Why so many frags in tanks now days?

[kysard1]

I have been away from reefkeeping for a while. Back then the goal was to replicate a natural reef to some extent.

I am amazed at the tank shots I am seeing here. 55 gallon tanks with 55 sps frags? Now how do you think this is going to look when/if these frags mature? These corals are going to be so crowded and well unnatural looking its not even funny.

Less is more. I can honestly say there are very few reef tanks posted that look like a reef. On a reef there aren't 30 different varieties of SPS per square foot.

Is it that people are just growing frags to break them off and sell more frags? What is the goal of this new frag dominated tank style?

What am I missing ?

[Peter Eichler]

One explanation is that there are people that look at corals more as collectibles than something that they can grow into a colony and enjoy.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Coral propagation has taken off, and people now stock their tank with frags rather than colonies collected from the wild.

[tripinpn01]

it is also definitely cheaper considering how expensive this hobby is.

[SDguy]

It depends what you like. Frankly, on the other extreme, one acro colony could easily fill an entire 55g tank.

I personally went with the idea of getting more than I need, and since corals can look so different in different tanks, I just wait to see which ones look best, IMO, in my tank, and sell off the others to make room as they grow.

[Sk8r]

Well, I have 4 lps and some 5 acros in a 54, but I have never seen a whole colony, so I don't really know what I'm in for: I will frag off or sell off anything that starts crossing anything else, but I am just right now hoping I can get them growing. That's pure ignorance, since I've just not seen the scale they get to, but I will adjust my scale as I learn better what the sizes are likely to be. All info appreciated.

[pledosophy]

I my tank is a 65g with about 25 different frags. When the frags get big I trade them for more frags, or nicer frags. I have not purchased a "show sized coral" in some years, although I have a few I have grown.

Propagating corals gives us ways to stop pulling from the ocean and is fun for some of us.

JMO

[Scissorhand]

SPS are easy to cut off and removed if necessary.

I'm just starting out on sps on my 60 gal, and if I were to have just 5 frags, my tank will look a bit sad for quite a while.

Currently, it does look like frag city but I plan to remove some colonies once they grow out. No harm done. In the mean time, I get to see them grow out.

But I agree with you. What I don't like on some people's tanks is that they have corals on plugs EVERYWHERE; LR are stacked like shelves and it looks like a china cabinet.

[hobbzz]

IMO, people aren't trying to recreate the reef. Most of us are taking our favorite parts of different reefs from around the world and putting them in our tanks. If we were truly trying to recreate these reefs, we wouldn't be concerned with "nuisance" algae, we wouldn't be mixing corals/fish/inverts from completely opposite sides of the world etc etc.

I don't have the room for huge colonies. Also, like mentioned before, a frag can be anywhere from $0 (yes I meant for free) on up to $100+ depending on what it is and where you get it. Imagine the price of a 10" colony of some type of coral that sells for $100 for a 2" frag...

Considering corals will grow, it's a waste of money to spend huge bucks on just colonies. I could see buying a few colonies of some things you really like, but otherwise, why spend $200 when you could spend $25 and wait 9+ months for it to grow out? You also don't see colonies very often.

Corals also look different under different lighting. So most people don't want to spend $300 on a colony, just to have it change colors after getting it into their tanks.

Personally I buy frags for the reasons I just mentioned, plus all the ones mentioned before me. :)

[Scissorhand]

the main reason for me not buying colonies, besides the price, is that what's the joy in having a natural reef that you didn't grow out yourself.

I see some LFS arrange coral colonies in nanos a lot and it looks really nice, but come back a week later and the same colonies are replaced by other colonies because the previous one had died.

I think I lost my point... oh yeah... frags are a-o-okay. :)

[hobbzz]

^ Good point about the fun in growing them out...forgot about that. :lol:

[dmarie120]

I buy frags because they're cheaper than full colonies plus I like watching them grow. The same reason that I try to buy juvenile fish.

As they grow out and mature, I can move them to another tank or frag them for others. My small part to save the natural reefs.

On a side note, I don't mind having some algea growing in my tank. I like the more natural look of having some green in there.

Dawn

[SDguy]

They can correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think the OP was asking why we buy frags instead of colonies. I think the point was something like why we buy so many frags instead of just a few, and let them grow out into large colonies. Well....that just takes too long....I'm admittedly not patient enough to stare at a more than half empty tank for several years :)

[MikePowell]

i have 15 frags in my 37 and plan on getting more. when they grow out just frag them and trade them for other frags or equip. I'm not in this hobby for making money but to embrace it and let it grow. also since my tank is small i want it to look big so with little pieces i can achieve that look.

[mille239]

dmarie120: The same reason that I try to buy juvenile fish.

As they grow out and mature, I can move them to another tank or frag them for others.


you must teach me your ways of fragging your fish. Mine get really mad when I try. :rollface:

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10571192#post10571192 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
It depends what you like. Frankly, on the other extreme, one acro colony could easily fill an entire 55g tank.

I personally went with the idea of getting more than I need, and since corals can look so different in different tanks, I just wait to see which ones look best, IMO, in my tank, and sell off the others to make room as they grow.

Thats my plan, probably 25 frags in there now, but I plan on only having 6-10 colonies when the tank is finished.

[ScallopKing]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10572296#post10572296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
They can correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think the OP was asking why we buy frags instead of colonies. I think the point was something like why we buy so many frags instead of just a few, and let them grow out into large colonies. Well....that just takes too long....I'm admittedly not patient enough to stare at a more than half empty tank for several years :)

Yep, second that!

[orangekush4]

My self, i like a few big colonis.To get the ones you want to keep you have to start with a bunch of frags and see wich ones you want to keep.I can get a 1" frag to grow into a big colonie in about a year if it is a good grower.The ones i don't want i just frag and sell it to the LFS.Last time i did that i had about $500 in my pocket and got my self some high end LPS wich are my faverat.In the end i like less rock and more colonies.

[kysard1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10574304#post10574304 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by orangekush4
My self, i like a few big colonis.To get the ones you want to keep you have to start with a bunch of frags and see wich ones you want to keep.I can get a 1" frag to grow into a big colonie in about a year if it is a good grower.The ones i don't want i just frag and sell it to the LFS.Last time i did that i had about $500 in my pocket and got my self some high end LPS wich are my faverat.In the end i like less rock and more colonies.


Makes sense, I just think some of the newer people don't understand the amount of room a coral needs. Placing 20 frags a couple inches apart won't work long term.

[davenia7]

I like my bunch of little frags.... and as they split or spread, I frag and... I start new tanks or sell them to the LFS.