Do all reefers experience the Great Green Purge?

[slogan315]

As my tank is finally hitting a stride, all I see is neon green when I squint. Talking to more experienced local reefers, they laugh and call it the Great Green Purge. Green corals tend to be common and resilient for beginners, making the color take over your tank if you’re not careful. To get more variety, you eventually have to purge some of the greens to make room for other colors.

That got me thinking - Does every reefer go through the Great Green Purge at some point in their journey?

 

[vlangel]

The first time I noticed that phenomenon in my tank it was the great pinkish brown purge. I actually started to intentionally choose some of the greens to get more variety of color, haha!

 

[slogan315]

The first time I noticed that phenomenon in my tank it was the great pinkish brown purge. I actually started to intentionally choose some of the greens to get more variety of color, haha!

Ha! Maybe we should do some trading

 

[vlangel]

Ha! Maybe we should do some trading

That would have been great but my experience was 20 years ago! Uhhg, I guess that means I am pretty old!!!

 

[skey44]

I’m aware that I’m putting in a lot of green corals, but I’m ok with it. Neon green is a really cool color under the blues. I’m only getting greens that are especially vibrant to thwart off this purge early. So far I have neon green caulastrea, raja rampage, an unknown acro, and lime light hydrophora. I’m happy with all these greens and think I will remain that way. Starting to look for other colors though. I’m probably done with green for now!

 

[rhitee93]

I haven't heard the term, but I noticed my tank trending towards green about 6 months in and started proactively looking for other colors.

 

[slogan315]

I would buy a variety of colors but the greens always seemed to be the ones to make it through my beginner mistakes!

 

[edsbeaker]

Isn’t this what Acans and Zoas are for? I do have a LOT of green too, especially since I have predominantly softies and LPS. So zoas, acans, and mushrooms help out with that added splash of rainbow colors to balance it out.

 

[skey44]

Isn’t this what Acans and Zoas are for? I do have a LOT of green too, especially since I have predominantly softies and LPS. So zoas, acans, and mushrooms help out with that added splash of rainbow colors to balance it out.

Those do seem to be the cheaper rainbows of color available. There are so many aquacultured non-green corals now. I feel like you can get a good hardy rainbow colored anything these days. As long as you’re willing to pay.

Another point I just thought of… green HG torches are the most expensive of their species… weird.

 

[Joe.D]

I was told early on from one of the people at my LFS who warned me about getting too much green, so 2.5 years in, I’ve been pretty good about limiting green - other than GSP (which, I like looking at, but wishing I never out it into my tank with how much it spreads). I had a neon green torch that I liked, but my nem took it out. Right now I have a Duncan, a greenish hammer and 2 Rasta Zoa’s (my wife likes them).

Oops - see, here you go. I was wrong. I almost forgot, I have a few green SPS, a leather and a mushroom too. No more green though. I won’t add them. I’m done. Seriously.

 

[betareef]

I avoided buying green coral as I thought it could clash with my green algae

 

[UMALUM]

Gotta try and mix em up....

 

[fish farmer]

I would buy a variety of colors but the greens always seemed to be the ones to make it through my beginner mistakes!

I seem to have better luck with greens. But did add pink and red palys which are doing very well, but that might be a bad thing. I have some red favites, but they don't pop like green.

 

[VintageReefer]

I’ve ended up with all green tank and a key concept on my tank is to not let that happen again

 

[saltcats]

I've been trying to be careful about my colours from the start (although I seem to really like reddish-oranges. Why did I buy like 5 different red zoas?) to avoid this! It helps that I also don't really like the specific neon green that occurs most commonly in corals too

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I can relate completely! Mine were as one post pointed out the pinkish tan corals. Decades ago but Kenya tree, Sinularious, bushy tan gorgonians etc.
when I decided to upgrade to a larger tank, it was by-by tan hello color! Good observation, it’s definitely a thing.

 

[Devilfish]

I’m don’t even have water in the tank yet but read the title and thought “ yeah, I’m definitely purging cash on this thing.”

 

[Saffer1]

I wholeheartedly agree, green corals definitely seem to dominate. I have an enormous toxic green hammer coral, duncans, palyas and favia.

I have tried to offset this with bam bam and god of fire zoas, some red and pink gonioporaa and golden lepto. Have just added a small garden of Australian acan lord frags (big colonies are way beyond my budget!).

 

[JayM]

My only experience with purging green is when my GHA finally started to die off.

 

[kingranch2003]

I’m aware that I’m putting in a lot of green corals, but I’m ok with it. Neon green is a really cool color under the blues. I’m only getting greens that are especially vibrant to thwart off this purge early. So far I have neon green caulastrea, raja rampage, an unknown acro, and lime light hydrophora. I’m happy with all these greens and think I will remain that way. Starting to look for other colors though. I’m probably done with green for now!

I wouldn't purge anything from that tank lol