Desire versus vision

[Chessmanmark]

When your tank is maturing and you purchase frags, is it from desire for those delicious frags or is it from the vision you have for the tank holistically.

Sometimes I see tanks that have a lot of awesome corals but the display is starting to resemble a store coral display rack.

Generally many of the nicest, most “natural” looking tanks have a small selection of corals that have grown out successfully.

Did you purchase your last coral from a place of desire or vision?

 

[JCTReefer]

I had a vision when setting up my old tank. A vision of color, texture, and compatibility. Corals were selected by color, type, and growth pattern. By no means is it natural looking. You wouldn’t find the corals I keep together and you certainly wouldn’t have the variety of color. Most scapes that incorporate like corals or a small selection like you said, definitely look more natural. Especially if they’re placed on a natural looking base/rock structure. I’m a sucker for color, so I didn’t go that route. That’s just what I like though. I had a plan on exactly what type corals I was going to keep from the get go. That’s my story. Lol

 

[zukihara]

I think this is why so many people have frag tanks. The growing out is as fun as a main display, and easier to maintain.

All you need is a huge DT, a huge frag system, 2 or 3 QT tanks and be single...

 

[Nano sapiens]

No real plan, per se. Had some nice live rock from a previous tank and just found some mini frags of various corals known to like more moderate light and flow...and then let them grow in together. This can happen quickly in a small tank

 

[Chessmanmark]

I had a vision when setting up my old tank. A vision of color, texture, and compatibility. Corals were selected by color, type, and growth pattern. By no means is it natural looking. You wouldn’t find the corals I keep together and you certainly wouldn’t have the variety of color. Most scapes that incorporate like corals or a small selection like you said, definitely look more natural. Especially if they’re placed on a natural looking base/rock structure. I’m a sucker for color, so I didn’t go that route. That’s just what I like though. I had a plan on exactly what type corals I was going to keep from the get go. That’s my story. Lol

You had a vision.

Vision is for the true “artists” in this hobby.

You need a good imagination to foresee your tank 2, 3 or more years into the future.

I put “natural” in quotes because nothing is natural about this hobby. We stuff so many species into our little, comparatively, glass boxes.

Showing restraint and utilizing negative space is something I admire in this hobby. They are two very difficult concepts to master.

There are more “hoarders” in this hobby than those with restraint.

 

[Kershaw]

For me I tried lots of corals over the years. Now that I know what I like. I will attempt just my favorites and try to get them to grow into huge colonies.

 

[jorwill]

Mine is a vision. Now wether that vision is turning out. Well there’s always the next tank. Lol.

 

[JCM]

I have a plan going in. I limit the number of corals and let them grow in. Otherwise you have lots of beautiful corals and a science experiment on the whole.

 

[CanuckReefer]

For me I tried lots of corals over the years. Now that I know what I like. I will attempt just my favorites and try to get them to grow into huge colonies.

This is my vision now as well mostpart.... although I am constantly desiring more colour in my tank. My softies don't tend to be the brightest, but in larger colonies they would look much more impressive. My focus is now chiefly toward growth.

 

[jorwill]

I’m honestly digging the refugium display tanks with different macros in place and some leathers. I think the next build will have a display sump as well as main display. I honestly love my sump as it’s what makes the main look so good.

 

[ReefBeta]

Vision. Having the display look nice is to upmost priority.
I do pay some attention to the juice frags down the road though, so I mostly bought named pieces. Primary reason to be, if the tank is successful, the corals will overgrow and will require trimming a lot. The only way to get the trimming out fast, so that the display don't turn to frag rack, is to have them be the super nice pieces. It's easier to sell a $60 WD frag than a $10 green slimmer. If there are too many common cheap corals that outgrown the tank, the only way is to throw away the trimming.

 

[JCM]

This is my vision now as well mostpart.... although I am constantly desiring more colour in my tank. My softies don't tend to be the brightest, but in larger colonies they would look much more impressive. My focus is now chiefly toward growth.

This. An 18" colony of anything is more impressive than a half inch nub of octo-colored starburst sprinkle pixie dust holy grail coral.

 

[JCTReefer]

Restraint can be hard to come by. It’s hard for most to start with just a few corals and watch them grow out into big colonies over several years. So many people want to just cram it full of everything they see over night. I hate clutter. In the tank or in the house. Lol. I’ve always appreciated some negative space. I certainly did have a vision, but the vision always changes a bit. Especially when your painters palette keeps changing. I kept telling some of the things I placed in the tank to stay put, but they had other plans. May not have been a very good vision, but it was mine. Haha! It does kind of suck when you’re tank is finally grown out and real estate is gone. I guess that’s why people have frag tanks. Either that or upgrade.

 

[mdb_talon]

I have a vision...however this hobby(to me) is about a whole lot more than creating a beautiful display tank. I love the collecting, growing out, fragging, reorganizing, redoing, etc. I have zero desire to buy a handful of frags based off a 5 year plan and then just wait. This is probably why about the same time my displays are looking top notch i sell the whole system(including corals). Then i start over and put a bunch of frags from my frag tanks in the display and make it look like that "store rack" again. I was out of the hobby for about 2 years for some personal issues and it been a blast being back in "collector" mode.

Not saying my approach is THE right way to do it....only that there are multiple right ways to do it. Not a lack of vision or restraint....just a belief in doing what makes me happy in this hobby.

 

[JCTReefer]

My softies don't tend to be the brightest,

Softies are so underrated!!! Love me some softies. Matter of fact the center piece of my tank is a softie!!!! Here’s an old night time shot of the old tank. Almost lights out. Windex time. Oh sooo blue!!

 

[fish farmer]

I had a vision in 2010, downsize and keep easy corals.

I set up a 29 gallon with modest lighting...PC's at the time and have a softy tank with mushrooms, leathers, maybe an LPS or two.

Fast forward to 2021, upgraded to LED's in 2014 and recently more light via T5's. Mushrooms are pests and real estate hogs. The selection of coral available now is amazing. I'm at the point of being able to fill out nooks with small frags that I never saw available when I started in 2000.

 

[mvbrandt]

Little column A, little column B.

I've got 4 distinct and separate rock formations. By and large, each is explicitly designed for a certain coral type. A grotto to help shield wavy LPS and a zoa garden from too much flow. An exposed high flow formation with lots of vertical growth room for SPS. A tall shaded formation for encrusting lower light and eventually NPS corals. And a leather/Xenia island.

As long as there's room for what I want on any given section, the rest of the purchasing is emotion within the guardrails. Protecting myself from bad emotional choices

 

[Azedenkae]

When your tank is maturing and you purchase frags, is it from desire for those delicious frags or is it from the vision you have for the tank holistically.

Sometimes I see tanks that have a lot of awesome corals but the display is starting to resemble a store coral display rack.

Generally many of the nicest, most “natural” looking tanks have a small selection of corals that have grown out successfully.

Did you purchase your last coral from a place of desire or vision?

Can't speak for my last aquarium, but my next one will (hopefully) be 'vision' based. XD