Why Do We Continue To Buy Frags?

[mfrumkin]

When I started in this hobby 15+ years ago I would go to my LFS and purchase nice sized colonies/corals at reasonable prices.

About 2 weeks ago I gave my Granddaughter about half the corals in my 180gl to stock the 50gl tank I had given her. So I went out looking for new pieces to stock my tank. 95% of everything is little bitty frags on plugs at inflated prices. I am of the opinion and experience that buying frags, for the most part, is a sucker's game. The attrition rate is horrible. Yet most hobbyists continue to purchase frags because that is what is available. But why is that the only game in town? If we, as buyers, stopped buying overpriced frags the retailers would be forced to reduce the price or increase the size. Here is an example: I went to my LFS and asked if he could get me a nice Blasto colony, (BTW 4 heads on a plug IS NOT a colony), and he took me over to his display tank and told me I could buy one of the 2 colonies he had. About 20 heads for $225. He then took me to his frag tank and showed me the same heads at $60 each and he has a constant turnover of them. I asked him why people would pay $60 a head and he told me that is what hobbyists have become conditioned to buying.

He has a handful of old-time customers like me who he tries to find bigger pieces for, but most people prefer to buy frags. There is another well known LFS near me who has basically stopped selling corals because he told me selling frags is just ripping his customers off and he doesn't need the money that bad.

So someone explain to me? What is the fascination with buying frags?

 

[Michael Naegeli]

I like buying small frags for a couple of reasons
A. I love to watch them grow from tiny nubs to beautiful colonies
B. I’ve seen soo many reefers buy nice fat colonies and end up with a dead skeleton in no time... including myself! Plus I like Aqua-cultured pieces better than completely devastating natural reefs.

 

[cancun]

You are so right! I haven't bought frags in years because of the price! I prefer colonies myself. The other day I was at my LFS.....he had just gotten in a Aussie shipment of coral....he was selling gold Aussie torch corals for 250.00 per head!!!!!!

 

[mbmax]

I like buying small frags for a couple of reasons
A. I love to watch them grow from tiny nubs to beautiful colonies
B. I’ve seen soo many reefers buy nice fat colonies and end up with a dead skeleton in no time... including myself! Plus I like Aqua-cultured pieces better than completely devastating natural reefs.

Totally agreed. I love the challenge of growing colonies from small frags and I don't buy anything that is not aqua cultured.

 

[TheHarold]

Why are you so concerned with what other people are buying?

Perhaps you prefer colonies ripped out of the ocean. I like aquacultured frags. It’s much more sustainable, especially with the way things are headed.

Don’t like it? “We” made our choice.

 

[AZRipp]

Conservation... I like to buy frags because most have been grown from other frags. Secondly, a frag that stays healthy and grows well seems to have adapted well to aquarium life/environment. Better yet, I like to buy frags from fellow reefers as theirs are likely the healthiest (if they are thriving obviously). I also like to buy captive bred fish when possible as well for pretty much the same reasons.

 

[DaneGer21]

Why are you so concerned with what other people are buying?

Perhaps you prefer colonies ripped out of the ocean. I like aquacultured frags. It’s much more sustainable, especially with the way things are headed.

Don’t like it? Not my problem

...Every post you make is so harsh. Why so rude all the time?

 

[cancun]

Why are you so concerned with what other people are buying?

Perhaps you prefer colonies ripped out of the ocean. I like aquacultured frags. It’s much more sustainable, especially with the way things are headed.

Don’t like it? Not my problem

I think the OP is more concerned about the cost of frags as opposed to what people are buying. At least that is what I got out of the post.

 

[TheHarold]

...Every post you make is so harsh. Why so rude all the time?

I think “every” post is an exaggeration. Perhaps look at my post history?

But I don’t like how the poster is trying to speak for everyone, including me. “Why do we....”. Hence the tone- because I certainly do NOT group myself with that line of thought.

I don’t want to buy colonies taken from reefs. I’d rather buy a single head, and grow it myself into a colony.

 

[cancun]

Wait I stand corrected.....I bought two ORA flower pot frags that my LFS fragged from his huge ORA mother colony for 40.00 each....this was three years ago....there they are today....first pic. I did buy a few weeks ago another ORA flower pot frag from the same LFS....40.00....fragged from a different mother colony.... second pic....lol....

 

[Eva Rose]

I agree with what you are saying. It is nice to find LFS that offer colonies & not just frags. But depending on the area, some LFS have to offer frags only because that’s what sells.

One thing you can do is ask your local LFS to offer you a colony they receive - before they frag it . I have done this & received some nice colonies. Some LFS also buy colonies from local hobbyists that grow corals @ home (not just companies) to frag. You can give the LFS your budget. I have gotten some nice colonies this way. Also some nice large soft corals (toadstools, leathers..) are often available if you ask.

 

[Acro76 Verified Sponsor]

When I started in this hobby 15+ years ago I would go to my LFS and purchase nice sized colonies/corals at reasonable prices.

About 2 weeks ago I gave my Granddaughter about half the corals in my 180gl to stock the 50gl tank I had given her. So I went out looking for new pieces to stock my tank. 95% of everything is little bitty frags on plugs at inflated prices. I am of the opinion and experience that buying frags, for the most part, is a sucker's game. The attrition rate is horrible. Yet most hobbyists continue to purchase frags because that is what is available. But why is that the only game in town? If we, as buyers, stopped buying overpriced frags the retailers would be forced to reduce the price or increase the size. Here is an example: I went to my LFS and asked if he could get me a nice Blasto colony, (BTW 4 heads on a plug IS NOT a colony), and he took me over to his display tank and told me I could buy one of the 2 colonies he had. About 20 heads for $225. He then took me to his frag tank and showed me the same heads at $60 each and he has a constant turnover of them. I asked him why people would pay $60 a head and he told me that is what hobbyists have become conditioned to buying.

He has a handful of old-time customers like me who he tries to find bigger pieces for, but most people prefer to buy frags. There is another well known LFS near me who has basically stopped selling corals because he told me selling frags is just ripping his customers off and he doesn't need the money that bad.

So someone explain to me? What is the fascination with buying frags?

Did you know Indo is closed and about 80% of the corals in the trade used to come from there? Now there is $200-$1000 colonies from Australia or Vietnam zoa rocks covered in pests. That's about it for colonies.

Frags are a good way to get diversity and aquacultured corals. Not sure why you say the attrition rate is horrible, we make thousands of frags a month and only lose a small percentage. We keep them until they are healed up and growing before offering them for sale.

 

[ca1ore]

Must confess that I feel exactly the opposite. While there certainly ARE some silly prices asked for some frags, it's up to the buyer to simply decline. In the main, though, I think frags are an excellent way to propagate corals throughout the hobby - probably the hobby is already sustainable were wild imports to cease tomorrow. I don't personally find the attrition rate for frags to be high at all; in fact, I have a higher loss rate (though still quite low) of wild caught colonies. Once a colony has been grown out under captive conditions, and fragged correctly, the survival rate is very high as long as ones tank system is correct. I've acquired over 100 frags over the last few years, mostly SPS but some chalice, and can recall losing just one. Even a fingernail sixed frag of most corals will grow into an acceptably sized colony in a year. For me, buying colonies either means running out of space more quickly, or needing to frag them thus contributing to the 'problem'. Tempest in a teacup .

 

[Jared's Little Reef]

Yeah, given the choice I try to aim for larger colonies of corals if at all possible. I think for most easily grown corals like softies they should always be sold on tiny rocks due to how fast they grow, but that is just my .02

Edit: I would agree some corals are insanely overpriced for what they are I try to stay into the colorful and cheap side of the hobby, unless I start selling organs.

 

[LOVEROCK]

Why are you so concerned with what other people are buying?

Perhaps you prefer colonies ripped out of the ocean. I like aquacultured frags. It’s much more sustainable, especially with the way things are headed.

Don’t like it? “We” made our choice.

Because the price are silly . And it effects him too

 

[jamo130788]

I like to support sustainable practices and in the current climate, with indo bans and mass bleaching events on some of the worlds most prominent reefs, its my opinion that if we want this hobby to continue we have to find sustainable ways to produce coral. I think purchasing frags from tank grown colonies is a great way to combat the "raping" of the reef's (they usually fair better in aquarium life as well) . Now what I will say is that if I am going to spend $80- $150 on a frag of sps say, it should not be half an inch in size. I would say that 1 inch per frag is about as low as any vendor should go when selling frags. There needs to be value in what you're paying for at the end of the day.

 

[roberthu526]

I don't agree with what you are saying. This hobby to me is a work-in-process. The corals in my tank are growing and I have a lot of fun through this process. If I buy a colony, then it's just a show piece I bought and I don't really have anything to do with it besides paying for it. In other words, I enjoy the journey more than the outcome.
You are right about buying colony is probably financially sound if you do the calculation of price per unit. But not everyone is willing to pay several hundred dollars on a single specimen. For $200 I can get probably 5 nice frags that will grow into 5 colonies in different colors and shapes. If I spend the $200 on one colony, I only have one colony.

 

[Jared's Little Reef]

I agree, I really like buying 5 frags and putting them all on 1 rock and having them blend into 1 piece. That one specific piece brightens up the whole tank typically with the different colors.
Otherwise I would prefer a bigger size just in case one head dies.

 

[saltyhog]

I buy frags almost exclusively unless I can get a colony from a fellow reefer who is breaking down his tank. The problem I have is not with dealers selling frags, it's what they call a frag. A frag used to be 3-4" and had at least one branch. Now a 3/4" bugger is considered a frag. One of these days we'll see SPS sold by the polyp! I actually did see a frag offered of a popular acro that had 4 visible polyps.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I'm afraid the hobby is in for more of a shock. With moratoriums on collecting from more and more reefs around the world, and now even limitations on aquaculture, tank raised corals will be what fills the supply chain. Supply & demand will rule. Unfortunately, that mostly prices me out of the market.