Status or Beauty?

D

deaddat

New member
I've seen several display tanks with corals that are easily over $500 each and 3 polyp zoa frags that are easily over $75. Their tanks are FILLED with 100+ frags that are side by side, not spaced at all. I've always thought that corals need space to actually grow and wouldn't these corals be giving off chemicals preventing corals from growing too? I can't imagine these tanks as being frag tanks since there is nothing to actually frag since everything isn't growing and only about 2 inches big besides the brains.

So I'm just wondering do people like to decorate their tank like this to simply say they have this frag?

Also are these corals naturally like that in the ocean? I can't imagine seeing rainbow brains etc while diving * I never have * or are these morphs created by artificial lighting?
 
id say its that these corals are so expensive, that people just buy x amount of frags and put them in there to grow out. i know there is no way i could stock my 75 with large colonies, it would cost me thousands.

personally, my plan is to get on a frag site that has a large $10 section, and free shipping on orders over 150 or something like that, order 20 different kinds of coral and put them all in my frag tank to grow out, then move to DT when they get a decent size
 
Eurobeaner said:
id say its that these corals are so expensive, that people just buy x amount of frags and put them in there to grow out. i know there is no way i could stock my 75 with large colonies, it would cost me thousands.

personally, my plan is to get on a frag site that has a large $10 section, and free shipping on orders over 150 or something like that, order 20 different kinds of coral and put them all in my frag tank to grow out, then move to DT when they get a decent size
Click to expand...

I understand that, but these tanks everything is side by side!:eek1: I don't see any potential for growth. MAYBE a polyp can grow here and there on the disc, but I wonder about the chemicals that these corals produce to prevent corals from growing to close to them, also couldn't these chemicals be making them grow even slower, therefore deterring from more beauty/profit.

I think small frags are very ugly, but to each their own. I know it also depends on their tank size and some people enjoy seeing them grow.
 
Your best bet to save money is join a local reef club. Almost all clubs have frag swaps. This keeps your cost down on having to buy so many corals. This allows you can save your money for nice frags (higher end stuff). As your frags grow out you can then frag them and pocket this money to ..... you guessed it buy more frags..... grow them out and sell for more frags... and so on and so on. This is not something you can do in the first 6 months or even in the first year. It takes a while to get your tank to that level. But if you know what you are doing it will get to that level.

Or you can be a doctor or a lawer or CEO and spend $1000s on frags. The first one is cheaper.

Joining the local reef club can save you a lot of money ....
 
How do these corals grow though in such cramped spaces with mixed corals? IMO It's like putting a fish in to small of a tank.

I guess it isn't about the beauty and just trying to make money and say you have this name and that name.

Do these corals occur naturally in the wild? I know zoa morphs are caused by artificial lighting.
 
Although I really dislike the overcrowded array of frags in displays, not everyone can accommodate a dedicated frag tank. For me, I like to acquire several desirable pieces for their overall beauty (I never turn my nose up at a nice "unnamed" coral). I place these in my frag tank side by side, but not touching, to grow out. Some corals thrive in a system while others do not. This gives me a good idea of what's worth dedicating real estate in my display to. Some ultimately replace colonies in my display that I have either grown tired of or aren't the quality color that I would like to achieve. Others grow to colony size and never make the "final cut" to move into my display. These are fragged regularly as trade fodder for other desirable pieces.

I admit that some see $ signs. However, I can't fault them. Something is always worth what someone is willing to pay. It's the buyer that dictates pricing.

For me, I always prefer trading. Given the very large sum of money I've dumped in my system, there aren't enough frags I could sell to break even....
 
Thanks everyone.

Guess the last thing that needs to be answered is that do these rainbow corals etc occur naturally in the wild or is this due to artificial lighting?
 
They occur in the wild but don't always look like that. Depending on the depth and water clarity, the red end of the visible light spectrum is filtered relatively quickly. At deeper depths. reds and yellows tend to become shades of gray, etc. However, in a shallow reef or up close, colors are absolutely breathtaking....
 
I guess it would always be nice to have a few corals to top the others like show stoppers. This is usually dictated by nice colors or shape (which translate into more expensive ones)
When anyone looks at a tank they usually can't remember all the corals in it, however most reefers would recall that aussie Scoly in X tank... Not saying at all that I will judge a tank by the price of corals in it.
 
I guess it's just two different philosophies. One is the collector's way of thinking. Kind of like having a garden with some stunning specimen roses lined up next to each other. Interesting and visually impressive, but not an attempt to mimic a natural landscape. The other is the person who wants to recreate nature, even while knowing that it will only be a snapshot of nature and can't be really true to life (e.g. if the average aquarium were a true portrayal of the natural reef it would be almost entirely one, almost certainly brown or green coral growing in abundance!).

I'm the latter - trying to get something that looks "natural", knowing that it doesn't really...
 
Eurobeaner said:
id say its that these corals are so expensive, that people just buy x amount of frags and put them in there to grow out. i know there is no way i could stock my 75 with large colonies, it would cost me thousands.

personally, my plan is to get on a frag site that has a large $10 section, and free shipping on orders over 150 or something like that, order 20 different kinds of coral and put them all in my frag tank to grow out, then move to DT when they get a decent size
Click to expand...
I know of a site that's exactly like this.
probably can't post them on here since they are not sponsors.
they have a huge $10 section. will give it up in pm. (note: not my site)
 
deaddat said:
I don't think so, I've been to two persons houses with tanks like this and I've seen pictures on another forum site.
Click to expand...

I read through your questions and the responses and wasn't quite sure where you were going. First I thought a tad of jealousy was creeping in, perhaps...perhaps not. I will address your inquiry this way; some SPS coral give off minimal toxins and with adequate filtering and turbulent currents the coral can be crammed together. Another thought is that it is, pure and simple, an addiction. My wife has more shoes and sandals than an army would need. Some just collect coral and put them in their tanks with no regard to aestheticism. Some just really don't have the what I call "purists" approach to the hobby, that is, to achieve a natural looking "reef". Some have no patience to allow the tank to grow into a reef. That is my assessment of your query, I don't know if it helps you or not.
 
unclejed2 said:
I read through your questions and the responses and wasn't quite sure where you were going. First I thought a tad of jealousy was creeping in, perhaps...perhaps not. I will address your inquiry this way; some SPS coral give off minimal toxins and with adequate filtering and turbulent currents the coral can be crammed together. Another thought is that it is, pure and simple, an addiction. My wife has more shoes and sandals than an army would need. Some just collect coral and put them in their tanks with no regard to aestheticism. Some just really don't have the what I call "purists" approach to the hobby, that is, to achieve a natural looking "reef". Some have no patience to allow the tank to grow into a reef. That is my assessment of your query, I don't know if it helps you or not.
Click to expand...

Zero jealousy, as in one of my previous posts I said I don't like small frags which make up a majority of these tanks. I was just curious as what is the point of filling up a tank like this, but I guess it's all just personal taste.
 
I think the urge to collect is common in most hobbies, why should reef keeping be any different ? I went through that phase early in the bobby when I had several large tanks and plenty of space. When it came to buying frags there was no self restraint.

Now that I've been in the hobby for several years (and I have nano tanks) I've taken a different approach altogether. No mixed reefs and no corals that will outgrow my tank (that can't be fragged.) Obviously there's the external restraint posed by size considerations but you wouldn't know that looking at some of the nanos I've seen posted with enough corals to stock a small LFS.
 
in the wild corals naturally crowd each other. they grow wherever they can. and like everything else, the dominant species will normally win out in a given territory.
there are places where you will many different species right next to each other, and places where you will see a single type dominate a given area.

additionally there those that have seen increased coral growth when the corals are placed closer to each other; based on the chemicals released by corals, this can stimulate growth as they race to grow faster than those around them.
 
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