per frag), fast growing, and beautiful.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

I guess that would really depend. I have a 4x2 purple and green tort that I picked up for $5 from a local reefer with a phenominal tank. It is one of my favorite corals. My hammer is a favorite as well and it was free from a reefer on this site. The reason I am mostly interested in certain LE and rare corals is along the same lines as unarce said. They are multi generation aquacultured and I have precious real estate left in my little tank. But to pick a favorite among my corals I don't think I could do. I selected them all for differeing reasons and if I didn't love them in my tank I wouldn't have picked them or I would have sold them since I didn't like them. Having said that, I have not fallen for the acans or micros or ricordias etc. I selected a few LE that appealed to me and have sought those. I don't follow the trendy corals. Luckily for me the corals I am seeking are "old" stuff so they are cheaper now lol.

when one thinks a coral looks nice or unique it just does!

All mine just do lol.

 

[steveweast]

Here's my favorite....OK...OK...so, it's cold water....but, it's still a coral (well...really a colonizing anemone; but, close enough)....and since it was collected from my local waters, it's FREE.....can't get cheaper than that.....

 

[Anonymous]

Steve,

That is absolutely gorgeous!

 

[Anonymous]

But I still find it silly to get corals ONLY because they're LE or rare. But hey, that's just me! :lol:

Exactly...you get this across the board with fish, reptiles, etc. It' silly, and for the most part I've learned to not be this way myself, although I have lapses. How desireable would a yellow tang be if they were rare and expensive? Everyone would be dreaming about owning one.

Having said that, I have yet to run into a cheap coral. :?

Anyway, hard to beat Green Star Polyps in the bang for the buck category. I'm also fond of all types of mushrooms, pipe organ corals, leathers, encrusting Montiporas as well as M. digita.

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

All I care about is if it looks good and it is not wild harvested. I will admit though I really want this...

The "War Coral" from Reef Farmers

But that's just because I'm a sucker for Favites and it's a knock-out :lol:

 

[bleedingthought]

But I still find it silly to get corals ONLY because they're LE or rare. But hey, that's just me! :lol:

Exactly...you get this across the board with fish, reptiles, etc. It' silly, and for the most part I've learned to not be this way myself, although I have lapses. How desireable would a yellow tang be if they were rare and expensive? Everyone would be dreaming about owning one.

Having said that, I have yet to run into a cheap coral. :?

Anyway, hard to beat Green Star Polyps in the bang for the buck category. I'm also fond of all types of mushrooms, pipe organ corals, leathers, encrusting Montiporas as well as M. digita.

I'm surprise anyone still likes GSPs, mushrooms, and leathers!



P.S. I have all three in my tank... And I too am fond of them. :wink:

 

[bleedingthought]

Oh, and I do understand why people would get LEs because of resale value. If you're looking to make a profit, I guess. Afterall, if I were a dog breeder I wouldn't really be looking to breed complete mutts!

But then again, we all must agree that there are still common, aquacultured, and most importantly beautiful corals out there that you don't have to trade in your tunzes for!

 

[Anonymous]

ORA

 

[bleedingthought]

What about ORA, Chris? :?

 

[fungia]

i like fungia plate corals, duh a nice splash of color and very hardy.

 

[Anonymous]

ORA has good frags that are aquacultured. Sometimes you can get them as frags from someone who has grown out a ORA coral. I have a few of those in my tank that I got pretty cheap, 10-15 dollar range. Good corals, cheap, aquaculutred.

 

[Anonymous]

My "Phoenix" Cap is my favorite, nice super bright orange montipora cap, pink polyps, pink rim, came back from the dead too (hence the name ).