Pay It Forward Corals (PIF Corals)

[dhuynh]

Wow.. I go to sleep and there're tons of post.

This is not a new idea by any mean. I and a few other reefers have been doing this for a while. You get stuff for free and it's only right that you give it away for free. It's definitely a karma thing. Most of us try to "Pay it Back"... which is good, but doesn't spread the love as much.

The idea of making it public is so we can keep track of what's available from other people also. Instead of doing this with a few people, how would you like to do this with a few hundred people?

About tracking: The idea about using Excel and Visio has there limitations, but are good because they're immediately available. Eventually, I would like to track how frags I give away are doing, which would require the receivers to post updates of there corals. Most of the time when we give corals away, we just hope they do okay. It'll be cool to see how they're doing once in a while.

About corals: It's great that we are thinking about other types of corals, but for now, I would like to stick with corals that are somewhat fast growing and can be easily fraggable. I know bubble corals are fraggable, but they are not fast growing. I would like to see corals at least every 6 months.

I think for now, we can keep track using a spreadsheet. Visio has a nice tree/flowchart feature, but most people will not have the program on their computer. Maybe we could use InkScape or something. Perhaps I'll just bring up a php/mysql page.

[dhuynh]

Actually, I don't think this concept is that noble. It's not based on one person providing money/corals for the masses. It's based on Karma. If you always take and never give, you'll have 1000 years of bad juju. LOL.

Expect to have some sort of system up for it soon. Man! I have too many crazy ideas.

this is a noble concept.
There is a sofware call "Visio" it does family trees, flow charts, etc.
I like the tier idea, the tiers could be classify as LPS, SPS, Softies, Zoantoids. then each coral can be in one of those groups. I like the points idea.

[mramc3]

what if we just add a PIF folder in the USER CP?

Possibly have an icon for a PIF person. This way each person can update their lists of what they have available or who they have given to. That way each person will be responsible for being apart of this program, and not just chalk your name up for free corals.

In addition have a master list of people who are involved. That master list can be organized into softies, LPS, SPS, etc. From this list, a user can click on a name and see what they have. The link from the name should go to the USER CP page that the contributer updates him/herself.

So it would be like this:

Log in to SDREEFS
>setup a PIF profile that shows what you have donated/received (self-maintenance)
>next your name will be placed in subcategory of TYPES OF CORALS
>user can click your name and see your PIF PROFILE
>PM the person make arrangements
>Update both users PIF profile

This is just an idea I had that makes each user more responsible for their actions. And hopefully this concept would be pretty user friendly.

just my .02

Jeff

[dhuynh]

I like the idea of something being self maintained, but it might be hard to find a certain type of coral if you had to click on each person's profile. There has to be some sort of master database that each person can update.

what if we just add a PIF folder in the USER CP?

Possibly have an icon for a PIF person. This way each person can update their lists of what they have available or who they have given to. That way each person will be responsible for being apart of this program, and not just chalk your name up for free corals.

In addition have a master list of people who are involved. That master list can be organized into softies, LPS, SPS, etc. From this list, a user can click on a name and see what they have. The link from the name should go to the USER CP page that the contributer updates him/herself.

So it would be like this:

Log in to SDREEFS
>setup a PIF profile that shows what you have donated/received (self-maintenance)
>next your name will be placed in subcategory of TYPES OF CORALS
>user can click your name and see your PIF PROFILE
>PM the person make arrangements
>Update both users PIF profile

This is just an idea I had that makes each user more responsible for their actions. And hopefully this concept would be pretty user friendly.

just my .02

Jeff

[mramc3]

well thats what i was trying to mention. Have a master database with subcategories of what kinds of corals. Then each persons name would be in there as a link.

The link would be the personal PIF profile that the user maintains.

I guess the trick is now is how to make this master data base.

[dhuynh]

Ah.. I see.. we'll have to somehow make a hack for vbulletin to do that. I'm sure there are programmers on this site that could do it.

well thats what i was trying to mention. Have a master database with subcategories of what kinds of corals. Then each persons name would be in there as a link.

The link would be the personal PIF profile that the user maintains.

I guess the trick is now is how to make this master data base.

[dhuynh]

First two frags have been distributed under the PIF rules!!

Agent003: Received a red monti cap and some pink zoos.

Since no one is stepping up to do the programming, I'm just gonna have to do it. PHP here I come.

[Agent003]

Thanks Danny, for the corals, and for rescuing my tang. He couldn't have gone to a better home. I can't wait to see those pink zoas tomorrow when the lights come on. Even looking at them closed the coloration looks like it will be unreal.

[tkang69]

I know I'm late coming back into the convo, but something I haven't seen addressed, and I think should be.

I think we need to make sure that the recipient of frags has a capable system.

Say for example, I have a 100gal tank, with 130w PC lighting. Giving me a frag of Acropora is a recipe for disaster.

Incidentally, only one of my three tanks has PC lighting. The other two have MH over them

I like how this idea is coming to fruitition.

Can we post up a link to how it works and such?

Right now, I do have a small (maybe 1.5") Kenya Tree coral that I can put into the mix, and maybe in a few months, I'll have some german blue polyped monti digitata (I'm arranging to pick up a 1 or 2" frag saturday, not sure how quickly it will grow).

[Agent003]

Since it will take some time to get my PIF corals large enough to PF, I'd like to seed a frag of these zoas in the PIF system if any PIFer would like to get some growing in their own tank.

[dhuynh]

NP. Those zoos do have some insane color. Courtesy of Maui.

Thanks Danny, for the corals, and for rescuing my tang. He couldn't have gone to a better home. I can't wait to see those pink zoas tomorrow when the lights come on. Even looking at them closed the coloration looks like it will be unreal.

[tkang69]

If I got to choose, I'd love a small frag of those zoos! Those are gorgeous!

OT: Can someone teach me the finer points to fragging colonies?

[dhuynh]

No need to turn back time.

I was think in my first post, I said that the corals given under PIF will remain free forever. I was thinking... forever is a long time! Maybe we need to give people a way out. For instance, you have to contribute back to the community at least 5 frags of the coral you go for free (of equal size of course), then you can do whatever you want with the coral. How does this sound? This will give people who want to make money from coral a chance to but only after they have pay it forward to the cause.

same here, the neon green candy cane is also almost 4 heads from two. I guess we got them at the same time.

Danny - if you want to turn back the time, here is my list of what I have received for free from fellow reefers:

From mmoore:
- xenia silver strand - some time later died along with rest of my xenia in the tank
- kenya frags - coming along slowly
From you:
- Orange cap (no, not the fruit) - showing growth, willing to trade
- above mentioned candy cane - not going anywhere, not even a frag
- purple zoos - willing to trade for other, I have the same from Roger (remember? )
- watermelon shrooms with polyps and zoos on one rock
- Devil's finger - growing slowly
From DiverDave
- anthelia (sp)
- GSP - this is spreading fast on my back wall

[Trickman2]

Sounds reasonable....Also by the time someone frags their coral Five times the others should be fraging it again hopefully and they will have to go five times also. So the coral should live on in Pay IT Forward mode forever hopefully.

[Clownaholic]

I'm in...

Green Monti Cap, (could get up to 20 small 4" frags off the mother colony. I have 4 unmounted ready now.)

Frogspawn (green tip)

Various loose shrooms

a few zoos (yellows I think)

Blasto Merletti (red with with mouth, like 16 small polyps) STILL GROWING.

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I may have missed it in the thread, how are we tracking? I can write down who gets what coral and how much, but someone could get taken for all their frags if not careful. IE, someone wants to stock a new tank and just collects free frags from everyone with no intention of giving back. I understand the point system, but I think with the tier system... those with the most points should get preference "in highest to lowest point total order". my $.02
Jeff