Why I hate spending a lot of money on frags

[doubleshot00]

Went to TopShelf and picked out a few really nice frags for my tank and had them shipped.

Ive been growing acros for a about 6 months now and have been overall successful. I figured some nicer pieces would be nice.

Well one bleached out overnight Thats it for me paying more than $100 for a frag. Amazes me how so many people are willing to pay so much for these pieces. And to add to it my Yellow Cynarina started to show its skeleton after being in my tank for 3 months. Put it in my nano and it’s doing just fine. Always problems. Rant done

 

[Wasabiroot]

Couple things - TopShelf are awesome people but I'd consider them a "premium" vendor so they're more expensive. Secondly, expensive acros are usually expensive from either sensitivity, slow growth, or challenge to color up (or just plain old supply and demand). Not every coral is gonna do well. But, I have to ask, what do you believe caused your Cynarina to start doing poorly? If that wasn't fixed, it could have caused mortality in the sps. Finally, some acros really hate dips. Smooth skins like echinata don't tolerate much

 

[exnisstech]

Its better than having them start to grow out, become your favorite piece and then rtn over night

 

[doubleshot00]

Couple things - TopShelf are awesome people but I'd consider them a "premium" vendor so they're more expensive. Secondly, expensive acros are usually expensive from either sensitivity, slow growth, or challenge to color up (or just plain old supply and demand). Not every coral is gonna do well. But, I have to ask, what do you believe caused your Cynarina to start doing poorly? If that wasn't fixed, it could have caused mortality in the sps. Finally, some acros really hate dips. Smooth skins like echinata don't tolerate much

I assume it was light for the Cynarina. As my nano has a lower par but it could have elevated no3 and po4 levels. I also dipped it in Lugols before adding it to my nano to and been feeding it a lot. Fingers crossed it survives but looks WAY happier.

I used the KCL dip.

 

[Wasabiroot]

Its better than having them start to grow out, become your favorite piece and then rtn over night

Rip Frag Farmer red robin...lost most of my other sps from an alk spike caused by AFR overdose overnight. My colonies were sma...cant imagine losing a big colony like some of you old timers may have. Things are doing better now though!

 

[Wasabiroot]

I assume it was light for the Cynarina. As my nano has a lower par but it could have elevated no3 and po4 levels. I also dipped it in Lugols before adding it to my nano to and been feeding it a lot. Fingers crossed it survives but looks WAY happier.

I used the KCL dip.

Cynarina and expensive sps are kind of diametrically opposed as far as nutrient levels, flow, and lighting. Not that you can't have both in a tank! Mixed reefs are the most popular tank after all.
Do you know your parameters for both tanks? Green slimer and red dragon carduus are fairly hardy once established but that doesn't mean that one would have success with say, gemmifera in the same tank. Also, did you mount the frags immediately or did you acclimate them then mount them? I've heard arguments for both. The problems never go away, they just get way less frequent. The bottom line is maintaining a reef ecosystem where every coral is happy is a fools errand until the tank is mature. I'm sure some stick heads could offer their insights here, as this is based on my ~2yr experience with beginner level sps (PC Rainbow, Frag Farmer Red Robin, Red Planet, Green Slimer, Hawkins echinata, CC Needle in a Haystack, Green Slimer, Copps Calicali stag, CC Dark Knight Stag, Neon green tenuis, purple stylophora)

 

[doubleshot00]

Cynarina and expensive sps are kind of diametrically opposed as far as nutrient levels, flow, and lighting. Not that you can't have both in a tank! Mixed reefs are the most popular tank after all.
Do you know your parameters for both tanks? Green slimer and red dragon carduus are fairly hardy once established but that doesn't mean that one would have success with say, gemmifera in the same tank. Also, did you mount the frags immediately or did you acclimate them then mount them? I've heard arguments for both. The problems never go away, they just get way less frequent. The bottom line is maintaining a reef ecosystem where every coral is happy is a fools errand until the tank is mature. I'm sure some stick heads could offer their insights here, as this is based on my ~2yr experience with beginner level sps (PC Rainbow, Frag Farmer Red Robin, Red Planet, Green Slimer, Hawkins echinata, CC Needle in a Haystack, Green Slimer, Copps Calicali stag, CC Dark Knight Stag, Neon green tenuis, purple stylophora)

Yeah the parameters are a bit different between the two tanks but somewhat similar at the same time. High nitrate and high phos. I did just mount them.

I got 4 frags in about 2 months ago from a fellow r2r’er and zero issues. I did not pay very much for all 4 but they are all doing great.

Im not at the slightest blaming TopShelf just kicking myself for spending so much on 3 frags (over$500 ). Ill definitely never do that again.

 

[jda]

IMO, the best approach is to buy something that is always going to be in demand, raise it and sell or trade it for other expensive stuff.

Colorado Sunbursts, OG WWC Bounce Shrooms, Poletti Jawbreakers are easy and usually command good prices. If you can keep SPS, then some of the old classics that everybody wants are good. You have to have an eye or nose for the trendy pieces and stay away since you might buy them for too high of a price and then the price comes way down before you can raise it.

 

[Lavey29]

If you walked in why did you have them shipped? That's stressful to corals.

But I agree, expensive frags are a big gamble and not worth it to me.

 

[doubleshot00]

If you walked in why did you have them shipped? That's stressful to corals.

But I agree, expensive frags are a big gamble and not worth it to me.

I didn’t fly back until a few days later. And it was an early flight.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Did you ask the store that you purchased from their parameters and lighting/par conditions? you may have success with more hardier species that can adjust happily to various changes. I think The more high end corals require more 'special care' and even the slightest adjustments can kill them. It's a tough call and in your case an expensive one, but it's all about learning from it, instead of going all in with money, just build up on the species see how they grow and adjust all to get parameters in check, eventually you will have all parameters set and stable, lights perfect... Then throw in the high end corals

Just my opinion

 

[doubleshot00]

Did you ask the store that you purchased from their parameters and lighting/par conditions? you may have success with more hardier species that can adjust happily to various changes. I think The more high end corals require more 'special care' and even the slightest adjustments can kill them. It's a tough call and in your case an expensive one, but it's all about learning from it, instead of going all in with money, just build up on the species see how they grow and adjust all to get parameters in check, eventually you will have all parameters set and stable, lights perfect... Then throw in the high end corals

Just my opinion

Well said. I just got excited to be inside TopShelf i think.

I assume it was my high no3 and po4 that it doesn’t like.

 

[doubleshot00]

I wonder if I should leave it or take it out.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I wonder if I should leave it or take it out.

What will you do with it if you removed?, I would leave it in, it may adjust to parameters and bounce back, unless you have other options another tank to try in, or return back to store

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Ouch. Ive been sticking to cheap sps for that reason

 

[doubleshot00]

Ouch. Ive been sticking to cheap sps for that reason

Yeah the second one is doing it now.

 

[crazyfishmom]

Well said. I just got excited to be inside TopShelf i think.

I assume it was my high no3 and po4 that it doesn’t like.

I’ll say this: I’ve killed a lot of acros, not proud of it, just the truth and it was all due to poor water quality (really high nitrates and phosphates). After getting those two under control and starting to carbon dose to use bacteria as a nutrient source I haven’t lost a single frag (knock on wood!) no matter how high end or finicky it seems.