Mental hopscotch- the coral name game and it's effects on the human mind. Case in point...
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Agreed fully. I think.. Got lost a few times in there haha. I think the name game started great. Gave an easy way to know what coral someone was talking about. The problem came in when money took over and everyone started to throw their hats in the ring. "My coral is better then your coral" even though they both probably came from the same shipments. Then everyone felt the need to give theirs it's own name because after all, it was way cooler then the other one already out they so can't possibly be the same coral.
Once that happened it was all over, in came the capitalist, followed shortly by caos. After all, that is the american way right? I would be a great example of this problem myself. Heck I was at the start of the name game and can prove it. You can go to my old photobucket and find corals with names and pics time stamped and dated back to 1998. Heck those are even scanned pictured because I did not have a digital camera. Haha. Those same corals you can see today with 15 different names and prices that can blow ones mind. It really shows what the marketing machine has done to the hobby.
On the flip side of the coin however, there is an argument to made that the same thing that some view as hurting the hobby is the very same thing that brought it out to the masses and rebirthed the hobby. When we started this whole thing it was a feat to keep even a clownfish alive. Corals where once though impossible to all but the best keepers. If the hobby did not get sensationalized, less people would be in the hobby, which would mean less experimentation and in turn less progress. No matter what you stance is on he subject , there is definitely some reorganization that needs to take place.
Once that happened it was all over, in came the capitalist, followed shortly by caos. After all, that is the american way right? I would be a great example of this problem myself. Heck I was at the start of the name game and can prove it. You can go to my old photobucket and find corals with names and pics time stamped and dated back to 1998. Heck those are even scanned pictured because I did not have a digital camera. Haha. Those same corals you can see today with 15 different names and prices that can blow ones mind. It really shows what the marketing machine has done to the hobby.
On the flip side of the coin however, there is an argument to made that the same thing that some view as hurting the hobby is the very same thing that brought it out to the masses and rebirthed the hobby. When we started this whole thing it was a feat to keep even a clownfish alive. Corals where once though impossible to all but the best keepers. If the hobby did not get sensationalized, less people would be in the hobby, which would mean less experimentation and in turn less progress. No matter what you stance is on he subject , there is definitely some reorganization that needs to take place.
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OP
Actually, you don't want to see me on caffeine! Trust me. :dance:
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I agree with both points....Here is a weird problem that arises, however:
We (UC) have HUGE inventory, a 6,000 sq foot warehouse with 6 30 foot long raceways filled with thousands of corals, both propagated and imported. At any given time, we will have only 300-400 items or so on the website. People will come into our warehouse and look at some of the stuff we have in our raceways, either growing out or just being held, and they'll say, "OMG, that's a 'Super Red Captiain America Gobsmasher Acropora!" And we'll be like, "Well, it came in from the mariculture facility as Acropora pichoni...So the dliemnna for us as marketers is, do we list the item as a (insert absurd name) and contribute to the hype, supporting some common reference for the coral within the community, or do we simply list the species and call it "Maricultured Acropora?" We always try to list the species name if known, and may add the popular name. It's funny.
Then, you'll get the other problem. Someone will "identify" the coral as the "XYZ Paly", telling us we're underpricing it if we don't list it as such. In an effort to provide common reference, and-let's be honest- to earn profit (that's the reason for being in a business)- we'll list it as such, and then hobbyists will say, "Oh, no- that's not the 'TRUE' XYZ Paly...as if there is some International Committee on Popular Name Nomenclature that regulates naming of coral morphs in the popular arena...It's strange. So, we try to keep our heads above the water as much as possible and just identify at the species level if possible, and call a coral "Green Acropora" or "XYZ Type" Paly, unless we know for sure that it is what has generally been identified as the specific color morph being discussed.
Crazy, huh?
And don't even start me on the "Red Dragon" Acropora...there are maybe three different species that sport this common moniker- each one slightly different...And no "central clearing house" for "proper" assignment of this name...It's like the wild west out there!
And of course, if we isolate and propagate a morph that we really like, have propagated in large quantities, and want to create some "proprietary buzz" on, we'll come up with a name for it. In a business, there needs to be some marketing differentiation. If you're not standing out from the clutter, you're contributing to it. On the other hand, it's all too easy to get caught up in the absurdity of naming everything...A fine line. And of course, vendor "A" might call the blue and white Paly the "Arctic Blast", and vendor "B" might call the Paly the "Blueberry Twist>" The public seems to grab on to the loudest voice, from what I can tell, so it's really even more confusing.I know that the Zoa and Paly crowd have at least tried to create some "generally accepted" names, but even then, it's absurdly hard for a vendor to comply with every possible popular name, even when the point is simply to provide an accurate frame of reference so that the poor hobbyist knows that he or she is getting the morph he or she wants..
Bottom line- buy the coral you want because you LIKE it, not because you need to have every crazy "named" morph out there...Just my 2 cents..
Enough to make your head spin, huh?
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cdness
2006 - Present
But it's a "Jedi Mind Trick" undata, right? "You don't need to see its identification.."
I totally agree with your recent rambling... I especially give you props for the Star Wars reference
Mental hopscotch- the coral name game and it's effects on the human mind. Cas...
Wont here me disagree, it's a very odd place we have backed ourselves into. danged it you do danged if you don't. To make the point even more clear I tried to get away from the name game and failed. Years ago I tried something on this very site. I put a coral for sale. Just the picture and simple description. I was asking only 25.00 SHIPPED. over three days I sold 15. Three weeks later I took the exact same picture. Gave it a fancy name and one of my pretty flyers to attach it to. This time I asked 55.00 shipped and sold 22 in less then 12 hours. After the experiment was done I contacted the buyers and refunded any difference and then wrote a blog about it. I got so much hate mail from other vendors from various sites that I ended up taking it down. Point is that now that the hobby has gone down this road I think it will be very very hard to turn it around now. To much money on the line. Wish that was not true but based on my testing in the marketplace it definitely seems to be the case
Wont here me disagree, it's a very odd place we have backed ourselves into. danged it you do danged if you don't. To make the point even more clear I tried to get away from the name game and failed. Years ago I tried something on this very site. I put a coral for sale. Just the picture and simple description. I was asking only 25.00 SHIPPED. over three days I sold 15. Three weeks later I took the exact same picture. Gave it a fancy name and one of my pretty flyers to attach it to. This time I asked 55.00 shipped and sold 22 in less then 12 hours. After the experiment was done I contacted the buyers and refunded any difference and then wrote a blog about it. I got so much hate mail from other vendors from various sites that I ended up taking it down. Point is that now that the hobby has gone down this road I think it will be very very hard to turn it around now. To much money on the line. Wish that was not true but based on my testing in the marketplace it definitely seems to be the case
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TriggerThis
Well-Known Member
I dabbled in the reptile industry for a while keeping boas and pythons.
The same name game thing happened in that hobby too.
Now as soon as ones born with a slightly different color variation it gets some crazy name put on it and the price goes to $4,000
Yet you can go to any pet store and find one that looks almost identical for $80.
Also dozens of "designer" boa websites went up in that same time that look identical to some of our designer coral sites.
It's a pyramid scheme and I'm glad I'm not buying into it.
If it looks good and the price is right I'll buy it. If it has a special name and you can trace the lineage I'm walking away.
Same with putting "Rainbow" in front of the name. I know what a rainbow looks like and that's NOT it. Lol
Good write up
The same name game thing happened in that hobby too.
Now as soon as ones born with a slightly different color variation it gets some crazy name put on it and the price goes to $4,000
Yet you can go to any pet store and find one that looks almost identical for $80.
Also dozens of "designer" boa websites went up in that same time that look identical to some of our designer coral sites.
It's a pyramid scheme and I'm glad I'm not buying into it.
If it looks good and the price is right I'll buy it. If it has a special name and you can trace the lineage I'm walking away.
Same with putting "Rainbow" in front of the name. I know what a rainbow looks like and that's NOT it. Lol
Good write up
TriggerThis
Well-Known Member
And elitereefs that ^^^^ is hilarious and sad at the same time.
But then again I guess everyone wants something special they can Bragg about and keeping up with the Jones's effect going on.
No one gets recognition for their tank being nice unless it's full of ORA, Cornbred, JF, or Sexy Corals frags. Even if they look the same as the ones you got at your local frag swap.
But then again I guess everyone wants something special they can Bragg about and keeping up with the Jones's effect going on.
No one gets recognition for their tank being nice unless it's full of ORA, Cornbred, JF, or Sexy Corals frags. Even if they look the same as the ones you got at your local frag swap.
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I totally agree with your recent rambling... I especially give you props for the Star Wars reference
"Yes, young Skywalker...Scientific names in the coral business are much like this lightsaber...An elegant weapon of a more civilized age...Before the dark side. Before the INTERNET..."
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This is one field where we as vendors seem to have the capability to "manipulate", at least to some extent- supply and demand..That's scary, IMO.
-Scott
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Yes, buy what you LIKE and don't be manipulated by names and photo enhancement...
Eienna
5000 Club Member
Yeah....I don't give a fig what a coral's name or lineage is. If I like the look (and if it's suitable for my tank, of course) I'll take it.
Actually, the marketing push of the "special" names can be a hindrance to a low-income hobbyist.
Actually, the marketing push of the "special" names can be a hindrance to a low-income hobbyist.
cdness
2006 - Present
Even though it has been taken down, I would be very interested to read what you wrote... If you have a copy, please send it to me.
GHill762
Valuable Member
:sly: :what: :screwy:
Not really sure what I just read, but it was entertaining.. It certainly is confusing. Heck, if you go to the aims website, scientific names are difficult enough, then we have our hobby nicknames, then each distributor has its le candy-rainbow-flamethrower-superhero version with a special name.. It's quite confusing.
I would also be interested in seeing the blog you mentioned about selling "name-brand" and "generic" versions of the same coral..
Not really sure what I just read, but it was entertaining.. It certainly is confusing. Heck, if you go to the aims website, scientific names are difficult enough, then we have our hobby nicknames, then each distributor has its le candy-rainbow-flamethrower-superhero version with a special name.. It's quite confusing.
I would also be interested in seeing the blog you mentioned about selling "name-brand" and "generic" versions of the same coral..
Eienna
5000 Club Member
Bills and eating always come first for us. I scrounge what I can for my tank with what's left, which makes perfect sense to me since it's one of the very few things I am still really able to enjoy since the fibromyalgia set in. It's just not much to work with, especially after the essentials such as pure water, salt mix, and fish food. Sometimes I get blessed and have a month where I can buy myself a new fish or small frag, or *gasp* add or upgrade a piece of equipment! Usually I get stuck with having to replace a filter or something that's broken...but I think it makes me treasure what I do have all the more.
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