Frags vs Colonies

[reewik]

I am trying to decide on buying an acro colony or sticking with the frag method. The reason I am afraid to buy a colony is a frag can grow in the enviroment I provide any way it wants. The colony has already established the way it is growing and now has to adjust to my set up.. What do you all think?

[Reefland]

Cuttings from colonies that have been established in captive care are much more likely to survive then a colony or even a cutting from a colony that has been just collected from the wild. Getting frags from colonies that have been established in captive care is safer, ethical and as you mentioned, the frag will be able to grow into it's new environment.

Scott Z.

[reewik]

Thanks Scott, that's what I was thinking. Reefing is something like taking care of a Bonsia.. Patients and time..... Some times you just want that frag to grow grow grow! lol

[Reefland]

Get the right conditions and they will grow, grow, grow! Gene and Chuck's tanks are perfect examples of what can be accomplished with healthy SPS/Clam tanks.

[scubadude]

Anyone can plop a colony into a tank....but if you grow from a frag its so much better. The frag will adapt/grow to your tank patterns, not to mention how much more responsible you are being on your behalf as a eco-freindly reefer

Rocky

[IslandReefer]

My vote is also for frags!

Wild coral colonies may start out more impressive but;
Large colonies have problems associated with biomass, ie shading,coral vs.coral wars...., wild caught specimens as with fish etc always carry a risk of disease and or bad hitchhikers and lastly but most important wild must adapt to aquarium life and therefore grow slower may not survive for various reasons; and may actually over take the wild colony inside a few months (ie lately a lot of eligance coral from the wild die....proposed theories are sl.different deeper water spec. , lower flow....list is endless but the point is you don't know. Frags are adapted, from a know source (lighting) , more predictable, greener (eco not color or algea) and in my opinion more satifying..(.I GREW THAT!!!)
Just my 2cents hope it helps
John

[reewik]

Thanks everyone. I also like frags cause they are cheaper :O).. you can get more, more, more!!! You all settled a wild hairbrain thought I had. (to buy a colony) I am glad there is a place to ask ! I have all frags anyway and that was the plan from the beginning.

[zhenya]

Eric,

I'm glad you desided to stick to the "growing from frags" method.As everyone had already mentioned,it is much more ethical and really satisfying when you look at your tank a year from now and see all the colonies that grew from a tiny fragments ;)
I have three wild colonies in my tank and the last one was purchased only becouse I found it at the LFS in a tank with angels where they put it so angels can eat it The rest of my corals are from captive frags and they grew literally in one year to nice size colonies. I know how tough it is to resist an urge to buy a beautiful wild colonies

[Poseidon]

Yup I have a few frags going now... Really small ones, but they will GROW.

[reewik]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

[Minh Nguyen]

I love to get colony from frags. My tank have a 100% frag at this time (except two LPS that a friend gave to me)
Here is one of my "frag"
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showp...t=1&thecat=500
Minh

[MtnDewMan]

I like frags as well. I like to watch them grow ... but at the same time, there are some small colonies that you just can't pass up. Harder to watch them grow and they are usually not as hardy as tank raised frags.

[zhenya]

Here is one of my "frag"

LOL, Minh I remember that colony! Whatever happened to it? It sure was a monster colony that I'm assuming was grown from a fragment

[Minh Nguyen]

LOL, Minh I remember that colony! Whatever happened to it? It sure was a monster colony that I'm assuming was grown from a fragment

I took the whole colony down when it reach about 2.5 feet from one end to the other. I gave the colony to John at Lone Star Coral. He sold a bunch of these frag to various people. I grew it from a frag of about 2 square cm over several years.
Minh