Group Growouts

[fragtastic]

How exactly do these work, and has anyone been in one that completed successfully?

Years ago we'd get wild colonies in and split them among several tanks in the hope that one of us would be able to get them to survive. That seemed to work well.

We'd also buy a number of corals together to share shipping costs and then promise to exchange frags down the road.

But, the idea that you're going to pay up front to be in line for something that has to grow to 10 or 20 times its original size? I'm very skeptical.

Is there any reason I shouldn't be?

Mark

 

[ahayes13]

well i guess the idea is that so people can get the rare or expensive pieces. i personally prob. wont do it, the piece could die, or not to mention what the price might be by the time the thing grows out enough for everyone to get their frag.
i do like the idea or buying colonies and spliting the cost and the colony up.

 

[Paul_N]

well i guess the idea is that so people can get the rare or expensive pieces. i personally prob. wont do it, the piece could die, or not to mention what the price might be by the time the thing grows out enough for everyone to get their frag.
i do like the idea or buying colonies and spliting the cost and the colony up.

+1

You also have to trust the person doing the grow out really well. The other thing is I don't think I would have the patience to wait for it to grow out knowing I paid for it and it was sitting in someone else tank. I have went in on a multi polyp frag of high end Zoa's and ended up with one polyp after it was split up.

 

[Nanofins]

I don't think a group growout makes as much sense on zoas and some other chalices. There are some corals, namely the high-end chalices like the melting pot or, well, the My Miami, which tend not to be available to be purchased as whole colonies, and also tend to be cost-prohibitive even as frags, which would be a fair bit easier to swallow if the cost is split amongst a group evenly and then the frag is grown out. Given the growth rate and hardiness of chalices, there is a very reasonable expectation that in a properly sized group the frag could be grown out and split up within a decent time period, and everyone will have saved a good amount, even at a year later or so, over having waited and bought their own frags. $60-80 each from five people for a frag of BPC Flamethrower, for instance, is not so very bad, and it's reasonable to expect that even in a little over a year that the value will still be over that, and you'll still make out better. Now, for the instant gratification crowd (which is probably most of us), this isn't so appealing, but it's a matter of weighing that over the savings.

Now, given the growth rate of most zoas, and the fact that even the high-end ones don't generally go for $300-400/polyp regularly, these may or may not make as much sense to buy as a group. Why buy one $40 polyp and split it ten ways and wait 6 4-6 months and end up with a couple polyps? Buy one $40 for yourself, and in 4-6 months you'll have 10+ polyps and they'll all be yours, for the about the same polyp cost, with a liveable initial investement.