How to ID LPS before having to come on here and ask for ID

[H-TownMike]

Ok Maybe the biggest noob question ever but as someone new getting into LPS coral how is someone supposed to be able to ID coral to know whether or not its a good deal bad deal what kind is what ??I see way too many post where i bought this type of coral from my LFS said it was this and then on here they tell them nope its a this kinda of coral. Is there a guide that says a blue green HG hammer should have this appearance or a firework torch should have these colors ?? Or is there just too many variants to be able to do something like this ??

 

[dakoop]

There are too many options. You can always Google before you buy

 

[tbrown]

Google...

One thing about corals though, if you want it and are willing to pay for it it's a good deal for you. Some people are willing to pay for an HG (Holy Grail) and do so. Pricing will depend mainly on who the seller is. Some corals will be lower priced from different sellers for the same product.

One thing, just like any coral, look for healthy corals with no visible parasites or pests in the tank (not just on the frag plug).

 

[tbrown]

Torch Coral ID

Torch Coral ID is a very popular question lately. It's hard to say the exact reason why, but there is good reason to know what torch coral you are looking at.

www.reefstable.com

 

[H-TownMike]

Thanks for the ID Guide for Torches. I will use that more when I start buying them. I just bought 4 Hammers and I am quickly seeing they dont quite look like what I saw at the LFS (granted they have only been in the tank a few hours ) . What type are they I have no clue they were on the $15 rack I thought they looked cool so I bought them. So what is it that makes a Hammer or a Torch a HG ?? brighter color variant rare color pattern ?

 

[tbrown]

Different corals have different "requirements" for HG. I rarely pay attention to any of that though. If the color is nice and I want it, I look at the price and decide. Too many corals that are Ultra or HG or Rainbow are only those colors in their tank. Your parameters and lighting will like cause some color shifting.

 

[H-TownMike]

Different corals have different "requirements" for HG. I rarely pay attention to any of that though. If the color is nice and I want it, I look at the price and decide. Too many corals that are Ultra or HG or Rainbow are only those colors in their tank. Your parameters and lighting will like cause some color shifting.

Ok well that seems like what I am doing at this point I like them and they look good and priced right Ill buy them. Right now I am only buying off of the $15 dollar rack to make sure I can keep them long term before I go and start investing in high priced LPS. Thank you so much for the insight.

 

[VintageReefer]

Thanks for the ID Guide for Torches. I will use that more when I start buying them. I just bought 4 Hammers and I am quickly seeing they dont quite look like what I saw at the LFS (granted they have only been in the tank a few hours ) . What type are they I have no clue they were on the $15 rack I thought they looked cool so I bought them. So what is it that makes a Hammer or a Torch a HG ?? brighter color variant rare color pattern ?

Holy Grail torches are hard to describe - it’s a very bright yellowish greenish mix. It’s not green. It’s not yellow. It’s an in between color/mix of the two

Bananas are pure yellow

and banana grails are pure yellow with green base

 

[VintageReefer]

Indo 24k. Malaysian Sun god

Note - Malaysian is typically thicker / fatter tentacles compared to indo

24k has a lot of variants with subtle differences. They all typically are gold / purple divided long ways - the purple and gold both travel to the end of the tentacle

Compare to banana grail in my eariler post where the color is divided on the short way. it’s solid green. Then becomes solid yellow

 

[H-TownMike]

The Banana is on my list of ones to get eventually but not anytime soon. and also thanks for the input and knowledge

 

[tbrown]

Ok well that seems like what I am doing at this point I like them and they look good and priced right Ill buy them. Right now I am only buying off of the $15 dollar rack to make sure I can keep them long term before I go and start investing in high priced LPS. Thank you so much for the insight.

I always shoot for the $5-$20 for most corals unless it's one I really want and I'll do $45-$60 for those.

 

[KrisReef]

Holy Grail torches are hard to describe - it’s a very bright yellowish greenish mix. It’s not green. It’s not yellow. It’s an in between color/mix of the two

Bananas are pure yellow

and banana grails are pure yellow with green base

This is a good response and resource for folks to consider but I have not seen any evidence that there is a standard for hobby corals that everyone recognizes when discussing hobby corals and color assignments that is similar to precious metals and natural stones and elements.

Add to this confusion (or lack of distinction) is the lighting that people use in the hobby is as broad as the spectrum, so that I have seen fishes in lfs’s that looked so spectacular that I considered setting up a new tank.

 

[VintageReefer]

The Banana is on my list of ones to get eventually but not anytime soon. and also thanks for the input and knowledge

When you are ready, if you need help sourcing one, feel free to reach out to me for recommendations / suppliers. Banana and banana grail is one of the harder ones to get.

 

[H-TownMike]

When you are ready, if you need help sourcing one, feel free to reach out to me for recommendations / suppliers. Banana and banana grail is one of the harder ones to get.

I will do my tank is just over 4 months and I know a Torch especially a high end one requires a very stable and mature tank and I know I am not there yet.

 

[VintageReefer]

This is a good response and resource for folks to consider but I have not seen any evidence that there is a standard for hobby corals that everyone recognizes when discussing hobby corals and color assignments that is similar to precious metals and natural stones and elements.

Add to this confusion (or lack of distinction) is the lighting that people use in the hobby is as broad as the spectrum, so that I have seen fishes in lfs’s that looked so spectacular that I considered setting up a new tank.

Grails walk a fine line between “neon green” and “neon yellow green”

A lot of fakes out there take neon green torch, throw on some filters or editing, and sell them claiming to be a 500$ grail.

Banana (and some others like torch of the gods) are yellow regardless of lighting


White only

Blues

Daylight

 

[ScottJ]

I always shoot for the $5-$20 for most corals unless it's one I really want and I'll do $45-$60 for those.

I agree, except my cut off is $30. And that's only if I really, really like it. Unfortunately, my LFS is usually higher than that, so I buy mostly at a live sale- auction. I live close enough to do local pick up, so that helps out a lot.

 

[dakoop]

I agree, except my cut off is $30. And that's only if I really, really like it. Unfortunately, my LFS is usually higher than that, so I buy mostly at a live sale- auction. I live close enough to do local pick up, so that helps out a lot.

I can't even buy aptaisia in that price range

 

[ScottJ]

I can't even buy aptaisia in that price range

Needless to say, I don't have a Holy Grail anything.

 

[tbrown]

I can't even buy aptaisia in that price range

Time to find a new LFS? Mine has a $5 rack, $10, $15, $25 and then up from there.

 

[encrustingacro]

Most corals--especially LPS--are misidentified in the hobby, and there really isn't a good all-around source for ID guides. Joe Rowlett's Indo-Pacific Corals and Russell Kelly's Coral Finder are some decent sources, though Kelly's guide doesn't go as in-depth into species-level ID and Rowlett's book is a tad bit outdated. I would recommend reading and looking at the photos provided in the reclassification studies, and looking at the type material and original descriptions.