GEOTHERMAL AQUACULTURE RESEARCH FOUNDATION,
INC.
REEF AQUARIUM CORAL PROPAGATION LAB
1321 WARM SPRINGS AVE.
BOISE IDAHO 83712
Email: algae@cyberhighway.net
FALL 97 SPECIAL RESEARCH
PROJECT - SPS CORALS -
SMALL POLYP STONY CORAL PROPAGATION
PAGE
This page will teach you to propagate small poylp stony
corals
research data entry form
This coral from Steve Tyree is the one that finally got my attention and
started my interest in researching small polyp stony corals. This coral
shimmers with pinks, purples,and blues. The polyps move in the current and
the coral seems to change colors. I have now collected over 80 types of sps
corals for our unconnected genetic bank and these are still my choice. Low
growing corals of this type are very good for attaching to aquacultured
live rock.
LeRoy Headlee, Director of Reseach GARF
SMALL POLYP STONY CORAL - ACROPORA - MONTIPORA - POCILLOPORA
- STYLOPHORA - HYDNOPHORA - PAVONA - ANACROPORA - SERATOPHORA - PORITES -
FAVITES - FAVIA -
Fragments of these corals do extremely well when glued to aragonite with
thick super glue. This is a very fast way to attach corals. We can glue 12
frags during the same time time it takes to glue 2 with epoxy.
These corals look like they are almost floating above the base rock. Only
the center skeleton is attached at first. These cuttings have been very
strong even before the tissue grows down onto the base rock. Several
fragments have fallen in the aquarium. Very few cuttings have broken loose.
THE BASE ON THIS CORAL FRAGMENT GREW DOWN ONTO THE ARAGONITE
RAPIDLY. THE NEW GROWTH IS VERY GREEN.
The most interesting thing is that none of the polyps around the base die.
When we use epoxy some tissue always dies. I love to watch the polyps grow
down onto the base rock. They form a circle of polyps around the fragment,
and then new branches start up from this base. Some of the bases are now
over two inches wide. We have removed the original cutting, and the bases
are growing several new branches. Many of these colonies have now been
fragged 5 times. Coralline algae grows very fast on the exposed super glue
gel.
Small pieces of
small polyp stony corals can be glued to larger rocks by breaking off small
pieces from the colony.
TOOL LIST
- 1/2"wood chisel
- Small wire cutting pliers
- Tweezers
- Glasses :)
- Cutting board
- Small plastic pans
MATERIAL LIST
- Gel type Super glue
- Reef aquarium safe rocks - aragonite, lava, tufa
- Coral to be cut
Prepare the fragments by breaking a small branch from the parent colony.
This can be done by using a small pair of pliers. We use side cutting
pliers to snap the frags from the colony. The coral will break rather than
cut. Grip the branch firmly and twist it gently. These frags are placed in
a plastic pan of reef water.
Choose the base rocks and prepare the attachment sites. If the rock is very
absorbent treat the site with liquid glue. When the coatings of liquid
glue have dried select the newly made cutting.
Place the fresh cut on the paper towel for 10 seconds. Apply the thick
super glue to the prepared site on the base rock. Two drops are usually
sufficient. Pick up the cutting and press the newly cut fragment to the
prepared site. Be certain to place the frags in water very fast because the
glue heats as it dries.
|
You can use many methods to hold your cuttings while they
grow. We often use concrete reef plugs and drilled plastic racks. These
corals are in plastic boxes and plastic bud vases.
Try to control the growth of macro algaes so they do not touch your sps
corals. We try to keep all macro algae out of our grow out tanks.
|
Place the cutting and base rock into the bowl of aquarium water for 2
minutes. Place the new fragments in the reef aquarium so that the cutting
receives adequate light and strong current. Be very certain that the new
frags can not fall over.
- NEW -
We have
been gluing many frags to live rocks underwater. When a new colony comes
into the lab we break off several of the lower branches. We apply gel type
super glue to the broken part of the coral. A ball of glue the size of a
pencil eraser will hold most frags in place. We pick a spot in one of the
show tanks, and quickly push the frag against the live rock. A slight twist
to spread the glue on the surface of the live rock helps. Count to 30 and
release the frag.
- Research update -
We have been doing tests to determine the best size of frags to use to
produce cuttings for sale. It seems that with many of the species of
Acropora the smaller cuttings grow faster than larger ones.
Smaller cuttings are often less than 1/4 inch long. The larger cuttings are
over 1 inch long. Many of the small cuttings have grown much faster.
- Profit update -
FOR THE LIVE ROCK GROWERS GROUP
1. The best selling sps coral cuttings that we have seen were made by
gluing four one half inch frags of colored coral in a small group - one
inch apart - on a two inch piece of aragonite. The finished rocks had
colonies with four or more branches. The bases grew together making them
valuable finished rocks.
2. Coralline algae growing on the base rock is very important. People will
often purchase a cutting with heavy coralline growth that has a smaller
frag rather than a larger frag with little or no coraline.
GROW YOUR OWN - SAVE A REEF
We want to share as much information as possible with you. If you have
any questions please use this form to ask them.
We will continue to provide the most current data on reef farming for both
education and profit.
GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH REEF AQUARIUM LAB
1321 WARM SPRINGS AVE.
BOISE IDAHO 83712
