Naming Acans
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: LPS
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions LPS corals.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=59590
Printed Date: April 30 2025 at 1:18am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Naming Acans
Posted By: Ann_A
Subject: Naming Acans
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 7:29pm
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Ok, so here's the deal... There are too many names for single acan types! We buy an acan from one dealer under one name, and another from a different dealer, but they're the same coral. I would like to suggest that us forum members pool our resources and create an acan name database. It doesn't exactly have to be official, but I think if there was a large collection of acans listed under names, and we could get some vendors on board, we could probably get some of the current confusion regarding acans, resolved. Anyone else think this is a good idea? ------------- http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=53856&title=annes-65g-rsm-reef" rel="nofollow - RSM 250 Reef |
Replies:
Posted By: Nails12
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 8:33pm
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Agreed. I like how Zoaid is set up but there lps section lacks.. ------------- This is more than a hobby; its a lifestyle. |
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 8:51pm
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I'm sorry, but this naming thing is out of control. If you want to name colors of Acan's (like Zoaid.com already does) then fine. The problem I have is that everyone takes corals that look a lot like the "Tyree Icefire", start calling it the Icefire, and then start charging a ton...when the lineage is gone...and it's just another hacked up coral. Lineaged corals cost more for a reason - they maintain their color, are several generations old, etc. Please don't start using names companies already use on your corals if they don't have lineage as that breaks the lineage...and everyone thinks they have something more valuable than they do. My rant is over. And btw (sorry...apparently not over)...I'm going to call my favorite Acan the "razzle dazzle sparkly spazzle" acan because I feel like it. And that's all there is to it. Ok, now I'm done. |
Posted By: BillyC
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 9:07pm
Lol! Same thought goes through my head when I see people asking for names on the corals they just bought at the LFS. |
ReefdUp wrote:Posted By: DLindquist
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 9:17pm
What Billy, you don't think the $10 bin has Tyree named corals? How about some Jason Fox originals?  ------------- A government strong enough to give you everything you want, is powerful enough to take everything you have. |
Posted By: Teknik777
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 9:21pm
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In the long run its always worth buying corals with lineage. Like Nikki said its know to last and keep its color hence the reason it costs more. ------------- 220 G SPS Display. |
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 9:28pm
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I'm sorry I went off on a rant. If you were to do this, I suggest you find names that most people associate with certain color morphs like they do with some zoanthids. Take the Eagle Eye zoanthids...there's no lineage there, but everyone knows what you're talking about. You just don't want to stick a name like the "Tropical Delight" on an acan that is orange and green...because everyone will assume (for whatever insane reason) that it's the Jason Fox Tropical Delight...and then charge $60 for a frag rather than the $15 it probably should go for. Titles like "bleeding apple", "reverse bleeding apple", "green bay packers," "eagle eyes," etc aren't tied to lineage as far as I know. Those things are probably ok. Don't use things like "Icefire", "Kamikazi," "Purple Rain," "Jokers," "Superman," "Sunset," etc. See what I mean? It can get messy really fast. I wasn't trying to be rude, but this has been an issue for years, and I'd hate to see it get worse. |
Posted By: jwoo
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 9:40pm
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Nikki is spot on with this. When I started in the hobby there were very very few named corals. Hell you'd NEVER see a named coral in a fish store or vendor because they were so RARE and expensive. But then pretty soon EVERYTHING was getting named . . . it got out of control on Zoa's and then Acans and SPS. Recently I saw open brains and blastos with names! The brain coral was something you could pick up at any store in the nation for $30 but because it was "named" it was $70! Completely out of control. There are a few stores and online vendors that sale corals by their latin names and if they have lineage they will specify that lineage to you. I only buy from these people because they think the name thing is as crazy as I do and they sell for half the cost. A year ago some guy came to my house and saw the awesome Zoa garden I had. He couldn't believe I had these Pink Radical something or others! Wanted to pay me $10 a head! I had bought the entire rock for $15 with probably 50 heads . . . crazy. I had to explain to him that they were nothing special. He didn't believe me and thought I was the crazy one. ------------- None at the moment Soon: 72 Gallon Bowfront |
Posted By: jbutler
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 9:57pm
^^^^ What Nikki said. 
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Posted By: pgravis
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 10:08pm
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While we are ranting, remember when a colony actually meant something!!? (ok, I don't know if I do either!) Seriously, if its not bigger than a frag plug or have more than a couple branches is it really a colony? Sorry for the off topic rant/hijack ------------- See my house: www.eclecticvictorian.com |
Posted By: Nails12
Date Posted: October 10 2012 at 10:10pm
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I like the idea dont get me wrong, but they system would have to be perfect, and have some what of a validation with the lineage.. Oh there should be a lineage website... So if you buy something from so and so you can say you have it and it continues almost like a family tree.. haha... I dunno though cause with out naming it would be hard to sell coral for instance...Which one would you click on.. FS: Tyree Space Monster or FS: Green and Purple Zoanthids? With out the names i dont think the hobby would be the same... But on the other hand, ive had someone try to sell me fire and ice, and it looked like crap... So i dunno i can see it other way. ------------- This is more than a hobby; its a lifestyle. |
Posted By: rfoote
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 6:01am
| I couldn't tell you the cosmetic/fancy name of a single one of my coral... I also think the whole lineage thing could be debated pretty hard. |
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 6:25am
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Personally, I'd rather have a 1/2" frag that was captive grown for several generations, has held its color, isn't infected with various coral diseases/pests than to get a 5+" colony that was hacked out of the ocean, will probably take a year to get its true color (if ever), and brings in all sorts of pests, diseases, and won't fit anywhere in my tank. But, that's me. If that's not you, then fine. Just don't try to stick a name that's already been used on it. Make one up if you really have to have it "named." The lineage/naming thing exists for a reason, and corals weren't the first hobby to have it. All sorts of plants, especially orchids, have lineaged names as well (but they're also tied to more hybrids where the DNA is known.) For instance, there's "Twinkle Fragrance Fantasy," "Sharry Baby," "Elven Magic," etc. These common lineage names are published in books right alongside the Latin name. If I buy an orchid without lineage, I can't just throw a name on there as it could be a slightly different hybrid. At that point, it's just a pretty orchid. |
Posted By: rfoote
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 6:42am
Yep, and I'm just fine with that. Biggest issue I have with coral lineage is first the validity of it, nothing is papered, registered, proven DNA, etc. Second is the intent of exploitation from the beginning. Lastly is; more so in other hobby, care and husbandry factor into the quality of the product. Just because there is a 10 time removed "joe bob's psychedelic purple eater" from the mother colonly that has been treated differently and through completely dissimilar environment variables means little to me. |
Posted By: Molli
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 7:34am
| I'm 100% in agreement with you ReefdUp .. and I'll add my 2 cents. If people would quit paying the stupid high prices for something the size of a lima bean just because it has a name, the prices would go down. Heck I don't even keep track of the names of the corals I buy. If I ever need to sell any of them, its going to be "hey I have a multicolored acan .. or I have a blue and pink chalice, etc." LOL |
Posted By: BillyC
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 7:52am
| There should be a good article written about coral naming/lineage/etc and posted as a "sticky" in every forum. It really is a very confusing and misunderstood thing especially amongst new hobbyists. |
Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 9:06am
| I agree completly with most of what has already been said. Here is my opinion on the lineage thing. jason fox, tyree , sexy corals etc release new corals all the time. Nikki you act as if they are captive raised from the begining. No they get their corals from the ocean the same as every other supplier. They are the problem not the solution. They are the ones slapping the fancy name and charging way more than the species is worth. Granted it frustrates me and most reefers when joe smoe buys something for a few bucks then copies the LE or signature name and tries to sell it for big$$. But in the same breath what gives these high end companies the right to name something anymore than joe smoe? I think the whole coral name game is a complete joke and only works because people like to feel like they have something nobody else has or can afford... |
Posted By: rfoote
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 9:10am
Couldn't agree more! |
Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 9:15am
| Now dont get me wrong I love high end coral in fact my tank is full of it. However I could.care less about the names if it or if it was once in tyree's tanks. If it has awesome color and is cool looking it doesn't matter to me if it has lineage or not. |
Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 11:31am
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I've been planning to write on this topic on my blog for a while. I guess I should get on it. I haven't kept up with Tyree and others in the last fee years, but in the old days, named corals were NOT just hacked out of the ocean and slapped with a cool name. Tyree travelled all over and would get small frags of amazing corals to grow out. If they were up to his standard, he'd name them then sell them. While he evaluated them, he would sell frags at a normal price since he wasn't sure how they would do in various captivity systems. Now, what is wrong with that? He spent years sometimes evaluating corals to make sure they were perfect. That takes time! Whenever I buy a lineaged coral, I keep the documentation, and I try to give copies of the documentation whenever I sell the coral. I also try to keep records of who I sell to so its easy to trace. Now, of course, there are copycats in the vendor and hobbyist world who just take a new colony out of the ocean, hack it up and put a new name on it (strawberry shortcake anyone?) Yes, this is wrong. Buyers should not consider this worth as high of a price...or worth keeping lineage on. And yes, there are people who just want what no one else has and are willing to drop the cash. If we want this system fixed...get documentation on lineage. Give documentation. Don't buy hacked up corals for insane prices. Support places like ORA that grow out corals to ensure their health before selling. Be responsible. |
Posted By: BillyC
Date Posted: October 11 2012 at 3:27pm
| In order to not distract from Anne's thread, I started a lineage discussion thread in the General Dicussion forum. |