!!!WILD FIRE...and the INEVITABLE AFTER BURN....

[X-37B]

This is so very true! and thanks a lot for the post. Many, and I mean many, of my grown out pieces were frags off wild colonies that crashed. Maybe a few generation in now though as lots of them have been fragged and backed up and backed up again. This extremely drawn out process( literally many years) certainly helps to create far more resilient and adaptive sps over time and may very well be the best argument for aquaculture. Period.

The one lfs in my area that purchases wild colonies will frag a few pieces after a week or so then let the colony do its thing. I will purchase a frag or 2 now and then. It really is amazing what some turn into.
I got a milli frag that was tan. It as well as the baseball size colony have turned a pinkish/lavender color. Now the $20 frag is $75.
I am setting up a 45 gal frag system to grow out some of these but mostly to backup my main 120 gal system.
I will be getting a battlepack in a few months once its up and running because of this site.
Keep up the good and very demanding work that is needed to further this hobby.

 

[jd-woodlands]

How long before you would consider saying a wild colony is established in a tank and then how long before you would consider it aquacultured?

as a side note, I’ve only started having success with wild pieces once i switched over to MH and T5 lights. They always base out fast.

 

[Battlecorals]

How long before you would consider saying a wild colony is established in a tank and then how long before you would consider it aquacultured?

as a side note, I’ve only started having success with wild pieces once i switched over to MH and T5 lights. They always base out fast.

I don't ever really consider any part of a wild piece aquacultured. I do however, consider any actual new growth produced here in my system as "aquacultured". It can take anywhere from a 5-6 months, to a few years easy. I'd say the average is over a year though.