Which NUMBER is a colony?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

 

[edsbeaker]

An interesting question. I’ve wondered this myself, and have no idea at what point a frag becomes a colony. Someone teach me!

I do think I can confidently say that #1 is not.

 

[Fish Fan]

This is the reefing equivalent of when does a pebble become a rock

 

[Project1004]

I would consider 1-3: a nub, 4-6: small frag, 7-10: medium size frag 11-14: mini colony.

 

[Biokabe]

If you can still see the frag plug, it's a frag.

Not universally true, of course. Euphyllia corals would take forever to be called a colony with that definition. But generally, I'd consider it a colony over a frag when the plug is completely encrusted, the branches are large enough to frag on their own, and the base of the coral has started encrusting on the rockwork.

 

[Troylee]

Level 99

 

[helmsreef]

I find that colonies would be maybe 4-5" or bigger, or if they get too large that they fight for space.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

12, IMO.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

13-14, but kinda small for a colony. 14 is probably ~1.5-2 years after lvl 2 or 3.

 

[docscorals]

I would consider 1-3: a nub, 4-6: small frag, 7-10: medium size frag 11-14: mini colony.

Agree. Although many coral shops would call the middle row colonies!

 

[BeanAnimal]

#11 is pushing it. I would say #12 would be a small colony at best.

Sadly, there a few vendors that would call #1 a colony and 1/3 if it or less a frag, One of them was recently removed as a sponsor here and is local to me.

I took several years away from the club when I stepped away as a burned out board member. When I return I showed up with literal buckets of coral for the end-of-meeting auction. Our local vendor was a high school kid at the time, with his parents running the business. He ha donated "frags" to the raffle. I am not kidding they were grain of rice to pea size specimens glued to plugs. Maybe a polyp or two. One #1 frag turned into 15 raffle frags.

Anyway, I would expect a "frag" to be #7 or larger if I was purchasing it.

 

[fishface NJ]

#14 start of a colony....I'm old school

 

[KrisReef]

One polyp is a single polyp, and when it divides into two clones, it has matured into a colony, by definition.

If words mean anything?

 

[KrisReef]

Now if you really want some fun:


a
: a circumscribed mass of microorganisms usually growing in or on a solid medium
colonies of bacteria

b
: the aggregation of zooids of a compound animal (such as a coral or bryozoan)
A new coral colony is begun when a planula settlesdown on a reef, attaches itself there, and forms the first polyp, from which others bud.—Joseph E. Neigel and John C. Avise


5
: a group of individuals or things with common characteristicsor interests living in close association
an artist colony

a nudist colony

also : the land or buildings used by such a group

6
: a group of persons institutionalized away from others
a leper colony

a penal colony , such as from where I am now posting?

 

[BeanAnimal]

One polyp is a single polyp, and when it divides into two clones, it has matured into a colony, by definition.

If words mean anything?

It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the—if he—if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not—that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement.

 

[me & my baby]

14 for me

 

[BeanAnimal]

Kris, I am sure that there are only a handful of us who get it. The same folks understand “put it on the Underhill’s tab” and similar references without googling them.

 

[KrisReef]

#11 is pushing it. I would say #12 would be a small colony at best.

Sadly, there a few vendors that would call #1 a colony and 1/3 if it or less a frag, One of them was recently removed as a sponsor here and is local to me.

I took several years away from the club when I stepped away as a burned out board member. When I return I showed up with literal buckets of coral for the end-of-meeting auction. Our local vendor was a high school kid at the time, with his parents running the business. He ha donated "frags" to the raffle. I am not kidding they were grain of rice to pea size specimens glued to plugs. Maybe a polyp or two. One #1 frag turned into 15 raffle frags.

Anyway, I would expect a "frag" to be #7 or larger if I was purchasing it.

Actually, depending on the focal length and the lens, and the vendor's camera skills, I have seen many #3 sized coral fragments expanded in the photographic view to appear to closer to any of the corals listed in the bottom row.

#7 is a reasonable old school sized frag, imo.

I'm fasinated by the different colors of frag plugs in the first two rows, is that some kind of settlement growth?

 

[Fish Styx]

12+

 

[KrisReef]

Kris, I am sure that there are only a handful of us who get it. The same folks understand “put it on the Underhill’s tab” and similar references.

Never too late to encourage cultural expansion, imo.