Legacy/Older Import Corals Worth Keeping

[Surf985]

So I ended up down an interesting rabbit hole and was curious what the forum thought.

I recently got a Fox Coral (or Jasmine/Ridge Coral) frag. After some additional research, I learned that this was a once-popular species more commonly found in the earlier days of the hobby. Like many other corals, the internet says it's since faded away for more colorful corals. I'm just now stumbling upon it after several years of having a tank. It's - apparently - a fairly easy coral, and the large colonies can be a really impressive statement piece once it gets large. Even better: I got a decent sized frag for dirt cheap.

I'm starting to wonder how many other cool and keepable species have slipped past and have slowly become harder to find - or just generally overlooked. In the case of the Fox coral where there may be reduced imports (if any), what are your thoughts on aquaculture of these once popular species? Are they worth propagating, or should we keep replacing their spot in the local shops with more colorful zoas and other sps varieties?

If you have something you think is worth boosting popularity, include a photo if you have one!
[Photo isn't mine, but a colony example I found on Google for reference since mine is a bit too small to show good form]

 

[Pickle_soup]

Two of my old favorites.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Two of my old favorites. Not sure if the Bubble unpopular, but it seems that it doesn't appear in many tanks now.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

With the popularity of blue light that fluoresce multiple colored corals, your mono colored and blue corals fall by the wayside. Same goes for blue colored coral.

One coral that comes to mind that commanded a lot of money back then ($30 for a frag) was the Oregon Tort. A stunning blue acro that doesn't get the love it once did because of progress in tank lighting.

It's on the right of this photo

 

[Surf985]

I actually mentioned then cut bubbles initially, @Pickle_soup! When I first got into the hobby, the local shop had them at insane prices. Now, I could actually buy them around the typical euphyllia range and have considered them - though there's maybe one, if any, in the shop now.

@Sisterlimonpot interesting callout on blues. I've maybe stumbled on one or two online, but haven't really considered them because they're burried amongst other sticks. Its a cool piece, though, and one I'd definitely keep if I find one.

I did just find a pink branching cyphastrea, which seems a lot more uncommon than it should be.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I did just find a pink branching cyphastrea, which seems a lot more uncommon than it should be.

Definitely, that one is a coral that never really had much of the spot light. Although a great coral, I have that on in my tank somewhere.

If I had to guess, that one wasn't sought after early on because it blended in with coralline.

 

[Pickle_soup]

You gave me an idea, I think I might just go with old-school corals in my tank. It's pretty much what I have in my qt right now anyway.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Crazy part is that Ive been looking for a fox coral, cant find locally to save my life. My large tank is zoa/softie dominated along with some LPS, so I'm always hunting for old school stuff.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Love me a blue Tort!

 

[DirectCherry]

Two of my old favorites.

What is the orange and yellow one called? That's stunning!

 

[Pickle_soup]

What is the orange and yellow one called? That's stunning!

Typically a sun coral. They are hard to keep because they need to be consistently spot-fed. If you work from home, it works, otherwise, it's really hard. They are beautiful thou.

 

[Surf985]

You gave me an idea, I think I might just go with old-school corals in my tank. It's pretty much what I have in my qt right now anyway.

I kinda had the same thought. Usually have more research, leading to better success. Likely aquacultured and more forgiving than wild pieces. Better prices because they're almost always trade ins or shop frags. Just takes identifying and discovering.

 

[Surf985]

Crazy part is that Ive been looking for a fox coral, cant find locally to save my life. My large tank is zoa/softie dominated along with some LPS, so I'm always hunting for old school stuff.

They've got a few frags here at coral bargain warehouse in Lakeland, FL! Rod may ship- could ask?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following this, this is actually a really interesting question.

 

[blecki]

Seems like the big leathers everyone used to have are heading that way. I have a giant sinularia but... well, it's brown. Nobody wants a big brown tree.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Seems like the big leathers everyone used to have are heading that way. I have a giant sinularia but... well, it's brown. Nobody wants a big brown tree.

Yup. Noticing it going full circle. IMHO folks are being priced out of the sps game, so now you will see supercaliflawjalisticeexpialadoshus kenya trees for 300$. Even though I have a frag rack full of them and cant givem away.

 

[blecki]

On the other hand the last time I cut this thing the parent colony melted and I had to grow a new one from one of the frags so nobody is ever getting a piece of it ever again.

 

[jda]

Torches, frogspawn and hammers were left for dead about a decade ago. Chalices and acans before that.

In the acropora world, many got left behind during the trick-light tenuis craze including speciosa which are super hot right now.

Most corals cycle. I still love fox coral. Elegance was once one of the most sought after corals in the hobby. They will all be back someday.

 

[reveriesh]

So I ended up down an interesting rabbit hole and was curious what the forum thought.

I recently got a Fox Coral (or Jasmine/Ridge Coral) frag. After some additional research, I learned that this was a once-popular species more commonly found in the earlier days of the hobby. Like many other corals, the internet says it's since faded away for more colorful corals. I'm just now stumbling upon it after several years of having a tank. It's - apparently - a fairly easy coral, and the large colonies can be a really impressive statement piece once it gets large. Even better: I got a decent sized frag for dirt cheap.

I'm starting to wonder how many other cool and keepable species have slipped past and have slowly become harder to find - or just generally overlooked. In the case of the Fox coral where there may be reduced imports (if any), what are your thoughts on aquaculture of these once popular species? Are they worth propagating, or should we keep replacing their spot in the local shops with more colorful zoas and other sps varieties?

If you have something you think is worth boosting popularity, include a photo if you have one!
[Photo isn't mine, but a colony example I found on Google for reference since mine is a bit too small to show good form]

I can’t believe you posted this…I just bought a fox a few weeks ago when I stopped by a store that was a couple of hours from my house because I was in the area. They had only 1 and I had never seen or even heard of them before (I’ve only been in the hobby for a year) but fell in love with it. Technically a “rescue coral” because it was white (which I still thought was beautiful), but it’s starting to turn à beautiful shade of soft green. Maybe one of the reasons I love it is that it’s not as “flashy” as those that everyone gravitates towards (often, myself included). It’s enjoyable to have something a bit understated that captures your eye after you settle in to enjoy your tank.

Interestingly, when I told the crew at my LFS they kind of looked at me with blank stares, trying to figure out how I could be so taken by such a “simple” coral.

 

[tigre44]

I think mushroom corals might fall in this category. I have a Tonga blue that is about 13 yrs old and a red that about the same age hardly ever see mushrooms discussed