Banking Corals?

[deaclauderdale]

I wanted to get some input on how we feel about banking our corals. In my "more corals thread I list a piece called rosaria.

"I purchased this a couple pf months back and fragged it in two and shared a piece with a freind. a few weeks later the frag I had bleached to do what I believe was high temperature exsposure. If I had not bak=nked a picec with a friend I would have had to purchase it all over again, but because I did it was simply a matter of time before I got another chance"

So how do you feel about banking corals and will my experince cause you to do it a bit more?

[lcstorc]

Neat idea. I like it.

[prow]

i think thats a great idea. i have always been on the other end though. my friends end up not being able to keep certain corals and i get them. or when they move or something i take care of their corals. what i need is some around me were i can be on the other end. one of my friends is well on his way to being that guy, but i think its still about 6 months off at best. maybe i/we should join a reef club.

[SueT]

ever since I started keeping sps corals and really getting into them I do this with every piece I get. Sometimes it's with a local sps friend or sometimes with a good friend thats in another state. Especially with the higher priced sps I do this.

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by SueT

ever since I started keeping sps corals and really getting into them I do this with every piece I get. Sometimes it's with a local sps friend or sometimes with a good friend thats in another state. Especially with the higher priced sps I do this.

Yup. Me too. when I got into my acros and I was dropping $150-$200 a pop on a colony, after it was acclimated for a week or so, first thing I did was pop a few frags and give them to buddies. They did the same.
The good thing was that if anyones colony died, they would be able to grab a frag from a friend of the same coral, the bad is that we all had the same corals. Kind of like friends that all dress the same or have the same shoes.

However that being said, it is interesting to see how the same corals grow differently in the different tanks. Not only color differences, but growth structure. When you see this you realize why id'ing acro species is really futile.

[deaclauderdale]

I agree mps9506 and with certain lighting changes the corals can even change color. I'm really just hoping to prove a point and get people out of the I only want to make money role and into the sharing mode. Consider how many frags are broken off by accident and are tossed rather than given to another reefer for safe keeping until a later date if need. Banking corals is an invaulable process that we wait to late to often find out (after a horrific crash in our tanks) , which by then is to late and out hefty investments go down the drain.
Anyone want a piece of my corals I would be more than happy to bank a frag with you.

[prow]

Originally Posted by deaclauderdale

Anyone want a piece of my corals I would be more than happy to bank a frag with you.

whatcha got?

[Frankie]

I wish i had someone here to do that with. My local club is not really up to par with there tanks and i have yet to make a friend that is serious. I think i have to only "clean tank" in Charleston. I tried to attend the meetings but it's pretty discouraging to say the least. Sometimes i miss NY. :/

[deaclauderdale]

Originally Posted by FFrankie

I wish i had someone here to do that with. My local club is not really up to par with there tanks and i have yet to make a friend that is serious. I think i have to only "clean tank" in Charleston. I tried to attend the meetings but it's pretty discouraging to say the least. Sometimes i miss NY. :/

I know how you feel FFrankie. The nearest club to me is 100 miles away and trying to start one has been difficult.

[deaclauderdale]

Originally Posted by prow

whatcha got?

MIllepora (not ready yet)
Montipora digita green
Montipora digita brown
Plating monti (under 14k bulbs it's lavendar with purple polyps) I banked a piece of this with my same freind who has 14k hamiltons and this is the color it turned. It's brown with purple polyps in my tank under 10k XM
Acro Rosaria I believe
Candy cane (blue, neon green, and brown)
Devils hand leather
Acro? not sure what speices
Monti nodosa (orange body white/blue tips)
Cats paw(green polyps)
Hammer (green tips)
Galaxy (not ready)
Another form of encrusting monti with green background and yellow, orange, and red polyps (not ready)
Frogspawn (not ready)
Assorted zoo's and paly's
GSP
Fox coral (not sure how to frag)

Want pics of something let me know

[SueT]

Mike and especially now that some frags go for that same colony price of $150.-200. PM, pink lemonade, etc. I have been luckily enough after the crash I had to get back most of the really rare or exotic pieces I had. A friend over in San Antonio had most of them and he was so nice to deliver a box full of my stuff.

I hear you Frankie, my club is not one that I'm into. I would rather trust someone else for safe keeping.

[deaclauderdale]

I had no idea that you had a crash Sue but I believe that you've proven the point without a shadow of a doubt.

[Frankie]

Yeah that sux Sue! I just read you article in "Ultimate Marine Aquariums" again last night. Love that tank. You still sticking with the natural way of things for filtration? I built my whole system on that method.

[SueT]

Frankie, thanks for the kind words...I have mud still in my sump, but I am using a good skimmer now. The ASM G3.

Yeah, I will never get as into sps corals as I was and not give frags away for safe keeping.

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by SueT

Mike and especially now that some frags go for that same colony price of $150.-200. PM, pink lemonade, etc.

I let my buddies buy those frags and let them give me frags of their frags for "safe keeping" You know, just in case their colony bleaches.... Not because I'm trying to bum free high dollar frags ever....