User:Lfstevens/Coral farming

Acquiring stock
Wholesalers Cherry pickers Transhippers ReefCentral and other online dealers Reef clubs Day of week

Acclimating new corals
Quarantine new arrivals Place bag in aquarium to equalize temperature

Equipping the farm
In-tank frag rack - Steve Vallone Tank stand for stacking tanks Light each tank Egg crate Cyanoacrylate

Tanks
Max depth 12", 20-40 gallon Avoid used fish-only tanks or those that contain copper Connectible Alternative to glass: 100 gallon Rubbermaid Closed loop Powerhead Raceway tank

Refugium
>6" deep tank that contains nutrient-reduction material such as deep sand bed macroalgae removes phosphates slow flow 50-100% of main tank volume

Chaetomorpha is a good, non-toxic algae, albeit slower growing. Better light cycle is light opposite to lighting of growing tanks - helps control pH.

Caulerpa&mdash;gorws faster than Chaetomorpha but resproces sexuallly, releasing stock of stored nutrients which kills coral. It is toxic and reduces coral and fish growth. 24hr light reduces sexual reproduction. Some species are illegal in California. Gracilaria&mdash;

Macro-algae cannot be disposed of in sewage, etc., or in the water because they can kill reefs. Freeze it for 24 hours and throw away in sealed plastic bags.

Scribbled rabbitfish eat any algae.

Drainage
Sump needs to hold all water in system in case of power outage Drains on tank bottoms only to eliminate noise of side drains T union Check valve Expect flooding and prepare for cleanup

Water circulation
Coral is sedentary and requires flowing water to deliver nutrients. Adequate flow speeds growth and healing and prevents detritus build-up.

The turnover rate, the number of times per hour that the water passes through the tank, is the appropriate flow measure. Calculate the rate by summing the gallons per hour of each pump and powerhead and subtracting the head pressure, then divide by the tank volume. Turnover rates of 10-20 are usually adequate, although some SPS systems benefit from rates of 50-80.

Ensure that water flows into all corners to prevent stagnation, detritus accumulation and food decay.

Flow types

 * Laminar flow is unidirectional. It is less effective because nutrients arrive on only one side of the coral, slowing growth and healing and dull colors.
 * Turbulent flow comes when two or more water streams intersect, breaking the laminar pattern and causes the flow to vary chaotically, distributing oxygen and nutrients more evenly.
 * Varying turbulent flow requires a wavemaker that turns pumps on and off at varying intervals or a switching current water director (SCWD) which switches one flow input to multiple destinations at a preset rate. This most closely mimics water movement across coral reefs.

Flow technology

 * Powerheads can be deployed without drilling, but are relatively unsightly, unreliable and vary in operating costs.
 * Closed loop systems maximize flow, and save power.

Combining the two can work best.

Too many pumps can overheat the water.

Lighting
Insufficient light causes the proteins to fade and zoox production to increase. SPS Coral color comes from proteins not from zoox.