Too much of a good thing? Tiny or Large? Many or Few?

Which do you prefer?

  • A few LARGE, not as colorful less expensive, coral colonies filling your tank

    Votes: 133 36.5%
  • A lot of TINY, but very colorful more expensive, frags covering the rock

    Votes: 171 47.0%
  • Other (please explain in thread)

    Votes: 60 16.5%

  • Total voters
    364

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,989
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Is it possible to have too many corals in your reef aquarium?

I was talking to a local friend the other day, who is getting back in the hobby, and he stated that he wanted to choose a few corals and let them grow big instead of having a bunch of frags covering his rocks. So that got me thinking about the consensus of the community of hobbyists here at R2R and what your preferences are? But I wanted to dive a bit deeper and get a little more specific. More like less expensive and less colorful over more colorful but tiny and expensive. So answer the following if you will!

1. Which do you prefer? A few LARGE, not as colorful and less expensive, coral colonies OR more TINY, but very colorful and more expensive, frags covering the rock?

2. Do you agree or disagree that you CAN have too many corals in your reef tank?



@WWC beautiful tank store!
1GGjd51.jpg
 

MERKEY

Cronies
View Badges
Joined
Oct 5, 2019
Messages
9,635
Reaction score
46,612
Location
Washington
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Such a loaded question hahaha

I want as many as I can fit but know they need to grow so can only fit so many :(

I like being able to watch things grow into show sizes but can't pass up a nice colony either!

And unfortunately yes I have seen some tanks that have too many coral. Although that should never be a thing, some tanks just get too small ;)
 

Greybeard

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
3,231
Reaction score
8,668
Location
Buffalo, MO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm for big colonies. My Elegance is nearly a foot long... a pale green goniopora about softball size, a duncan colony probably 30 heads, maybe 7" across, Rainbow bubble tip that has split now, pretty much takes the entire top of one island... a few other fairly large corals. I'm pretty much done adding, at least for now. Green sinularia is maybe 6", should grow fast.

I may add some leptoseris, maybe some zoanthids, but that'd be about it.

No rush. Let it mature ;D
 

Greybeard

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
3,231
Reaction score
8,668
Location
Buffalo, MO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One of the most beautiful tanks I've ever seen was a 150DD (36x36) with a SINGLE HUGE green branching hammer coral centered on the sand bed. No live rock, a few fish, that single coral, under a 250w halide... beautiful setup.
 

mindme

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
1,145
Reaction score
1,240
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Large colonies for me. But either can look good when filled in.
 

CMMorgan

Counting my blessings...
View Badges
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
3,899
Reaction score
14,762
Location
Punta Gorda
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm all for large and all for color... but not necessarily expensive. I like things that sway with the current and have a pop of color. This may sound basic but my favorite coral (which I lost) was my green star polyps. As soon as the new tank is set up, I'll start that going again. I also LOVE mushrooms. Not expensive compared to much of what others have. I've got a Kenyan Tree and some Pulsing Xenia. I have some zoas but they are frustrating.... I never seem to find the right location for them.
I'd rather have a few semicolorful cost effective corals than a bunch of tiny money suckers that I'll cry when I place them in the wrong spot.
 

footgal

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
Messages
6,505
Reaction score
11,007
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I like filling one tank with a bajillion tiny frags, letting them grow out there, then moving them to my bigger tank. My grow-out tank is definitely still a display tank, but since it's only 20 gallons, the upkeep on it would be ridiculous to prevent coral warfare as the frags get larger. The little ones look good in the 20, then they get moved to the 25 when they outgrow the tank, and after that they go to the 45. This prevents me from overstocking any tank, saves me money because Im buying frags instead of colonies, and stops me from losing an itty bitty frag within my rocks in my ‘big’ tank. Everybody ends up happy and I’ve got three beautiful tanks now :) Just on the hunt for some fish to fill em up!
 

Pistol Peet

Reefing , family ,God, country.
View Badges
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
1,120
Location
Jamestown ND
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
At first I just wanted to fill my tank so I bought cheap large corals colonies basically now however I would definitely prefer to have smaller more colorful more expensive corals one that I don't have that I really really want and I've been wanting for a while is the homewrecker from Jason Fox just haven't been able to afford it yet
 

dbowman5

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
2,299
Reaction score
11,493
Location
Dayton, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
i have a long view. i like variety and colorful corals. i think my taste runs to frags that will grow over the years. i don't mind 'empty' rock that will be covered in 3-5 years. i also realize that some fast growing corals will need to be pruned.
expensive exotics? i wear quality shoes but i don't have a Nike wall. i tend to play with toys rather than keep them sealed until the value of them rewards my investment.
equally important: My set up is not sufficient and my experience is too slight to confidently care for the admittedly wonderful creatures i love looking at.
 

Mr_Knightley

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 30, 2019
Messages
2,679
Reaction score
6,688
Location
Southeast USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Personally, I enjoy a sporadic mix of the two. A rock can look stunning covered in small frags of different colors, but when those frags grow in is where it really gets pretty. On the flip side, colonies can be amazing to have! I personally prefer to grow them myself though.
 

dodgerblew

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
2,557
Reaction score
1,080
Location
So Cal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
After going both options at one time or another, my poll vote was for “other“. I would prefer less coral colonies then a bunch of tiny frags but I want the most pop I can get from the colonies and not less expensive and less colorful so if I need to spend more to get the corals I want then so be it.
The best way in my opinion is to have two tanks, one, a display tank, is to mount small pieces, space accordingly so they can grow large without infringing on each other’s real estate and exercise some patience and enjoy the time while they grow out and end result is a beautiful reef. However that’s not easy when we want instant gratification and when something new shows up that we “need” to have. So have a second tank dedicated to growing out colonies of all different types on tiles. Best of both worlds
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 72 38.1%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 63 33.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.2%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.8%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
Back
Top