Who here "banks away" their polyps???

[Sir Patrick]

Banking away polyps-

When you pass on polyps to a freind (or a few freinds) for back up, just in case you have somthing go wrong in your tank and loose yours.

Anyone practice this?? With the way some of the more finiky polyps can get- I am thinkig this is an excellent idea!! I do this myself right now, and have been for a few years now.

So- who banks their polyps???

[vittleking]

thats a great idea! I'm just starting, but got the zoo bug already LOL, it would suck to lose them all.

[Werdlone]

I have been doing this for a while now. the trick is finding someone who has a stable tank that you know won't kill whatever you give them, and that also has some goodies to have you "bank" as well!! If you don't have anyone to bank your corals, I think most reefers that are local would give back a frag to the guy they got it from if they lost their colony. I know that I do.

[vittleking]

well anyone around Ann Arbor/Ypsi that wants to give it a whirl let me know. I'm just starting out, but I have the zoo bug already LOL. As far as fragable size colonies, I have safecrackers, kedds redds, tubbs blue (smaller size), fire and ice, some kinda unknown stars, some really really green ones, some brown base with green in them, and may have missed a few.

[card16969]

i was trying to get a group of ppl together to start doing this, ive been waiting for my frags to grow out enough to do it with

[Wy Renegade]

I did for awhile - then the guy I was banking with got his to growout faster than mine, and sold frags to everyone locally - He made big bucks on what for him was a free polyp, and I paid the original money for the frag and got nothing, cause everyone local had already bought from him. Now I just bank mine in my 2nd or 3rd tank.

[ReeferRob]

Yes, I currently manage the International Polish bank of Italy. Between Chris (Polskareefer) and Pete (Bella127) I pretty much got both of their back covered. Pete's in-particular, I don't think there is anything I have that he doesn't with the exception of a Wellso or Hammer and maybe a few favias.
I actually really like the idea, but unfortunately there aren't enough people around that are into this hobby for the fun and enjoyment of "collecting" and instead of seeing a stellar piece, see dollar signs.

[Bella127]

I read that same article in the magazine from the MASM swap grab bag. It is a great idea on paper to bank your corals, but trying to find someone with the same husbandry skills as yours is hard to do. Things that have happened to me while I was bankin with other reefers Negatively

1. Coral that I banked died due to whatever issues in others tank

2. Ended up on a selling forum on another site

3. Received coral from another reefer to bank that had so much wrong with it such as parasites,hair algae, closed polyps, it was not worth banking but you had to do it. Or the coral you give is no where near the coral quality you receive.

4. Coral does not grow as planned.

Things that have happened Positively

1. End up getting a nugget of coral that you do not have or have to pay for!

2. Build on a reef/buddy relationship, bond with people that share the same passion.

3. Thin out your tank and add new things to yours when you want to change the look of your tank.

4. Had my tank melt down ( biocube ) and had great bankers pay off with dividends when I started up my 60 cube.

[ReeferRob]

Other negatives can be reefers taking advantage of ones superb husbandry skills and constantly ask you to nurture their malnourished bleached out pieces back to life. LOL

Running out of room to house your own corals, because it is crammed with you friends corals.!

[Sir Patrick]

^ lol!! I never thought of that one!! I think I may have done that in the past...

Yes- there are some draw backs to go with the benefits. I have had my good experiences and bad with this.

I always go into it with an open mind. We all know that stuff happens in this hobbie. Tank catastrophies and such, not to mention light shock, poor aclimation, alk swings and many other common issues.

The part that really sucks is when they end up on the selling forums....and when you need a peice- there arent anymore due to over fragging/stress. They are gone....closed up and melted, but not till after said person made some real $$$ off the deal.

The benefits are the greatest though!! Seems what comes around goes around rings true for the most part!!