The importance of frags...

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uniquecorals

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I received a call from a hobbyist the other day that hit home.

She was feeling burned because she bought some supposedly “propagated” frags of a “named” coral from someone on an online auction, and they arrived discolored, dying, freshly glued. She was soured to the idea of frags, and said she’d only purchase colonies in the future because of this regrettable incident.

Yikes.

It compelled me to vent. My venting can often prove controversial or even annoying to some people. Some think I’m being preachy or elitist in my rants.

Cool. Whatever. I’m old enough not to be bothered by that. I speak my mind because I believe in what I feel.

Here goes.

Obviously, I own a company that grows corals…A lot of corals. Like, thousands of them. Despite our name, we’re not ahem, “unique” in that aspect of the business. There are a lot of people engaged in the growing of frags for the aquarium trade. They do amazing work. This is a good thing. A very good thing.


Raceway-Aquarium-Unique-Corals-1.jpg


Did you ever stop to think about that?

Most of us, when stocking our aquariums, have a budget, or other restrictions, which makes throwing in a large piece of coral not only inappropriate, but downright unattainable. So we buy frags.

Cool.



UC1half-orange-sunset-millie-88.jpg


Frags enable reefers to try a lot of different corals; to sample many different color morphs, varieties, species of corals, each one of which provides us with a new set of enjoyments, challenges, and opportunities to improve our skills.

We love frags.


UC2-pack-cali-tort-oregon-tort-frag-pack-218.jpg


u-c-zoa-pack-indo-58.jpg


UC4-piece uc-frag-pack-blue-vermiculata-strawberry-shortcake-bali-shortcake-color-me-up-acro-158.jpg


Frags are economical, because, for the most part, you can purchase frags for a reasonable price. This means that you’ll still have money available for other stuff, like the mortgage, little Jenny’s clarinet lessons, Billy’s braces, or your spouse’s anniversary gift! Frags are an economic necessity for the modern reefer.

Frags are also cool because they are often more forgiving than a whole colony or specimen. If you’ve chosen wisely and obtained your frag from a reliable source, you are purchasing a piece of coral that has a great chance to “sprout” in your reef and grow into a dynamic colony in time. Young frags adapt well to new surroundings- way better than colonies do. Sad but true- if a frag dies, it’s just one of many- hopefully one of many that were made from a mother colony long in captivity and widely dispersed in the hobby…so that it’s not the end of the line for a colony.

Frags mean survival.

Frags teach us stuff. Like patience, for example; the key ingredient to reefing. You need patience far more than you need that new skimmer, light, or pump. No joke.

Frags are opportunity. An opportunity to apply our skills to nurture and grow a small piece into a vibrant colony, which will fill an aquarium, and provide hours of enjoyment for the owner and visitors to the aquarium as well. And maybe, just maybe, the little frag-turned-colony can be fragged up again, to share with others and start their adventures.

Frags are sustainable.

Every frag made is one less colony that needs to be removed from the wild reefs. One less “x” against us by the wannabe pseudo-environmentalist crowd who would see our hobby shot down as if we were trapping Minks for fur or something.

We need to tell the world- end sometimes, each other, that frags are the ultimate hobby expression of sustainability.

When done right.

In the hobby vernacular, a “frag” is generally defined as any piece of coral chopped off a mother colony.

I think we need to go further. I think we need to refine it a bit. A frag, in the reef hobby community, should be a fragment of coral taken from a larger colony, healed up and encrusted, and then distributed, while retaining the mother colony for further fragmentation or growth. And fragging the frags...yup.

When you’re at a friend's house and she snips off a piece of that awesome Acro you’ve been rolling over and gives you one to take home, that’s a “legit” frag, IMHO.

But fresh cuts aren’t for commerce, IMHO.

Oh, sure, that sounds a bit arrogant to some. But we shouldn’t care.

Really.

A frag, in our hobby vernacular, should NOT- in my opinion- be a fragment of coral chopped off a freshly imported wild colony, glued to a plug, and quickly sold at a profit. That’s what we call “chop shop” tactic. It’s decidedly old school, and completely unnecessary.

Sure, it’s attractive on the surface…Many firms in Indo and other places will send just about anyone who can afford it and come up with the paperwork a box of corals, ripe for chopping up, gluing the colorful tips to plug, photographing and “naming” them, and pumping them out on Ebay before they lose color and RTN out, for $10 a frag. Or $200 a frag in some quarters. “Insta Profit!” Sweet.

No. That’s not right.

Don’t think I’m saying it’s not right because I feel that a bunch of people in the trade are “upset” and feel it detracts from their profits (it really doesn't, IMHO)…If you think that, you’re missing the point. It’s not about market share.

It’s about “mind share.”


UC3-piece-acro-fragpack-bali-shortcake-pink-ultra-vermiculata-128.jpg


It’s not right because it encourages irresponsible management of precious resources, distributes weakened fragments of corals into the hands of unsuspecting consumers, and does little to enhance the cause of real sustainability. It misleads consumers, who see a brightly colored wild coral tip on a new frag plug, with nice fresh glue all over, and might be lead to believe that this is what a “propagated” specimen is. Worse yet, it creates a low standard for all in the hobby and industry.

It’s an insult to anyone who is a real reefer. And worse yet, it’s an insult to the natural reefs. It commoditizes and devalues them.


The vendors you see on this forum, at frag swaps, and in club events get this. Most hobbyists get this. They actually grow out a coral. Sure, the act of chopping up a colony is not really rocket science. However, the act of growing a frag- nurturing it…encouraging it to encrust before it is sold- that’s the magic.

It’s not quick. Its not super easy. It requires effort, patience, expense. Risk.

Oh well.

That’s the model for a sustainable future, where the bulk of all coral is propagated domestically, grown to appropriate size and health before distribution, and marketed at realistic prices. Self-policing, and self-regulating.

It’s perfectly attainable in our lifetimes. It’s already started. We know this.

Support fraggers. Real fraggers. Support businesses, hobbyists, clubs, and organizations who get this. People who practice the art and science of coral propagation, for the betterment of the hobby - and the natural environment.

Off the soapbox.

Support your local fragger. Grow a reef…

etc.

And stay wet.

Scott Fellman
Unique Corals



 
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uniquecorals

uniquecorals

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Preaching to the choir, but we mustn't lose sight of this! Thanks for the kind words!
 

diablomaster9045

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This is spot on! There is a very good reason I do not buy from ebay sellers. The corals they sell are either unreliable or crazy photoshopped most of them time. Of course there are exceptions to this but IMO its not worth the risk. I rather order from a vendor that has nurtured their tanks.



Shout out to my favorite vendors that follow this sustainable way of fragging: Gonzo's Coral Frags, Battlecorals, Unique Corals, Rocky Mountain Frags.
 
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uniquecorals

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This is spot on! There is a very good reason I do not buy from ebay sellers. The corals they sell are either unreliable or crazy photoshopped most of them time. Of course there are exceptions to this but IMO its not worth the risk. I rather order from a vendor that has nurtured their tanks.



Shout out to my favorite vendors that follow this sustainable way of fragging: Gonzo's Coral Frags, Battlecorals, Unique Corals, Rocky Mountain Frags.

And so many, many more...I want to give a special shout to Joe Knows Reefs...Talk about a guy and a company with integrity. Spent some time with him at RAP in Orlando and I couldn't think higher of a vendor...And Cherry Corals- amazing people doing great work. All of these people and many more not mentioned, and count;less brick and mortar LFS's around the nation are examples of the types of businesses that we should support. It's not about tooting our own horns...It's about managing this amazing resource that we have in a responsible and sustainable manner... By dealing only with people that "get it", those that don't will either fall in line or fall by the wayside.

My .02

Scott:whoo:
 

kacrocorals581

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yeah the people that are listed are great haven't bought from all but jkr has always been my 1st stop for yrs now and well continue to be cc another I've always been happy to buy from and guess I'll give uc a go now seeing how great your frags look also , I think its wild the way people do the chop shop thing and the coral hasn't even covered the glue yet think its just setting people up for failure and then your right it dose hurt everyone cause it leave a bad taste for not just buying from that person again but off the net all together, very useful topic there you started cudos
 

tigerdragon

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I received a call from a hobbyist the other day that hit home.

She was feeling burned because she bought some supposedly “propagated†frags of a “named†coral from someone on an online auction, and they arrived discolored, dying, freshly glued. She was soured to the idea of frags, and said she’d only purchase colonies in the future because of this regrettable incident.

Yikes.

It compelled me to vent. My venting can often prove controversial or even annoying to some people. Some think I’m being preachy or elitist in my rants.

Cool. Whatever. I’m old enough not to be bothered by that. I speak my mind because I believe in what I feel.

Here goes.

Obviously, I own a company that grows corals…A lot of corals. Like, thousands of them. Despite our name, we’re not ahem, “unique†in that aspect of the business. There are a lot of people engaged in the growing of frags for the aquarium trade. They do amazing work. This is a good thing. A very good thing.


Raceway-Aquarium-Unique-Corals-1.jpg

Did you ever stop to think about that?

Most of us, when stocking our aquariums, have a budget, or other restrictions, which makes throwing in a large piece of coral not only inappropriate, but downright unattainable. So we buy frags.

Cool.



UC1half-orange-sunset-millie-88.jpg

Frags enable reefers to try a lot of different corals; to sample many different color morphs, varieties, species of corals, each one of which provides us with a new set of enjoyments, challenges, and opportunities to improve our skills.

We love frags.


UC2-pack-cali-tort-oregon-tort-frag-pack-218.jpg

u-c-zoa-pack-indo-58.jpg

UC4-piece uc-frag-pack-blue-vermiculata-strawberry-shortcake-bali-shortcake-color-me-up-acro-158.jpg

Frags are economical, because, for the most part, you can purchase frags for a reasonable price. This means that you’ll still have money available for other stuff, like the mortgage, little Jenny’s clarinet lessons, Billy’s braces, or your spouse’s anniversary gift! Frags are an economic necessity for the modern reefer.

Frags are also cool because they are often more forgiving than a whole colony or specimen. If you’ve chosen wisely and obtained your frag from a reliable source, you are purchasing a piece of coral that has a great chance to “sprout†in your reef and grow into a dynamic colony in time. Young frags adapt well to new surroundings- way better than colonies do. Sad but true- if a frag dies, it’s just one of many- hopefully one of many that were made from a mother colony long in captivity and widely dispersed in the hobby…so that it’s not the end of the line for a colony.

Frags mean survival.

Frags teach us stuff. Like patience, for example; the key ingredient to reefing. You need patience far more than you need that new skimmer, light, or pump. No joke.

Frags are opportunity. An opportunity to apply our skills to nurture and grow a small piece into a vibrant colony, which will fill an aquarium, and provide hours of enjoyment for the owner and visitors to the aquarium as well. And maybe, just maybe, the little frag-turned-colony can be fragged up again, to share with others and start their adventures.

Frags are sustainable.

Every frag made is one less colony that needs to be removed from the wild reefs. One less “x†against us by the wannabe pseudo-environmentalist crowd who would see our hobby shot down as if we were trapping Minks for fur or something.

We need to tell the world- end sometimes, each other, that frags are the ultimate hobby expression of sustainability.

When done right.

In the hobby vernacular, a “frag†is generally defined as any piece of coral chopped off a mother colony.

I think we need to go further. I think we need to refine it a bit. A frag, in the reef hobby community, should be a fragment of coral taken from a larger colony, healed up and encrusted, and then distributed, while retaining the mother colony for further fragmentation or growth. And fragging the frags...yup.

When you’re at a friend's house and she snips off a piece of that awesome Acro you’ve been rolling over and gives you one to take home, that’s a “legit†frag, IMHO.

But fresh cuts aren’t for commerce, IMHO.

Oh, sure, that sounds a bit arrogant to some. But we shouldn’t care.

Really.

A frag, in our hobby vernacular, should NOT- in my opinion- be a fragment of coral chopped off a freshly imported wiled colony, glued to a plug, and quickly sold at a profit. That’s what we call “chop shop†tactic. It’s decidedly old school, and completely unnecessary.

Sure, it’s attractive on the surface…Many firms in Indo and other will send just about anyone who can afford it and come up with the paperwork a box of corals, ripe for chopping up, gluing the colorful tips to plug, photographing and “naming†them, and pumping them out on Ebay before they lose color and RTN out, for $10 a frag. Or $200 a frag in some quarters. “Insta Profit!†Sweet.

No. That’s not right.

Don’t think I’m saying it’s not right because I feel that a bunch of people in the trade are “butt hurt†and feel it detracts from their profits (it really doesn't, IMHO)…If you think that, you’re missing the point. It’s not about market share.

It’s about “mind share.â€


UC3-piece-acro-fragpack-bali-shortcake-pink-ultra-vermiculata-128.jpg

It’s not right because it encourages irresponsible management of precious resources, distributes weakened fragments of corals into the hands of unsuspecting consumers, and does little to enhance the cause of real sustainability. It misleads consumers, who see a brightly colored wild coral tip on a new frag plug, with nice fresh glue all over, and might be lead to believe that this is what a “propagated†specimen is. Worse yet, it creates a low standard for all in the hobby and industry.

It’s an insult to anyone who is a real reefer. And worse yet, it’s an insult to the natural reefs. It commoditizes and devalues them.


The vendors you see on this forum, at frag swaps, and in club events get this. Most hobbyists get this. They actually grow out a coral. Sure, the act of chopping up a colony is not really rocket science. However, the act of growing a frag- nurturing it…encouraging it to encrust before it is sold- that’s the magic.

It’s not quick. Its not super easy. It requires effort, patience, expense. Risk.

Oh well.

That’s the model for a sustainable future, where the bulk of all coral is propagated domestically, grown to appropriate size and health before distribution, and marketed at realistic prices. Self-policing, and self-regulating.

It’s perfectly attainable in our lifetimes. It’s already started. We know this.

Support fraggers. Real fraggers. Support businesses, hobbyists, clubs, and organizations who get this. People who practice the art and science of coral propagation, for the betterment of the hobby - and the natural environment.

Off the soapbox.

Support your local fragger. Grow a reef…

etc.

And stay wet.

Scott Fellman
Unique Corals




Very well said. My self when i do frags i wont trade, sell, or even take to a frag swap unless its been healed and has started to encrust. I just dont believe in doing it any other way
 

acer

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WOW- great write up and necessary soap box shout out! Sometimes the obvious and the common sense thought process is just beyond people. I have been out of the hobby for about three years now. Just lately thinking about setting up a tank again - and the very first thought I had was where can I get some inexpensive frags to start after my new tanks cycles thru!! NOT where can I buy a coral colony taken out of the ocean that will probably not live long in a new tank, but may live long enough to impress my friends. And as soon as it dies - I can just buy a new colony. DUH!! This hobby is all about growing/nurturing corals and then sharing with others thru fraging, not taking live corals from the oceans.
 

Eienna

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I love my frags...which is good, since that's all I can afford, lol!!

Speaking of which...the purple gorg is getting pretty big <3
 
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Thanks, everyone, for the props and the many kind PM's I received. I think that the reception to this little rant proved what I already assumed...most hobbyists seem to "get it" about this topic. It's really the small, pitiful few "businesses" and a smaller crop of misinformed hobbyists that don't. It's important that we all shout from the rooftops the way we feel about topics like this, and I'm happy to see that there are many more of you that can forward this "mission" to every corner of the hobby. Thanks!

-Scott
 

TJ's Reef

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Yes, another fantastic write-up my friend. Could not have expressed it better myself Scott. I need to get a hold of you to further our discussion and hoping now that I'm on the road a bit with S.A. will find myself down your way for a personal visit through Unique Corals facility.


Cheers, Todd
 

kaos14

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We haven't bought any corals yet, our new tank is still cycling. That being said my husband and I have been doing our research on were to buy from. Unique Corals had made it toward the top of our list but this just sealed the deal and has made our decision for us. You will be getting our business in the future.
 

Keepswiming

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Very well put sir! I hope some other distributors on here read this. I recently purchased over 300 dollars worth of frags from company's weekly eBay page on here and it was a prime example of what you mentioned. The amount might not seem like a lot but for a college student that is a fortune. The shipping said Monday and when I waited around all day for my frags i finally got tired and contacted the seller. He basically appoligized and said they will be here on tues and that's it. When they came they looked like brown freshly glued trash. Long story short, I lost three of them and rest are nothing like the pics. Keep up the good business ethic, I know where I am making my next big purchase!
 

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