This is controversial so bear with me.
We have been in the hobby since 2010 that’s 16 years of uninterrupted care of corals and fish. That means we have learned our basics from websites like Reef Central or R2R. Having that knowledge and constantly learning about challenges of reef keeping we are always trying to point our customers and friends in a right direction. Unfortunately with the popularity of social networks all the sudden everyone is an expert even that anonymous user! Social media is full of forums and people asking for help. HELP! My coral is dying, my coral is This may be controversial, so please bear with me.
We have been in this hobby since 2010 — that’s 16 years of uninterrupted care of corals and fish. During that time, we learned our basics from resources like Reef Central and Reef2Reef, and we have continued learning ever since. Because of this experience, we always try to guide our customers and friends in the right direction.
Unfortunately, with the popularity of social media, suddenly everyone is an expert — even anonymous users.
Social platforms are full of forums and people asking for help: “My coral is dying,” “my coral is closed,” “my coral is not doing well.” They post basic water chemistry results, and then Pandora’s box opens. People notice one abnormality and immediately blame the coral’s decline on it.
But in all our years in this hobby, I have rarely seen anyone ask one very important question:
Where did the coral come from?
Unfortunately, most corals purchased from local fish stores come from the wild. Do you know what that means?
That coral was grown in the ocean, then removed, kept in a collector’s tank for a few days, and shipped around the world to wholesalers. After that, your local fish store buys that small colony, which is shipped again. The store then cuts it into multiple pieces and offers it for sale.
And what does that mean for you?
In our 16 years of experience, we have noticed a clear trend: most wild corals (close to 80%) do not last more than six months in captivity. We have countless customers who confirm this as well. You buy a beautiful hammer or torch coral, it looks great, opens fully, and thrives… and then suddenly it starts to lose tissue and dies.
We have even seen corals split shortly before dying. Yes — as a last resort, we believe some corals split as a defense mechanism, trying to save themselves.
Now consider aquacultured coral.
Aquacultured coral is exactly that — grown in captivity. Born and raised in a tank, in stable conditions, consistent water chemistry, and without the stress of collection and long shipping chains.
Instead of struggling to survive, aquaculture coral often triples in size within six months.
That is the difference.