Defining the term "Mother Colony"

ronnie · Oct 19, 2010

Mother Colony - when I hear this, I envision a piece that is several inches tall/wide/spread out.....

What I don't envision is a 1/2-1" frag plug......

Those are still frags - no matter how you slice it :tongue:

I'm all for chopping corals - ask anyone that has seen my tank and knows my fragging habits. But these ridiculous micro frags from mini frags is silly. I sure as heck am not gonna risk fragging anything that small, let alone try to sell something from the "mother" colony.....

<------Steps down from the podium

clowns101 · Oct 19, 2010

Well to me,a colony or mother colony is bigger than 3 inches or so,I say this because most of the time,people only frag high end corals and have value to them,so the frag will be smaller,I like to frag off of a 4+ inch colony,but I have done it off of a smaller one like the Tyree Rough Millipora.I had to cut a small piece and my piece was about 3 inches,but this differs from person to person,some people will think a 1-2 inch piece is big enough to frag off of.....I like to have a little rom for error though,and 1-2 inches is just to small for me to work with.....

thewackyreefer · Oct 19, 2010

I agree. Funny to see people willing to chop an eye off their 2 eye "colony".

KLR · Oct 19, 2010

Steps up to the podium,shuffles papers,clears throat~~~~~~~~~~~

I think a mother colony is the colony in which certain frags came off of, like "Bob got his Goldwtryuiop frag from my mother colony"

define colony

colony-a mature coral, usually ranging from 4 inches in diameter, or larger

I think when someone grows a coral to 2in. and then cuts it up its just fragging a frag

Basically a mother colony coral ,in my mind, is a larger coral "mother",which has many mouths/polyps "colony" and can be cut without making itself a frag "frags"

Thank you~~returns to seat

Troylee · Oct 19, 2010

Funny topic!!!!! The problem today is the definition of a mother colony...
The def. Today is the coral that got chopped to make the frag... Size does not matter any more as sad as it is...

revhtree · Oct 19, 2010

What does it matter? LOL! I don't know why people get all bent out of shape because they don't like a price, a name, or now even when someone calls a frag the mother colony. How is this effecting someone to the point to where they get aggravated about this or bent out of shape?

Yea I think it is funny when someone does it but why should I care?

Ronnie this was not pointed at you, I have heard the "mother colony" issue frequently lately.

Triggerman77 · Oct 19, 2010

KLR --- Agreed 1000% .........................

ronnie · Oct 19, 2010

No worries Rev - it is merely a progression in this hobby. High end pieces demand top dollar. If the buyers don't act quick, then when it does grow to "mother" size, they won't be able to recoup as much of their costs because it won't be the "hot" item at the time.

Basically it is flip-a-frag. It doesn't affect me at all - I don't participate in micro frag purchases or sales.

Several years ago when I got back into hobby, I was surprised at the size of the frags that were being offered, and the prices that were being asked. It is completely different from 8 years ago when I started with my first tank.

Like I said, I'm ok with people slicing and dicing frags into micro frags - just don't call them mother colonies, call them mother frags.....

Troylee · Oct 19, 2010

revhtree said:
What does it matter? LOL! I don't know why people get all bent out of shape because they don't like a price, a name, or now even when someone calls a frag the mother colony. How is this effecting someone to the point to where they get aggravated about this or bent out of shape? Yea I think it is funny when someone does it but why should I care?

Ronnie this was not pointed at you, I have heard the "mother colony" issue frequently lately.

I would say the over all health of the animal here at stake... For momma and the frag... Bigger momma is bigger the frag is gonna be... I have alot respect for reefers like poletti... You guys have all seen his tank.... You have no idea what you have to go through to get that guy to cut you a frag from his display... His colonies are huge and he puts up a good fight to chop one lol.... But when he does it's a good size one...

m and m · Oct 19, 2010

My idea is it's used in two diffrent term.

One i cut you a piece from my mother colony, not referring to a minimum size but what i have. IE my 6 eye JF banana Banshee is MY mother colony.

Then there is also the other term i believe

My JF My miami came directly from the mother colony. Meaning my piece came directly from jason fox the founder of the piece. The piece essentially all other pieces derive from.

nayrgaijin · Oct 19, 2010

I use the word 'mother colony' for the colony I grow out for myself, then the term 'seed colony' for the colony that gets fragged for sharing

I definitely give away a-lot more coral than I sale for the record.... haha

My mother colonies are all only around 2" right now, but they won't be fragged because I have seed colonies for this purpose

BlazinNano · Oct 20, 2010

Now if you want to get technical the "mother colony" is the main coral that frags where cut off of. So a 8" "mother colony" where you cut 15 frags off is the same as a 2" "mother colony" that you cut 1 frag off. They are both mothers just one is bigger. To me it does not matter how big the mother colony is it only matter how big the frag is.

inactive · Oct 20, 2010

I read a topic just like this on another forum... *looks up like there are cameras around*

acronautical · Oct 20, 2010

Included among my collection I have a PB and a Cornbred Trash ME, each with approximately seven eyes...at about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Nice little babies, but certainly not mother "colonies!" I have a blue rim, pink eye echinophyllia that is approximately seven inches in diameter...this is what I consider to be a "mother" colony.

drainbamage · Oct 20, 2010

Mother Colony means the colonial animal of which I took a piece.

Sm, Md, Lg, softball, golf ball, bowling ball, wrecking ball are all different ways to describe the size of a colonial animal, be it one which I take fragments from or not.

As for the so called "micro" frags, it's a non-issue. If you think a frag is too small, don't by it. Similarly, if a frag is too big, don't by it. If you (not directed at TS, just as rehv said, this issue is around) don't think other people should fragment corals before a certain size, either get your nose out of other peoples business, or refuse to swat an insect, eat meat, or do any harm to any animals before judging how another treats animals under their possession. I know that sounds excessive, but it's as silly to tell someone (which complaining is meant to do) how to take care of their corals as it is to tell someone how much to buy or sell a coral for.

And thank you for letting me borrow the community soapbox for that little spiel, I feel better now

ronnie · Oct 20, 2010

The change over a period of only 7-8 years is probably what is most surprising to me. Back then, frags were large, I mean large - 3"+ easily.

Since these "crazes" hit now, that price is 10-20 times higher for a 1/6 of that size.

It is a business - that is for sure. But sometimes I think our hobby would be in a better place if it were more of a hobby still instead of a business where everyone is looking to make money off of the next hot coral.

How many new people would join the hobby if they saw these gorgeous pieces and knew they were affordable? (Tie-in to Rev's current post)

Paul_N · Oct 20, 2010

I say let them cut up the colonies quicker because that will mean more frags in the market......and for us the price will drop and drop faster. Just look at prices of the must have zoas and chalices from last year till now. I know what you mean about the term "Mother colony" but as most have said it is merely arguing semantics. Also in all fairness the coral that were available 7 or 8 years ago can't compare to the stuff that is out there now.

"It is a business - that is for sure. But sometimes I think our hobby would be in a better place if it were more of a hobby still instead of a business where everyone is looking to make money off of the next hot coral. "

I think you are comparing two separate things here; there is the hobby and the separate business end of it. This goes with any hobby. Sometimes the people that become vendors (like our sponsors on R2R..:bigsmile

are hobbyists at heart and started out just like us so they take everything including us into consideration. BUT, there are those that solely see this is a money making opportunity which is fine also. The ones that try to squeeze every last penny out of us will not last long IMO.

inactive · Oct 20, 2010

There is nothing colony about 2-5 eyes....

There is nothing "mother" about a coral that was taken from a even larger coral somewhere else.

..."but this is MY colony in which I take frags from" Oh... so you have a seed frag? I still see 4 eyes.. nothing colony about that..

"Mother colony is 2x2".... Mother? ... Colony? Sounds like one a one eye'd frag you've been growing for a few months.... you're fragging it already? You must be broke...

"I'm just trying to recover the costs of the frag" ..So... you're in the hobby to not spend money, and to cut up tiny pieces of coral? Hmmm... interesting... you should have hit the 10 dollar bin.

"People should mind their own business" ... um... you make it my business when you throw it in my face with every coral for sale.... We are all here because we love reef tanks...

"Price is for one eye"... Why not for 1 inch? Ohhh.. that's right, you have a two eye frag on 3/16" of flesh...

"Don't complain, it was a freebie" So in an attempt to give away stuff, you cut foreskin shrapnel chalice frags that are just gonna die? Great for the coral.. Im sure it loves it, I actually cut one of my digits off at the 1st of every month in hopes to become 6' 4" with 4 arms on some Goro ish one day.

Truth is... you will never even see most "Mother colonies" because most vendors/sellers are TOO smart to show them... Why? This brings us back into the whole coral pricing/supply and demand thing... If you don't know what supply and demand is, then you probably complain about coral pricing... Keeping in mind that some people are just trying to sell polished turds, it boils down to supply and demand.

For example... "Brand new LE erog234h98yt28uy chalice" or whatever.... You will probably not see the entire colony, you will probably see a frag for sale... something with a rim, healed all that... Of course they are going to put it on the table like they just found it under a rock. Why? If you only see one or two pieces... you may be more inclined to buy it out of the desire to have 1 of 1.... or so you think. Company releases more chalices etc..etc... now bam, 3-4 frags of the "Brand new weoiufh3eiulfhuierh chalice" pop up.... While your head is stuck in the new releases, older releases seem to pop up with healed frags ready to go.... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I knew there was a REAL mother colony out there...

Indo is not shipping these vendors cut frags on gooch discs....

Troylee · Oct 20, 2010

^^^^ agreed kraylen.... Nice..1smile1
the main reason i see the mother not shown imho is.....................
because if you see this nice colony with a 100 eyes and there fetching 500$ a eye like some big ones do where talking about a 50k colony...ya that's right 50,000.00 dollars...... crazy, but it happens....