Hello!
My name is Machado de Sousa from Lisbon, Portugal and i would like to share with you my new coral propagation project.
This project has been developed one year to this part, in a garage located near Lisbon. The purpose of the project is asexual corals reproduction from fragments of reduced dimensions, from the polyp itself (not all species of corals that I intend to reproduce presents radial or axial polyps and prominent esclerites of form to allow its collect).
The implemented process of reproduction seats on the idea that is possible to create a coral colony from a very small part removed from the “mother” colony, and that this fragment does not have a minimum number of polyps so it can survive and develop.
If this theory is true, this will allow be to clone a coral colony from one polyp only, if the polyp that we intend to reproduce has the adjusted size, and if it’s possible to obtain and isolated it successfully, fix it in a steady and permanent way to a support, and created the physical, chemical and biological conditions so that the polyp survives separate from the mother colony. If the polyp survives in these conditions will be able to develop itself and also originate a new colony.
This process of reproduction is very slow, and has raised costs associates. It’s my objective to continue to work in this project and wait to see if the number of reproductions obtained justifies the investment. It cannot give me money, but it will give me a lot of spiritual joy….
The system is constituted by:
Maternity - Tank that lodges the mother colonies donors of polyps, or fragments, destined to the reproduction.
Nursery - Tank destined to the first phase of the reproduction. Here the polyps, or fragments, come from the Maternity to develop themselves, they are fixed in rubber covers of plastic pipes flowers. They will remain in this place the necessary time until they reach a certain state of development.
Day-care center - Tank destined to second phase of reproduction. They are transferred “babies already grown” from the Nursery together with the respective rubber covers.
The three tanks meet on one common sump:
The designations given to the tanks, are just to relax…
SET UP
Maternity: 1.80x0.90x0.40m = 650 L
Nursery: 1.80x0.90x0.27m = 440 L
Day-care center: 3 tanks with 1.50 x 1,00 x 0.50m = 2.250L (Only one is functioning. The others are in assembling phase)
Total tanks: 3,300 L
SUMP (3 compart.)
1.05x0.70x0.50m (to skimmer+Eco-Cooler) - 370 L
1.16x1.45x0.50m (mangue+Live Rock+Skimmer) - 840 L
0.78x1.30x1.50m ( DSB/filter with algea+return pumps) - 507 L
Total sump: 1,700 L
Total rude volume (Tanques+sump): 5,000 L
RETURN
Maternity: Sicce multi 5800 (5,800 L/h)
Nursery: Eheim compact + 5000 (2.500-5.000L/h)
Day-care center: Eheim 1260 (5,800 L/h)
CIRCULATION
Maternity: Wavebox Tunze + Tunze stream 6100
Nursery: Wavemaker Sfiligoi
Day-care center: Wavebox Tunze + Tunze stream 6100
SWEET WATER
Inverse osmosis 6 stages (ret. of particles and activated coal)
WATER OF THE SYSTEM
Synthetic, dens. 1.024
WATER REPLACEMENT
Controller of level Tunze 5017
PURIFICATION SYSTEM
2 Deltec AP703 SKIMMERS
Reactor Rowaphos Deltec
DSB - 120 kg of Aragonite and Aragamax (in sump)
RV - 200 kg (in sump)
Bonsai Mangue with 13 years of age (now free to grow)
Taxifolia Caulerpa (in sump)
Biweekly TPA 5%
Ca/kH/Mg
Calcium R. Aquamedic KR 5000
Calcium R. DIY (by Jose Alves)
Calcium Media. - ARM with Magnesium Pro of the GroTech (10%)
R. of Kalkwasser Deltec KM500S
Alim. reactor for bombs of Iwaki bellows
Ca=400 mg/l; kH=12; Mg=1200 mg/l (val. medium)
ILLUMINATION (Gutters T5 Tiger developed by F. Ribeiro)
Maternity: 8x80w
Nursery: 6x80w
Day-care center: 10x80w
Mangal: 4x54w
Macro seaweed: 2x80w
COLLING (water 25-27º C)
Echo of the Deltec model 420/4
4 Termóstat Jager of 250 w (Tank and sump)
VENTILATION
Air room renewal 21 times for the moment (24/24h)
ADDITIVES
ABC of the GroTech (of. - TEC III NG)
Weekly addition of Combisan
Iodine
LIVINGS CREATURE
Diverse
Hope you enjoy it!
Machado de Sousa