SMALL
POLYP STONY CORAL
(SPS) BROOD STOCK PRODUCTION
RESEARCH ON AGGRESSION
AND INTENSE CULTURE METHODS
MONTIPORA -
POCILLOPORA -
SERATOPHORA -
HYDNOPHORA --
PORITES -
PAVONA -
STYLOPHORA -
ACROPORA -
ANACROPORA -
The research we have been doing at Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation
Inc. GARF during the last three years has produced several new methods of
propagating and displaying small polyp stony corals. The one hundred plus
types of sps corals we are working with are all from captive grown stock.
These corals come from all parts of the World and are all being data banked
and numbers will be attached to each animal so we will be able to tell you
what generation of coral comes from us as well as the species and origin.
We have not added any wild corals for over eighteen months.
We keep these corals in several types of systems with many types of lighting.
There are many ways to do coral propagation, and the methods and products
discussed in this article have worked the best for us. We will be very careful
to not say that one way will work in every situation. These methods are listed
so researchers can duplicate this research.
Propagating
Bubble Coral
By: Albert J. Thiel
The propagation of SPS corals (small polyped stony corals) has progressed
in great strides in the last year or two and hobbyists all over the country,
and elsewhere, make cuttings of many forms of SPS corals and grow new colonies
without too much difficulty. Coral propagation farms and businesses are popping
up all over the place.
What one needs to understand when propagating LPS corals is that real
care must be taken "not" to harm the polyp itself. This is unlike fragging
SPS corals where one just takes a piece of, say, Acropora sp. and nips off
a branch and then epoxies that down somewhere in the tank in an appropriate
spot, and you are basically done.
With LPS corals things are a little more complex and the method used differs
depending on the coral you are dealing with. Bubble corals happens to be
one of the more difficult ones, well maybe not difficult but more complex,
to split and propagate. It requires more work than most of the others that
I have been working on.
Propagating
Soft Coral
GARF
Soft Coral Propagation By Albert Theil
Sarcophyton Propagationby Albert Theil
Propagating Star Polypsby William Horst
Propagating Soft Corals by Eric Silverman
Propagating Leather Corals
General Propagation Techniques by Mark Taber
Gravel Bowl Propagationby Tom Miller
Propagating Gorgonians by Tom Miller
Part 1 of propagating soft corals by Tom Miller
The Coral Propagating
Page
With increases in the number of reef aquarium hobbyists over the past
decade,
there has come increased pressure on the natural reef systems of the world.
The large demand for stony corals by reef aquarium owners have led to
the
partial destruction of some reefs as suppliers attempt to make these corals
available for sale. In addition, many of these corals will die in transport
and
some of the remaining will die during acclimation to our aquariums. Many
are
surprised to learn that up to 80% of the corals harvested will die during
collection, storage, en route, or acclimating in our tanks.
While the natural reefs are a renewable resource, it appears they may
not be
able to keep up with demand by hobbyist at a time when increased pressure
from other sources (such as nutrient import) are also causing great damage.
In
the near future this may indeed lead to regulation and even moratoriums
on
coral imports. This of course would be a major blow to reef aquarium
enthusiasts as the price, and finally availability, of the corals we wish
to keep
goes beyond our reach.
Coral
Propagation Reefs Org.
Dan Maughmer
The destruction of wild reefs by the tourism industry, pollution, and
overfishing has made conservation of these ecosystems an ever growing concern
of the US government. Poor practices of the aquarium industry has caught
the attention of the US government and its Coral Reef Task Force, as well
it should.
Responsibility for the animals that we keep should become the norm and
not the exception for the industry. On that note, I applaud the effort of
the farming operations in the Solomon Islands and captive propagation by
various organizations and companies,as well as the few LFSs out there setting
the precedent that a LFS will be judged by in the future. Our goal should
be to help the wild reefs in their recovery by fragging and sharing with
fellow hobbyists the corals we already have.
The
basics of our system of
propagation
The Salt Box
www.coralreeftanks.com
We believe strongly in propagation of all the animals we can, instead
of taking them from the reefs. We will try to give you the basics of our
system of propagation. It is really very easy to do and the tank grown corals
are much hardier than the ones collected from the wild. The stress factor
is greatly reduced for the wild reefs in the oceans-- the corals we propagate--
and for ourselves who worry when they do not look happy!!.--- Contact us
for more information.-- We grow corals much better than we take pictures,
though!!
The starter tank to the left is a 75 gallon tank that is a "satellite"
off a 150 gallon Coral reef system. That gives it a sump,skimmer,and excellent
water quality. We prefer to propagate in the best systems possible.
It has two 802 Hagen powerheads plus the 600gph from the main system
pump for circulation. Lighting is 4 -36 watt bulbs with reflectors. (two
actinic and two 50/50)We will be adding another two bulbs as soon as time
permits.The light Cycle is 12 hours on and 12 hours off.
The shelving for this system is plastic egg crate cut in a stair step
fashion and raised on clear rigid tubing.
Corals stay in this tank until well attached and approx.4 inches tall
or wide. Price ranges from $7.50 to $21.95
To propagate the leather coral to the right- we cut off a nice upright
"arm", with sharp,clean scissors.(One clean cut)The cutting will be approx.
1-2 inches in size when expanded. We attach it to a small piece of rock with
a rubber band ,in the position we want it to grow. Do not make the rubber
band tighter than is necessary to keep it from blowing off. We never cut
more than two arms off at any time- to keep the mother coral growing happily.The
cutting will attach in 3 to 5 days normally.
The button polyps in the same picture were grown by putting small rocks
-next- to the parent colony and then letting them spread. Separation is very
easy by gently "teasing" the small rocks away from the parent. The mushroom
anemones, anthelias and zenias, are propagated the same way.
In starting the clavularias (star polyps)- we gently peel pieces off
the mother rocks and rubberband to small rocks.Tiny pieces done this way-
grow very fast.
Sps corals are "snapped" or cut with scissors or dremel-glued to small
rocks with Coral glue and we use coral cement to build a wall around the
base for them to grow over.Sps cuttings are kept under more intense
lighting.
Gorgonians are propagated by cutting off branches- drilling holes in
heavy rock -coral glue in the holes-and then using coral cement to build
a base around them also. Heavier rock is important to hold them from blowing
over as they get larger. Gorgonians are kept under higher light also.
The "mother" sarcophyton, is actually one of our "starts" and is a
great-great granddaughter of my original coral. It has given us many,many
cuttings to date and,unless sold, will continue to give us many more !!!
Give propagating a try !! It is easy--fun--and you are helping yourself
and the ocean reefs !!! If you liked this page- please click on the logo
and VOTE for us-thank you !!
Coral
Propagation Articles
The following headings contain articles that have been written by us or
sent to us by the reef aquarium community. The articles found here will hopefully
encourage you and help propagate many of the corals that you keep in your
reef aquarium. Propagating corals is thankfully now quite common and it is
also extremely easy. Hopefully this section will go some way to helping you
in either encouraging you to start propagating for the first time or helping
you with corals that you have not yet attempted to propagate.
|
|
l |
|
Why
Save a Reef?
Today, coral all over the world are
dying.
It is estimated that in 20 years, the coral reefs of the world will completely
disappear if something is not done to protect, preserve and restore them.
The most famous reef, the Great Barrier Reef, is expected to disappear completely
within 20 years if something is not done to preserve, protect and restore
it.
Think of it as a complete disappearance of an old growth forest, only
one that is not visible to the naked eye from above the waters surface. If
these reefs are allowed to disappear, they will not ever be present in their
current form again.
The coral reefs are life sustaining ecosystems. As with any ecosystem,
once the food chain is interrupted or destroyed, the far reaching ramifications
are almost endless. Without the coral reefs of the world, the entire
oceanographic landscape will forever and irrevocably be changed and perhaps
even destroyed.
The decay of the coral reefs can be attributed to many factors. There
are of course the natural disasters such as hurricanes and typhoons, but
there are the manmade destructive elements. Pollution, shipwrecks, indiscriminate
dynamiting to catch fish, illegal harvest for the jewelry and tourist industries.
And, up until recently, the harvesting of coral from the wild for the marine
aquarium industry.
All these factors, coupled with global warming, have brought us to the
brink of disaster with the beautiful underwater forests.
At Applied Marine Technologies, our goal is to raise coral in a captive
breeding program and reintroduce it to reefs in stress, reefs that have died
off or been destroyed, to recreate the natural order and balance of the oceans
ecosystems.
Beyond that, since we do not harvest coral in the wild, this frees the
coral reef of stresses from indiscriminate harvest and allows the reef a
chance to begin healing itself in its own time. Yet, without help from us,
the citizens of the world, it will be a very long and very slow process.
Gorgonian
Start by filling your container with tank water. I like to remove the
gorgonian from the water for this next step but it could be done in the tank.
Make sure the polyps are retracted when cutting or removing from the water.
With your scissors or wire cutters clip off a branch of the gorgonian. It
really does not matter were you cut it, just make sure you leave some room
on the bottom of the cutting that has no branches. If this is impossible
you can always cut off the branch that sticks out. The only problem with
this is its just another place the gorgonian will have to heal and leaves
another spot were algae has a place to set in. I usually pick a branch that
sticks out, does not look right or is starting to get to close to some thing
in my tank like another coral.
Coral Propagation by CR
Brightwell
Marine Scientist
In recent years, as the understanding of the biological processes taking
place in corals has increased, captive propagation of corals both hard and
soft has gotten progressively more successful. The knowledge base available
to aquarists interested in fragmenting, or “fragging” corals, is
growing rapidly, making it easier for a person equipped with a few tools,
some extra tank space, the correct water additives, and a little time, to
increase his or her coral stock without many problems. Then, all that’s
needed is a basic understanding of the fragmenting procedure.
Of course, there needs to be a demand for such organisms in the hobby,
otherwise no one would be attempting the process. Hobbyists seem to be more
interested in captive-raised aquarium specimens than they were 10 years ago,
in part due to the increased availability and quality of tank-raised organisms,
but also due to the decrease in cost associated with acquiring such organisms.
An attitude of reef-conservation has also helped to popularize the
captive-propagation craze. With over-harvesting of reef resources, and the
possibility of someday not being able to keep aquatic organisms in captivity,
how many more reasons are needed to see why captive propagation will continue
to gain importance? Perhaps we will be able to re-seed coral reefs with
captive-raised corals someday in the not-too-distant future.
Coral Care
Propagation Guide picks
Advice To New Reef Gardeners
Resources for learning how to cultivate or propagate all types of hard
and soft Corals. From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, Tom gives some
tips, advice, and how to's for the new reef propagation farmer.
Aquarium Epoxies
From Aquatic Technologies, on their Miscellaneous Products page you find
Underwater Epoxy and Pink Aqua Stick, two non-toxic epoxies for attaching
stony corals and live rock, underwater!
Aquarium Epoxy Stick
From Aquarium Systems, an informational page about their HoldFast™
Epoxy Stick. It is non-toxic to fish and invertebrates, and is great for
use in fresh or saltwater.
Aquarium Epoxy Stick
From the Aquatic Warehouse, Aquarium Systems' HoldFast™ Epoxy Stick.
No messy liquids to measure and mix, non-toxic and saltwater safe.
Bird Nest Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, John Rice shares
step-by-step instructions and photos of how he propagated Bird Nest Coral.
Bubble Coral Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, information
from Albert Thiel about the propagation of LPS (large polyped stony corals),
particularly Bubble Coral.
Coral Care - Keeping
Resources to information about taking care of and keeping corals in a
saltwater aquarium, including diagnosing and treating coral diseases.
Coral Propagation Page
From John Rice's Reef site, an informational section to learn about corals
and how to propagate them yourself.
Coral Propagation Tips
From Creative Reefs, these Tips To Remember For Propagation Success by
Tom Phillips (The Reef Guy) covers both soft and stony corals, with special
notes about Leathers, Xenias, Green Star & Button Polyps, and
Mushrooms.
Coralline Algae
From your About Guides Algae Care & Control Index, resources for
information about cultivating Coralline Algae growth.
Corals Are Alive!
From the Waikiki Aquarium, visit their Coral Research page to view the
Live Coral Cam, learn more about corals, and become a "Distant Assistant"
to participate in this coral growth research project.
Elegance Coral Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, tips from Albert
Thiel about propagating this LPS (large stony polyped coral).
General LPS Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, basic tips and
information from Albert Thiel about propagating LPS's (large stony polyped)
corals.
General Propagation Techniques
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, Mark Taber gives
tips about water quality, make up water, and how to cut and propagate Leather
& Soft Branched Corals.
Gorgonian Propagation
From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, step-by-step instructions from Tom
on how to propagate Gorgonians using the Super Glue method.
Green Acropora Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, John Rice shares
step-by-step instructions and photos of how he propagated Green Acropora
frags.
Green Star Polyp Propagation
From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, Tom Miller's Simply Speaking column
article from the Marine Fish Monthly, October 1997.
Green Star Polyp Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, William Horst
shares photos and information about propagating Clavularia viridis.
Grow Your Own Stony Corals, LR & LS
From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, Part IV of Tom Miller's Simply Speaking
Captive Reef Propagation Series from the Marine Fish Monthly, May 1997.
Growing Soft Corals From Cuttings - Continued
From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, Part III of Tom Miller's Simply Speaking
Captive Reef Propagation Series from the Marine Fish Monthly, April 1997.
Growing Soft Corals From Cuttings
From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, Part II of Tom Miller's Simply Speaking
Captive Reef Propagation Series from the Marine Fish Monthly, March 1997.
Hard Corals Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, Eric Silverman
shares his experience of how to properly cultivate Hard Corals cuttings.
Leather Coral Cuttings
From Tom Miller's EZ Reef Articles, a Q & A from Tom that discusses
how to propagate an overgrown Leather Coral (Sarcophyton) by using an easy
gravel bowl method.
Leather Coral Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, some Guidelines
information from Albert Thiel about stable water conditions and water quality
control for propagating Sarcophyton Leather Corals.
Leather Coral Propagation
From the Eastern PA Reef Club Coral Propagation section, information
from Albert Thiel about the natural characteristics and care of Sarcophyton
ehrenbergi Leather Corals for propagation.
Coral
Propagation
Reef
Guide!
GRAF. ORG
garf.org/news
Phosphate and silicates pollute your aquarium water. Introduced through
tap water addition, water changes, fish waste, uneaten fish food, decaying
plant matter, and many low-grade reef salts, phosphates are the main nutrient
contributing to water clarity and suspended and substrate dependent matter.
This matter is unsightly, may cause pH imbalance, choke out corals, damage
the gills of fish and cause the hobbyist much frustration. Limiting nutrient
sources is the best way to maintain a crystal clear, beautiful and
low-maintenance reef tank.
Check this page..
The pH of aquarium water is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen
and hydroxide ions. If the hydroxide ion is in greater abundance in a solution
then the solution is said to be basic. If the hydrogen ion is more common
the solution is acidic. Values of pH range from 0 to 14.
If the number is less than 7 the solution is acidic, if it is greater
than 7 it is basic and if it equals 7 it is neutral. Seawater is a basic
solution with a pH of 8.2 to 8.4. In our aquariums, natural processes tend
to lower the pH and we need to keep an eye on it. The pH is easy to measure
with a saltwater pH test kit and should be maintained between 8.0 and 8.5.
A sure sign that the pH is too low or high is the failure of your corals
and clams to open completely.
Lowered pH can also result in the spontaneous growth of undesirable algae,
as well as a dinoflagellate growth that has the consistency of nasal mucus
(i.e. snot). It traps air bubbles and in severe infestations can make your
tank look like a field of tiny hot air balloons. Raising the pH to 8.3-8.5
through the use of a calcium hydroxide solution has cured this malady,
however, if the pH falls below 8.2 it can quickly reappear.
|
*
Members World Wide
*
Dale Barger, member
