Advice for Mariculture colonies

[HM3105]

just a few more maricultured pieces that have blossom into spectacular. don't be scared of them.. all these colonies were purchased for less than most frags.

Dang. You're in Dallas right? Where'd you source those from?

 

[scardall]

For me the only Maricultured colonies that I have trouble with are Millapora's. One example: Sunset milli Now I also bought an Asterea and it is doing fantastic.

 

[vanpire]

just a few more maricultured pieces that have blossom into spectacular. don't be scared of them.. all these colonies were purchased for less than most frags.

WOW. Those are gorgeous. How did you know which colonies to pick?

 

[nicknguyen]

Dang. You're in Dallas right? Where'd you source those from?

houston.

 

[nicknguyen]

WOW. Those are gorgeous. How did you know which colonies to pick?

been doing acros for a while now. just see something in them that said, this has possibility. but not all turn out like these. and those, I just sell and keep the best ones.

 

[nicknguyen]

Dang. You're in Dallas right? Where'd you source those from?

didn't mean to hijack your thread man.

 

[dodgerblew]

It is because they are pulled out of the Ocean.

Then they Travel Long Distances to get to us.

They are very stressed because of this.

The Ocean is totally different from an Aquarium too.

No Matter How Hard we Try to Replicate it you can't.

Aquaculture is Raised in an Aquarium and used to Aquarium Life and not taken from the Ocean.

So going from One Tank to Another Tank Rather than Ocean to Tank is a much easier Adjustment for the Coral.

Plus they are known to carry many many Pests that you do not want in your Tank anyways (Possibly Pests we do not even know about yet too). They say more is known about the Moon than the Ocean!

Saying they do Live for you they usually Loose Color (Often Going from Beautiful to Brown).

Aquaculture will Grow Faster too since Once Again the Aquacultured Corals are more used to Aquarium Life than Maricultured Corals.

True but aren't all corals originally from the ocean? The aquaculture you're referring to were either wild or mariculture in the beginning. Many of these mariculture you're seeing will someday be the aquacultured frags you'll buy. We just did the risky part for you and that for me is the thrill of it. A great percentage of aquacultured frags I have came to me as tan and brown sticks too and many take a while to color up. I have a piece of RMF Gila Monster for 6-9 months now. Growing, encrusted and still encrusting and still green, no orange. Still love it and I'm confident one day it'll transition. You're right about possibly introducing unwanted pests and unwanted pest algae. They can and I've had some algae pop up. Now I cut the bases off prior to introduction and I dry the bases out thoroughly and completely and then I'll throw in sump to go live again and use at a later time for something

 

[that Reef Guy]

Could the low success rate have any tie to the fact you can buy a colony for a very cheap price so they are more attractive at a price-point for newbies? I feel they fall into the hands of inexperienced reefers far too often.

Yes, that is probably True.

But I know many experienced Acro Collectors that Avoid Mariculture like the Plague.

So Poor Success Rate is not just with New Hobbyists.

 

[FarmerTy]

Maricultures are not scary if you have a thriving population of acros in your tank already. I lose less than 5% and have bought over 20 in the last couple years alone.

I tend to agree with mariculture milles, the losses I had were mostly them.

I've brought home some sad looking pieces from the LFS and they recovered and lived.

My main advice is do not attempt if you aren't having great success with SPS beforehand. I mean, I put them through the ringer before they even make it into my tank. Cut the bases off, 15 min Bayer dip, shake the heck out of them to dislodge pests, 1-2hr potassium dip where they are sliming like crazy the whole time, go immediately from LFS water to half my water, half original water, and they make it every time.

I disagree with the pest statement, I've seen more pests come off dipping frags from other reefers than mariculture colonies... but that has just been my experience. As long as you remove the plug it came in on, there's hardly anything ever on the colony itself. In reality, I see a lot of the acro crabs on the colonies, which I think play a huge part in the lack of pests I see on maricultures.

 

[dodgerblew]

Both of my losses were Millis as well. As mentioned I've not introduced pests but on some bases that I didn't cut off I did get some different algae. I love the acro crabs but only one of mine had one.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Maricultures are not scary if you have a thriving population of acros in your tank already. I lose less than 5% and have bought over 20 in the last couple years alone.

I tend to agree with mariculture milles, the losses I had were mostly them.

I've brought home some sad looking pieces from the LFS and they recovered and lived.

My main advice is do not attempt if you aren't having great success with SPS beforehand. I mean, I put them through the ringer before they even make it into my tank. Cut the bases off, 15 min Bayer dip, shake the heck out of them to dislodge pests, 1-2hr potassium dip where they are sliming like crazy the whole time, go immediately from LFS water to half my water, half original water, and they make it every time.

I disagree with the pest statement, I've seen more pests come off dipping frags from other reefers than mariculture colonies... but that has just been my experience. As long as you remove the plug it came in on, there's hardly anything ever on the colony itself. In reality, I see a lot of the acro crabs on the colonies, which I think play a huge part in the lack of pests I see on maricultures.

100% agree with all of this and has been my experience with Millie's as well. But I have maybe lost 3 out of 7, and have learned to see which ones won't make it. So I try not to buy them unless they have been sitting at a store for a month or more. I also agree that they do much better in an established tank that is already growing acros well.

I too have had way more pests come off on dips from other reefers. Even experienced reefers from this site that constantly sell their frags here. Most houses I have visited I have spotted pests. Maricultures carry crabs and snails you may need to watch for but much less aefw than I have seen buying Aquacultured frags by far. I hate when people try and turn others away from maricultures corals using the pest reason.

There are thousands of people who only have good access to maricultures or wild acros, where selling frags doesn't happen. These people buy maricultures to stock their tank and none of them have horrible success rates. They have learned how to keep them and aclimate them.
If your not willing to learn what needs to be done because you had deaths on your first try or two you shouldn't say that everyone should stay away from maricultures. Let the experienced people guide the ones that want to learn. It's not cut and dry.

 

[firemedix911]

Keeping your Alk lower would help if you main goal is to acquire a mainly Maricultured pieces. Below 8 preferably 7.5-7.8 ideally. I'd go further and say as close as you can get to ocean parameters on everything would give the pieces the best chance at survival. These pieces have to deal with a lot of stuff they don't normally have to in the wild. Add to that different chemistry and you can see why the survival rate is less than desirable. Time is also something you can't make up. Your tank will be in much better shape as it gets older. Ultimately you have to find the method that works for you. Unfortunately there will be casualties. Good luck.

 

[reeferman0767]

Just was looking at mariculture sps from someone in Australia suoer cheap and getting it frok over there should knock out a lot of stress that lfs wholesalers etc give them by moving them around a bunch of different tanks. A couple have had oroblems wi t h the same corals but what other sps uave you had success with?

 

[luke33]

I just received 7 maricultured Milli's and all are doing great after a week. If i do have issue's with them it is almost immediate. You just need an established tank that has consistent parameters imo. I will say they do lose color in transit and it takes a couple mths to get them to color back up, but some are spectacular. I mean where do you think these walt disneys, orange passions and what not come from? They are just $20 maricultured pieces that color up and are then fragged for ridiculous amounts of money........its a great hobby : )

Also, to keep them happy i would suggest not to move them and if you plan on fragging wait a couple mths. To quick of fragging and they can rtn pretty quick.

 

[FarmerTy]

That's interesting because my milles are fine for the first 3 months and start to color up and encrust and then they'll slowly start STN'ing on me. I can abuse the rest of the maricultures and they'll all survive. Milles still make up my 5% of maricultures that don't make it. Really odd.

 

[FarmerTy]

And I have like 4-6 milles in my tank doing fine that aren't maricultures.

 

[TheHarold]

My Advice.

Don't buy them Ever.

Simple as that.

Their Survival Rate is Terrible.

I have never had one Live.

Buy Acros that were Raised in peoples Tanks.

Yes, they cost more but at least they live.

Avoid Mariculture like the Plague.

Buy Aquaculture Only.

I completely disagree. I get $40 colonies that do great, never had an issue. You can pay $50 for 1" or $50 for 6"x6", your call :)

 

[luke33]

That's interesting because my milles are fine for the first 3 months and start to color up and encrust and then they'll slowly start STN'ing on me. I can abuse the rest of the maricultures and they'll all survive. Milles still make up my 5% of maricultures that don't make it. Really odd.

Ha, about the opposite for me. I get them in, they are always faded, rarely they are not. Then for the next two mths they color up, then bam, they just start growing. If they are going to die on me its literally within 24hrs every time. The last 10-12 i have received are all doing great and coloring up extremely well. Ofcourse if you find a great supplier that is half the battle : )

 

[that Reef Guy]

I completely disagree. I get $40 colonies that do great, never had an issue. You can pay $50 for 1" or $50 for 6"x6", your call :)

I do not pay $50 for 1"

I pay $10 to $20 for 1-2" Frags Usually ORA or Tyree and they all do Great.

Mariculture of any Price Always Dies!

 

[Graffiti Spot]

That's interesting because my milles are fine for the first 3 months and start to color up and encrust and then they'll slowly start STN'ing on me. I can abuse the rest of the maricultures and they'll all survive. Milles still make up my 5% of maricultures that don't make it. Really odd.

I have had this happen with Millie's from certain reigons. Then the Millie's with bright multicolors and blue polyps at the tip are the ones that just randomly rtn after s few weeks. The more standard colored ones will do fine, sometimes stn and have to be cut but most problems have been with the tricolored pieces. They are always very pale when purchased too. Not sure when they will start arriving with better color and health but I would think the shipping procedures really stress them out. Or they are being held longer in certain suppliers tanks waiting to be sent as a more expensive piece. Normally only one or two of the tricolors are sent in each order. It would be nice if we could figure it out.