colonizing help-newbie question

[Gryphin]

Welome to the single most common error any player of SE IV and III makes.
Notes:
Question: Why do they do that?
Answer: If the planet that built the colony ship has a small population you may not want to take any of it.
Instead you can:
Pick up population from a sufficiently populated planet
Have a Population transporter pick up people and meet the colony ship at the destination. It can arive anytime after the colony ship. The transport can also carry weapons platforms to protect the new colony from GrowlTigga and the like.

This problem will re-occure in the future. Generaly about 1:00am after you have said, "one more turn" for the 3rd time.