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couple random thoughts on captive raised corals http://unclenedsfishfactory.com/BulletinBoard/viewtopic.php?t=2788 |
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Author: | Admin [ Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:57 pm ] |
Post subject: | couple random thoughts on captive raised corals |
couple random thoughts on captive raised corals acropora at least in my store they are not popular with the general public anyway (I am not known as a reef store) they all ship like garbage wild collected always die in days mari-cultured (captive raised in the pacific) I have not tried farm-raised (from ORA in FL) live usually but don't sell well local raised (trade in's from my customers) live but don't sell well pumping Xenia and anthelia types wild collected always die in days mari-cultured (captive raised in the pacific) I have not tried local raised trade-in's live and sell well (There is a snow-blue-white one I can get wild only and rarely, but so far it has always all died) open brains and disk corals I think we are only getting wild collected sales are excellent usually but losses are pretty bad 20% plus...higher on the disks (might be something I'm doing or not doing) Zooanthids, button polyps, green star polyps, almost all Leather types very popular near 100% survival whether wild, sea farmed, commercial farmed, or local raised Pavona quite popular wild usually wind up damaged 50% (usually not fatally) captive raised no damage (can't tell if the captive ones I'm getting are mari-cultured or farm raised) Bubble, Torch, etc. readily available wild caught but risky sometimes 70% of the heads will die within 3 weeks ...but the survivor usually thrives I don't think I get this farm raised at all.. I love getting local raised extremely popular Mushrooms very popular and near 100% survive whether wild, farmed, or local Pagoda, Turbinaria? mostly get wild, quite popular, better than 80% survive nicely Gorgonians not very popular anyway pretty sure we only get wild long term surviving in the aquarium not good I don't think Goniopora I cannot figure this coral out very popular... Our customers who do best with this know nothing about reefs and do virtually nothing to their aquariums (probably a little knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge) pretty sure they are all wild collected _______________________________ problem with local raised frags They are not big enough to be liked by the customers or me sometimes they are so small they literally get lost ____________________________________________ as far as economy goes a typical hobbyist spends $3000 - $5000 for a 75 gallon or bigger reef set up ...so at $10 each selling frags you wouldn't break even 'til you sold your 300th specimen not counting maintenance (food, salt mix, supplements, electricity) with a bigger system and much bigger investment you could build a laboratory style facility (ORA Farms in FL for example) ...I assume it has been made profitable Mari-culture what could be better? God does the water changes and the metal Halide lighting wild-collected same economic benefit as Mari-culture more labor 'tho (diving, travel in boats, etc.) biggest problem with anything coming from the Pacific to me is freight cost the numbers vary but the landed coral can be $8 to buy and an additional $18 to get here The freight costs on ALL imported goods is probably the biggest pressure on the foreign producer and it is out of his control... freight and travel can only go up with the price of oil (this could be very bad) (We need solar powered airplanes) Better packing methods out of the Pacific would help I would be less slow to order if I was certain of few losses (not that I've noticed total failure problems now) certainly keeping the specimens cool in transport is a big project ...this is why I suspect the 100% failure with wild acroporas and not that much failure with hardier stuff like mushrooms and leathers ___________________________________________________________ The most important thing to the ornamental aquarium industry is to keep people in the hobby and get new people into the hobby not sure the best way to do that (publicity from the largest and most profitable manufacturers would help) there is a lot of pressure on people's time (multiple jobs are required due to excessive taxation which is caused by wasteful government) and people's free time (organized sports, computer games, television) ______________________________________________________________________________ |
Author: | TheFishGuy [ Sun Nov 04, 2007 10:11 pm ] |
Post subject: |
So what are you REALLY trying to say Ned? |
Author: | Admin [ Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:26 am ] |
Post subject: |
nothing in particular someone asked just thinking |
Author: | redpaulhus [ Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:33 pm ] |
Post subject: |
I think the goniporia (and maybe some elegance corals) actually come from more turbid lagoon type areas - ie lesser water quality than a typical "reef" - and need higher nutrient levels to thrive. Put them in a typical "neglected" tank - ie high nitrate, high phosphate, maybe elevated salinity -- and its kinda like the inshore lagoon side of a barrier reef, a muddy silty lagoon that gets cut off from fresh clean water for hours and hours at a time. And of course, they don't see much competition from Acros etc in these lagoons... Put them in a classic "well kept" reef - ie low nitrate, low or no phospate - and now they're getting less nutrients and facing competition from corals better evolved for the fore reef or reef face area... (which is one reason why I think the elegance don't do as well as they did 15-20 years ago - the other being that we have collected all the inshore ones and are now collecting them from deeper water (or something like that)). other than tossing in my .02 there - I think you hit the nail on the head here. |
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