Dont break the chain

I've been reading about the bay area reefers dont break the chain program in reef hobbyists magazine and I'm jusy wondering if we've ever tried something like that or if theres any interest in starting our own version. the main article is in the 2nd quarter of 2008. but basically its a pay it forward coral trading program that not only works to help insure that your favorite coral is locally available in case of a catastrophic failure or major loss of life in your tank but it also helps spread the interest and helps people who have the passion but maybe not the funds to buy corals.

 

What is DBTC?
DBTC, stands for Don't Break The Chain--the idea is that it works like a Pay It Forward (PIF) type program where someone donates a particular coral fragment with the idea that the person(s) who get said fragment will grow it out giving to others, who will in turn make free fragments for others, etc.

The DBTC program was conceived by the Bay Area Reefers (BAR) club and has since been implemented by several other clubs in New York and California. The concept is a rather simple system for giving or "paying forward" coral frags with no immediate returns. The program is designed with few rules other than no sales or trades are allowed. The participants make up the terms of their "giving" and it is up to the good conscience of the recipient to carry out those wishes. Unfortunately, it's not possible to "keep people honest". The hope is that by the time a reefer has become a club member and been introduced to the spirit of community and sharing that a hobbyist club offers, they'll see the benefit of behaving in a community oriented way. The DBTC program simply assumes that the vast majority of participants will behave correctly and proceeds from there. It's a true "Pay it Forward" program both in terms of the actual coral being exchanged and the spirit of generosity and goodwill that goes with it. To this end we envision very little direct moderation from GIRS Board Members other than removing inappropriately placed posts and perhaps some tidying up of threads for record keeping purposes. If members are abusing the system, they will be quickly found out by the participants and simply shut out of future transactions. All we ask at this time is that all DBTC transactions (offerings, completions and future paying forward) are posted in this forum so we can use the information to keep track of the program and make decisions about future modifications or additional programs.

Ok fine, so how do I get some free corals?
While you will get "free corals" eventually, this is not what this program is about-- this is about sharing and being willing to share with others. While inevitably there will be a bit of a "greed" factor that seeps in-- especially with more desirable corals-- you have to understand the idea is that more will be offered in the future. The way it works is that each coral grows exponentially (ideally), so while it may take some time the coral will be offered again. This program is NOT about stocking your empty tank with new corals for free, what it is about is helping grow a renewable resource and making it available to others for free.

 

I'm actuallyvery excited about this and if there is a decent amount of interest I'd be more than happy to spear head this, I don't have any mature corals but I could throw a frag or 2 in the hat just to get the ball rolling

 

very reasonable concerns, and I won't lie, I would be a worried "giving" away a coral frag that retails for $70, $80, $90 or more but I think with a bit of trust and faith in our fellow reefers that we can make this program worthwhile, the idea is tried and true for many clubs and I don't see why GIRS is any different

 

SUGGESTED GUIDELINES for DBTC Posts

The suggested guidelines are only suggestions, all final decisions can be made by each donor. This is a voluntary program and part of the fun is giving with as little or as many conditions as you see fit.

1.Recipient must be a www.greateriowareefsociety.org member, with priority given to GIRS members and those with active DBTC corals.
2. Must have a tank that can support the coral, as shown in a "build thread" or other post to illustrate the potential new home
3.You agree to give 2 frags of this coral to 2 more people through DBTC before selling/trading any of it. (This is to keep the exponential growth thing going)
4.You agree to pick up at my home in (city), a GIRS event, or a mutually agreed upon location
5. If I lose this species and want it back, I get the next available frag in this chain.

Ideally, we will have be an ever increasing number of chains(coral species) and each chain should be producing new coral fragments at an exponential rate. If 1 coral fragment recipient grew the coral out and passed on 2 fragments, the chain would experience exponential growth.

That’s really it. We’ll see how this evolves and make some adjustments if need be. For now, let’s all begin to "Pay it Forward" GIRS DBTC style……

Again if you have any questions or comment as to how to make this a better program or how something works let me know

 

it's less about trust, more about fairh

 

way to go eric, and I would say maybe start with some fast growing, cheaper zoas, or maybe a kenya tree something like that just to get the ball rolling and to work out the details.

 

Ok, I have corals I'd like to donate, who do I give them too? What do I do?
Alright, now we're talking! If you’ve got an animal that has grown enough to be shared with others you are ready to launch your DBTC experience! Also, this program isn’t just for coral. Snails, macro algae, fish, live sand etc… basically anything you can captive propagate is fair game!
All right, now we're talking! First you give them to whomever you wish. They are your corals after all. Go start a new topic in the forum and type in all the gory details! You might want to list some guidelines, or follow some standard guidelines to help you determine the next, best, home for your captive raised baby.

How to Post:
1) Give a brief description of the coral in the thread topic, "Blue Acropora" for example.
2) Give a bit more detailed description of the coral in the body of the message. If you don't know the exact species, don’t worry. It's hard, it's a stick, call it an Acropora! Mention what lighting you have it under, how high in the tank it is, the flow conditions, water test results, or anything else that you think is relevant.
3) A picture is worth a thousand words! Get a camera, take a picture, and don’t worry if it's not the best.
4) Clearly state your terms for this DBTC transaction, and what you would like to see happen with the coral.

Threads will be arranged in a similar way to this

Beginner – This category contains fairly common corals (non rare zoas, xenia, Kenya trees, etc.) These corals are ideal for members new to the hobby, as they grow well in newer systems or low light systems.

Standard - This category contains the majority of corals in the program, including SPS, LPS, etc. Members propagating this category of coral have a system capable of handling the coral they are asking for (i.e. established system of 4 months +, and satisfying lighting/water requirements for these corals).

Extreme – This category contains rare or normally very expensive corals (for example, bubblegum watermelon chalice). Members propagating this level of DBTC coral have a system capable of handling any coral they are asking for (i.e. established aquarium with lighting/water parameters suitable for these challenging specimens).

Non corals- Any other captive-propagated marine life goes here! Algae, snails, crabs, shrimp, fish, anemones, etc...

 

thanks bboge13, I think it might be best to start a new thread for the actual giving of the corals, and I strongly encourage everyone to check out the bay area reefers program and some of the incredibly beautiful and some very rare corals in their DBTC program at bareefers.org