FAQs about "Coral"
Reproduction/Propagation: Troubles, Fixing
Related Articles: Growing Reef Corals For
Profit by Anthony Calfo, Coral Propagation, LPS Corals, True or
Stony Corals, Order Scleractinia, Propagation for Marine Aquarium Use, Trachyphyllia Reproduction
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Coral: Coral Prop Livestock
Selection, Frag Sources (Info.,
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Economics, Fraggle Rock (just kidding), &
FAQs Files on: "Frag Momma Frag, Whatcha Gonna Do? " by
Group: Cnidarian Reproduction,
Caryophyllid
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Coral Propagation, Growing Reef
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Identification, Stony Coral
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Hair algae in a large system.
8/1/10
Hello I am currently working with a large scale frag system for aqua
culturing SPS, LPS, and soft corals. This system is approximately 1700
gallons with two raceways measuring 100" long by 52" wide and
17" deep, and
also a circular live rock vat that is 100" in diameter and
30" deep. A fairly large skimmer (roughly 10 ft.) runs 24 hours a
day connected to the rock vat. I have noticed that I am having a
problem with green algae and hair algae. This algae grows over the
corals and seems to suffocate them.
<Not good>
I currently remove the algae daily by hand to keep the amount as little
as possible, but it grows back quicker than I can remove it. For
lighting we are using two, one thousand watt metal halide bulbs using a
14k spectrum.
These fixtures sit 20" off of the water. The water parameters are
as follows : Magnesium - 1470 Calcium - 480 Alkalinity - 9.9 Nitrates -
5-10 Phosphates : 0Salinity - 35/1.026
So far, we have tried hermit crabs, sail fin tangs and turbo snails.
None of them have worked to reduce hair algae growth up to this point.
The system is also dosed nightly with 40Ml of Dobra vodka
<This may be a source of your troubles>
I was wondering if there could be an apparent cause for the hair algae
and if there is any way to remove the hair algae permanently.
<Mmm, yes... a few approaches>
Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated. If
you need any more information, shoot me an e-mail and I will do my best
to provide it.
Thanks! Cody Cube The Florida Gulfariums Aquafarm Ft. Walton Beach Fl,
32566
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FilamGrnAlgC4.htm
and the linked files above, where you lead yourself. Bob Fenner>
Re: MACNA & Frag Exchange,
StevenP 8/15/07 Yeah Mac, it is official now.
Frag Exchange is not going to be an exhibitor at MACNA XIX, so if
you can, get one of the WWM passes. In case you were wondering, I
have long hated that the coral propagation workshops fragment
freshly imported corals. It is simply poor husbandry and contrary
to what Eric, Anthony, and I all recommend. But up until now, I
could do nothing about it other than not do the workshops. But
this year, we made the decision to only fragment corals that had
been held for 1-2 months prior to the show. I let John know this
back in early May and he agreed to the terms. MACNA XIX would
give Frag Exchange a quad booth, four 10' by 10' booths,
with 5 full show passes provided he could obtain corals
ahead of time. In the end, he failed to live up to his end and we
felt we had no other choice than to go with plan B and
leave Frag Exchange out. Re: MACNA & Frag Exchange ,
MacL 8/15/07 Hey Steven and Anthony and
Eric and Bob, I included you all in this email since Stephen said
that having corals that have been kept for a while before they
are used was a joint decision recommended by all of you. <Not
anything to do with me> I totally understand why you would
dislike fragging freshly imported corals. They have been stressed
in various ways by their importation and the changes that they
have gone through and then they come in to be fragged. But my
question for you is, isn't that the reason to frag corals to
begin with? <In part, yes> Yes people frag their friends
coral that is in great shape but more often they want a piece of
the coral that is dying and want to try to save it. In our
demonstrations, we take the dregs of the corals that have been
shipped. We ask for corals that are stressed and in poor
condition to do our demonstrations with. We talk to the people
and we tell them these corals have been severely stressed. We are
trying to take corals that would for the most part be disposed of
anyway from these distributors and put them to good use and in a
lot of circumstances SAVE the coral or a part of the coral. I do
think its a lovely idea to bring in corals from the local
clubbers and we usually do have some of these. I recognize that
when they do the demonstrations that you guys perhaps would
prefer to use corals that look nicer but I know Anthony always
mentions that he uses fragging to assist in saving the coral. In
fact, I believe Anthony prefers damaged corals. I know that
sometimes these corals look very bad and are very badly stressed
but many corals go on to survive and thrive from these shows. I
personally have a gorgonian that is from the very first show that
frag did so I know for a fact that they do survive. I had planned
to bring a frag of this coral and frag it at this show.
Additionally, our coral sponsors for the show are very generous
people and have been kind enough to let us have corals for both
IMAC and MACNA but asking for corals without a gap in time
between our requests to me seems to be abusing the generosity of
a group who is giving us something. It was mentioned Steven that
you had space in your greenhouse to keep the corals should they
have been donated to us early as you requested but I also worried
that that could cause additional problems and suggestions of
impropriety with the corals. For instance, what happens if they
ship 25 corals and only 19 survive to make it to the show. What
kind of documentation would be necessary to provide proof of what
happened to the corals. In the past I would have said that only
your word would suffice but after past circumstances I don't
think that would suffice anymore. <Certainly seems a
"Catch 22"> Additionally you have the complications
of what to do now with the frags that you all will be fragging.
What will you do with them? Will the club give them out?? Will
the club "store" them? That's where having the
corals that are not in the best conditions come into play as
well. The vendors cannot see them as competition to what they are
selling because they are corals that are damaged and we are
essentially trying to "safe" them. <Good point> I
do want to point out that our philosophy has always been to save
the reefs and that at any time if we thought that we were doing
damage to the reefs we would stop fragging period but its our
philosophy that by teaching these people how to frag and by
letting them have hands on experience at the booth that we are
giving them something that they can't get anywhere else. I
was disappointed at IMAC that more people didn't get that
experience but at the last MACNA we reached out to a tremendous
amount of people and let them have hands on fragging experience.
This is something they do not get from just watching a fragging
demonstration and something that FRAG can give them. If you look
on frag you will see a connection to pictures with a
demonstration of one person who had never fragged before and when
he left he became comfortable with it. Once again the corals that
get fragged on the first day would be put in tanks with others.
There isn't really any other way around this but we have done
everything we can to prevent problems by using as many methods as
possible to keep the tanks clean including doing multiple water
changes, diatom filtration, and using ozone.? I also want to
mention the support that frag has always given to all of you. I
realize that while we may not have the most sponsors or the most
hits of any of the sites there are always people on the site and
looking at information on the site from searches on Google and
other search engines. Our presence is mainly at the shows and we
need to keep going to the shows to keep alive as you all well
know. I don't know what plan B is but it has to be hurtful to
frag and the many people who have supported MACNA and IMAC and
you gentleman over the years. I would really like you to
reconsider this decision Steven. I do understand the reasons why
you have made them but I hope you have come to know more why I
personally objected to storing the corals before hand and why I
think it is essential that frag exchange be at the show. Whether
it is represented by me personally or not. As you know, I have
other interests along with Frag. Thanks Mac <Mac Lewis is part
of FRAG as well as WWM. Bob Fenner>
Re: MACNA & Frag Exchange, EricB's
go 8/15/07 Dear all: Since this is my first foray
into this ongoing discussion, I will be brief. I have gotten to
the point where I am generally against all commercial wild
collection of corals for aquariums, period. <Unrealistic...
what will indigenous peoples do with their resource if this
"higher and better use" cannot be made of/with it?
Cement? Building material? Dynamite fishing?... think> I am
even against Mariculture at this point until standards are set to
avoid the pest species now being introduced by Mariculture
operations, <Unrealistic as well... who is going to produce,
enforce such standards? Who is going to pay for it?> although
I am hopeful an upcoming workshop may help address those issues.
And, I am against frag trading by clubs without quarantine and
proper post fragmenting husbandry for the passing of pest species
and the potential of non-native and invasive introductions by the
many coastal dwelling aquarists of the world. <...>
Ethically, I do like to save damaged corals, especially from
other aquarists who are having tank problems, but I am less
assured that the average aquarist is able to save a stressed or
damaged coral. I am unsure of the survival of fragments we create
since there is no post monitoring period, and we don't take
our own frags home to see if it is the post fragmenting
conditions or the aquarist who takes home the frags that results
in any mortality. I know when I frag my own corals they don't
die. I know when I try to save a stressed wild coral, it might
make it and it might not. I can even say that for healthy wild
corals. But those sick and healthy wild corals are then replaced
by more, and frankly it just sits wrong with me. <Perhaps
another interest... like human birth control?> And, let's
face reality here. The aquarium hobby isn't saving reefs in
any way shape of form no matter how much talk there is of our
concern. Concern and action seem to be Kapela <<?
RMF>> and always have been. <Mmm, I/we disagree... the
long term effects of acquaintance, knowledge of the living world
protect it more than any other activity... Is this/the
"cost" worth it? I believe so> I did not know the
terms Steve and Anthony suggested for this MACNA, until now, but
fully support them and think their suggestions are, as mentioned,
long overdue and well thought out. I resent any implications that
Steven would be involved with impropriety of gifted corals. We
have more corals than we know what to do with - I could give away
a tank full and never notice they were gone - and the novelty of
having this coral or that coral - and I think I speak for all of
us - has long ago ceased to be a temptation as it is for so many
hobbyists. I dare say we have had or kept just about every
species available and could get them easily, if not for free, if
we desired. In terms of the support given by sponsors or vendors,
I also really don't have any interest in their financial
success of failure though always appreciate the generosity of
others as we have so generously donated our time and effort for
literally two decades now. I appreciated being able to help Frag
with demonstrations and by their hospitality at events. In terms
of personal gain to us, I have a few T-shirts and some
conversation for a few hours a year, so it is not particularly
important to me either way. My main concern is that the corals
entrusted to us survive and all the rest is virtually immaterial.
Steven, Anthony and MACNA XIX seem to have attempted to address
this concern and I stand by their decision. Eric Borneman <Bob
Fenner. It is my understanding that EricB has never worked in the
ornamental aquatics industry>
Re: MACNA & Frag Exchange, MacL
responds 8/15/07 Well since I apparently
have opened a can of worms here. I can only speak to these things
from MY personal experiences. Corals I have fragged, responses I
have seen, people that we see at the shows. And once again let me
point out this is NOT my website and I cannot speak for anyone
from there besides myself. I personally value all that you all
have done for Frag both for myself and for the website. I have
had much success with fragging corals and sending them home and
yes I have fragged corals straight out of the box both at the
shows and at stores. I do see the value of having the corals
settled but I also see where they would be disturbed by moving
them to the shows as well. <Mmm, the thought here is likely to
promote better circumstances for the candidate... and business
for the folks involved> As for any impropriety I do NOT think
that Steven would ever do anything wrong. But I know you
wouldn't as well Eric and I personally shut several people up
at IMAC that started to tell me crap, My point being that there
are people who do not know or respect you like I do. At this
point it doesn't matter as Anthony said its over and done. I
am sorry if I have offended anyone, I just for once felt my
opinion should be known. For the less than two cents its worth.
Mac <Thank you for sharing. BobF> Re: MACNA, Fragexch.,
advocating more gov't unrealistically... 8/15/07 Hi
Bob: <Howdy Eric> Not arguing the realism of your post.
<Realism?> My remarks are personal decisions and
controlling behavior and things of which are in the realm of
control. <For yourself I take it> I can't stop, nor
have connections to stop, all major threats to coral reefs. I
drive a car but wouldn't if there were viable options. I opt
not to have a lawn and to eat organic and no meat. Will it solve
global warming? No. <But does help> Unrealistic? Yes. But a
journey begins with a single step. To me, everything makes a
difference and arguing that "our contribution"
won't make it right is why things are so f'ed up in the
first place. E <Thanks for your further input. BobF>
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