Why do I like small , grey-brown fishes and non-trendy corals? Why do I covet fishes, and even corals that most people find rather uninteresting? Why do I get excited about wild guppies, tan Acros, and steel-grey blennies, way more than I do about almost any other fishes and corals? Do I not get out enough? Am I too cool to jump on the bandwagon of new fishes and corals? Or, could it simply be that, after several decades in the hobby- I’ve learned to be honest with myself about what I like? Hmm…is there a lesson here? Or even a blog? Let’s see…
Common.
I get to see a lot of corals and fishes- a lot of really rare stuff. I don’t care how long you’ve been in the hobby or worked in the aquatics industry- when a new livestock shipment arrives and it’s time to break out the box cutters, even the most crusty fish person still gets a kind of giddy excitement, anticipating what is in the box.
Not too long ago, I was in the warehousewhen the shipment arrived. As usual, I hung around watching the crew open up the boxes to see what was swimming. "Designer" Acans? Crazy rare Scolys? No, this time, it was a box of pinkish maricultured Millies. The “bread and butter”, ultra “common” staples of the reef hobby, yawn-inducing for some, I suppose (at least it can be, when I offer them as a bonus to customers, I often hear, "I have a bunch of 'em already..."). Another box had some cool Yellowtail Damsels... Yawn?
Actually, I wasn’t yawning. I was admiring this brightly colored gems swimming in their bags, and considering what brought them here. Just a few days earlier, these little guys were happily swimming somewhere in their native Indo Pacific, thinking only of where their next meal was coming from, and ways to avoid becoming menu items for someone. What were they thinking now, I wondered? Who would end up buying them? What size aquarium would they spend the rest of their lives in? Would they be comfortable, well fed- or would they slowly waste away and die in agony? Do we ever think about this?
If it were collected 10 at a time, we'd go nuts over it. Right?
Was I being overly sentimental? Stupidly self-righteous? Maybe. But I was contemplating; just for a second- how easy it is to take for granted what has become “common” to us. "Common" fishes and corals are staples in the aquarium hobby for a reason: They are beautiful, not trendy. Yet, they are interesting creatures. They are precious, regardless of the price tag- and they are worthy of our respect and admiration. They need not be expensive and flashy to be worthy of our admiration, do they? It almost sounds like heresy in this uber-trend-inducing, "check out this rare 1/4" frag of____ for $400" hobby phase we're in. (Honestly- I find the whole uber-trendy coral auction thing about as boring as anything...I'm serious...I'm personally sick of trying to get excited about overpriced 1/4" frags that "Everyone" thinks are "the bee's knees." Whatever. I'm being bratty. Ask me about the topic some other time.)
"Aw, darn...it's pink."
To further compound my theory, I needed only to a few aisles slip over in the facility to admire the (very ordinary!) “Blue Vermiculata” that we propagate continuously. Okay, on the surface, these bright blue corals are just plain awesome! But to many a "jaded reefer", they are about as unexciting (is that a word?) as a coral can get- a poster child for “haters”…seriously. But wait a minute. Have you ever even seen one in person? Maybe not that often. Probably because they are rather…well, common, and "hardcore coral collectors" (not sure what that even means any more) often spurn them. But man- that’s what’s so cool about them! They are different! Subtle. Imagine how awesome they’d look as contrasting players in a tank full of green or reddish Acros! If they had a goofy name, and we only released a few small frags of 'em no and again, would that make them "sought after?"
Think about the humble “Blue Streak Cardinalfish” Apagon leptocanthus. This little Indo Pacific fish looks for all the world like a freshwater Tetra from the Amazon, yet it’s a 100% marine…Subtly colored, yet somehow compelling. It sells out really fast. Why? I don’t know. I mean, why is a “Pokerstar Montipora” so hot? To each his own, I suppose. Could it be that we really, truly love the creatures of the sea for what they are? I believe we do!
The beauty of the aquarium hobby is that there really IS room for all sorts of fishes, plants and inverts. Pretty much every animal out there gets at least some love from the reef masses! Admit it- you’ve occasionally stared longingly at a brown coral in your LFS and wondered, right? You’ve contemplated purchasing that grey-brown Goby with the cute eyes before, huh? You may have even owned a Sinularia once!
Sexy.
I knew you were better than all of that. Think I was just being grumpy again...gets old sometimes, huh?
There is hope for the hobby after all…Long live the dull! Who loves the grey fishes and "tan" corals? WE do.
Until next time…
Stay Wet
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Common.
I get to see a lot of corals and fishes- a lot of really rare stuff. I don’t care how long you’ve been in the hobby or worked in the aquatics industry- when a new livestock shipment arrives and it’s time to break out the box cutters, even the most crusty fish person still gets a kind of giddy excitement, anticipating what is in the box.
Not too long ago, I was in the warehousewhen the shipment arrived. As usual, I hung around watching the crew open up the boxes to see what was swimming. "Designer" Acans? Crazy rare Scolys? No, this time, it was a box of pinkish maricultured Millies. The “bread and butter”, ultra “common” staples of the reef hobby, yawn-inducing for some, I suppose (at least it can be, when I offer them as a bonus to customers, I often hear, "I have a bunch of 'em already..."). Another box had some cool Yellowtail Damsels... Yawn?
Actually, I wasn’t yawning. I was admiring this brightly colored gems swimming in their bags, and considering what brought them here. Just a few days earlier, these little guys were happily swimming somewhere in their native Indo Pacific, thinking only of where their next meal was coming from, and ways to avoid becoming menu items for someone. What were they thinking now, I wondered? Who would end up buying them? What size aquarium would they spend the rest of their lives in? Would they be comfortable, well fed- or would they slowly waste away and die in agony? Do we ever think about this?
If it were collected 10 at a time, we'd go nuts over it. Right?
Was I being overly sentimental? Stupidly self-righteous? Maybe. But I was contemplating; just for a second- how easy it is to take for granted what has become “common” to us. "Common" fishes and corals are staples in the aquarium hobby for a reason: They are beautiful, not trendy. Yet, they are interesting creatures. They are precious, regardless of the price tag- and they are worthy of our respect and admiration. They need not be expensive and flashy to be worthy of our admiration, do they? It almost sounds like heresy in this uber-trend-inducing, "check out this rare 1/4" frag of____ for $400" hobby phase we're in. (Honestly- I find the whole uber-trendy coral auction thing about as boring as anything...I'm serious...I'm personally sick of trying to get excited about overpriced 1/4" frags that "Everyone" thinks are "the bee's knees." Whatever. I'm being bratty. Ask me about the topic some other time.)
"Aw, darn...it's pink."
To further compound my theory, I needed only to a few aisles slip over in the facility to admire the (very ordinary!) “Blue Vermiculata” that we propagate continuously. Okay, on the surface, these bright blue corals are just plain awesome! But to many a "jaded reefer", they are about as unexciting (is that a word?) as a coral can get- a poster child for “haters”…seriously. But wait a minute. Have you ever even seen one in person? Maybe not that often. Probably because they are rather…well, common, and "hardcore coral collectors" (not sure what that even means any more) often spurn them. But man- that’s what’s so cool about them! They are different! Subtle. Imagine how awesome they’d look as contrasting players in a tank full of green or reddish Acros! If they had a goofy name, and we only released a few small frags of 'em no and again, would that make them "sought after?"
Think about the humble “Blue Streak Cardinalfish” Apagon leptocanthus. This little Indo Pacific fish looks for all the world like a freshwater Tetra from the Amazon, yet it’s a 100% marine…Subtly colored, yet somehow compelling. It sells out really fast. Why? I don’t know. I mean, why is a “Pokerstar Montipora” so hot? To each his own, I suppose. Could it be that we really, truly love the creatures of the sea for what they are? I believe we do!
The beauty of the aquarium hobby is that there really IS room for all sorts of fishes, plants and inverts. Pretty much every animal out there gets at least some love from the reef masses! Admit it- you’ve occasionally stared longingly at a brown coral in your LFS and wondered, right? You’ve contemplated purchasing that grey-brown Goby with the cute eyes before, huh? You may have even owned a Sinularia once!
Sexy.
I knew you were better than all of that. Think I was just being grumpy again...gets old sometimes, huh?
There is hope for the hobby after all…Long live the dull! Who loves the grey fishes and "tan" corals? WE do.
Until next time…
Stay Wet
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
