Discussion - As a Reefkeeper...

[Reefscape]

...how do you determine the lighting requirements for specific corals when asked? Do you find yourself generalising? or being species specific?

Why have you chosen the corals that you have? Are there ever any environmental ideals behind your choices?

If a worldwide program was setup for coral propagation, with a view to building brand new reefs around the world, what would you donate? would you donate freely? even pay the shipping?

 

[Cheech]

...how do you determine the lighting requirements for specific corals when asked? Do you find yourself generalising? or being species specific?

I tend to generalize really.. Mostly trial and error.

Why have you chosen the corals that you have? Are there ever any environmental ideals behind your choices?

No real environmental reasons... I assume that if LFS's are selling them, they've already covered the environmental part of it. I chose the corals I have mostly because they were either free, or cheap.. And the ones I did purchase, I chose because they fit my tank parameters, and they're pretty to look at.

If a worldwide program was setup for coral propagation, with a view to building brand new reefs around the world, what would you donate? would you donate freely? even pay the shipping?

If I had it and could afford to donate, I would. My only problem is that it is time consuming, and with so many things going on right now, I don't know that I would be able to dedicate adequate time in setting up shipping boxes etc. It would probably have to be some kind of deal where the organisation send you an easy to fill package with all necessary requirements in making sure corals get there safely.

 

[Ace25]

PAR measurements and LOTS of documentation. A lot of trial and error with corals trying to find the "best" location. Now I can tell people "X coral needs a range of x-x PAR to be happiest, with x type of flow". You go outside those PAR numbers for that coral, up to high, you bleach it, down to low, you brown it out.

Color - wanted my aquarium to look like a box of crayons.

Yes, yes, and yes. I would do anything within my power to help to reefs in the world. As it is now, I help local reefkeepers by GIVING away my frags. Out of the hundreds or corals I have given out over the last few years I have not asked for or received one penny from them.

 

[fsn77]

...how do you determine the lighting requirements for specific corals when asked? Do you find yourself generalising? or being species specific?

Trial and error mostly, as there seems to be only a few places to find numerical data (PAR values or similar) about sucessful placement of some corals in captivity. Until more concrete ranges have been established by those with meters to measure light intensity for more corals, trial and error is what I find myself going on. Since I don't have one of these meters myself yet, I do my best to describe the coral's location in my tank, as well as the exact lighting it came from (type, ballasts, specific bulbs, photoperiod). It's kind of funny the look I get sometimes when people ask and I reply with a rather exact answer including a distance measurement from the top of the water.

Why have you chosen the corals that you have? Are there ever any environmental ideals behind your choices?

Corals are chosen for our tank based on what we like. It's been no surprise, but our taste in corals has evolved as we've been in the hobby longer and simply had the opportunity to see more of what's out there. If we can buy captive grown or aquacultured specimens, we're all for it, but it's not necessarily a deciding factor for us. The order tends to be:
a) Do we like it?
b) Does it tend to do well in captivity?
c) Will it fit in our tank?
d) How much does it cost?
We certainly buy aquacultured specimens intentionally when we see something we like, from places such as ORA, The Coral Gardens, Scientific Coral, World Wide Corals, etc.

If a worldwide program was setup for coral propagation, with a view to building brand new reefs around the world, what would you donate? would you donate freely? even pay the shipping?

I would gladly donate all but a frag of each coral in our tank if such a program was established and credible. As long as I have that small frag for myself to continue to grow out and propogate, I would happily give back the rest of the colonies to the oceans. I wouldn't mind paying the shipping, either, as long as they would take everything all at once or in a very small number of shipments. I'd be all for helping the cause, but I'm not going to be too excited if I was expected to send one or two corals at a time -- that would be a hefty shipping bill. But, I would imagine that for a cause like this, a shipping company would be willing (or at least should be willing) to offer some sort of discounted rate to help do their part.

 

[Amphiprion]

...how do you determine the lighting requirements for specific corals when asked? Do you find yourself generalising? or being species specific?

I mostly generalize, though, if someone refers to a coral on a species specific basis, I will also be more specific. The lucky thing is that corals are largely adaptable and will eventually do just fine in a range of conditions. It is just that some conditions are better than others...

Why have you chosen the corals that you have? Are there ever any environmental ideals behind your choices?

Well, no corals to speak of at the moment, but I built my tank around the hermatypic-type corals that one typically thinks of when they hear the word "reef." In other words, the so called "sps" corals. I did this because I simply like the high energy environment and the look of the corals. I also enjoy noting the amount growth these animals are capable of achieving, as well as the "natural" look they tend to create once they grow. It is difficult to replicate that look without a habitat-specific tank. I only purchase (or trade) captive raised specimens. The only wild specimens left are a Plerogyra spp. and a Trachyphyllia spp., both of which have been in my care for well over a decade.

If a worldwide program was setup for coral propagation, with a view to building brand new reefs around the world, what would you donate? would you donate freely? even pay the shipping? While I usually ask for compensation for equipment, I have never charged for fragments for others. So I can confidently say that I would gladly give pieces to contribute to any sort of program. I would be willing to split the shipping 50/50, but not in its entirety.

My comments in red.