Coral Spawning

[Pntbll687]

Just saw this on Reefbuilders

Richard Ross’s Home Coral Breeding Video is a Recipe for All Reefers | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Captive coral spawning is a big deal right now and represents the cutting edge of decades of trial and error when we learned first how to keep them alive, then how to frag them, and now…

reefbuilders.com

Pretty cool that Richard Ross spawned corals and was able to raise them up from larvae to actual frag size pieces.

I will say that I disagree with the articles premise that this will somehow supply the hobby if we can't import coral. This looks like the most inefficient way to grow coral for a hobbyist. Yes, spawning coral in captivity is cool, but I just don't see this being an option for most people.

Commercially, if it comes to this, these pieces will cost $$$. Spawn happens once a year, then they have to grow out, and a wholesaler would need enough to have a stable supply. That's allot of money to tie up.

And to think that this would help regrow coral for the wild is just wishful thinking. If just propagating coral to frags and growing those isn't working fast enough, then it won't be feasible to spawn coral to then replant in the ocean. See here https://reefbuilders.com/2023/07/05...agments-may-be-a-big-expensive-waste-of-time/

 

[Thales]

Just saw this on Reefbuilders

Richard Ross’s Home Coral Breeding Video is a Recipe for All Reefers | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Captive coral spawning is a big deal right now and represents the cutting edge of decades of trial and error when we learned first how to keep them alive, then how to frag them, and now…

reefbuilders.com

Pretty cool that Richard Ross spawned corals and was able to raise them up from larvae to actual frag size pieces.

I will say that I disagree with the articles premise that this will somehow supply the hobby if we can't import coral. This looks like the most inefficient way to grow coral for a hobbyist. Yes, spawning coral in captivity is cool, but I just don't see this being an option for most people.

Commercially, if it comes to this, these pieces will cost $$$. Spawn happens once a year, then they have to grow out, and a wholesaler would need enough to have a stable supply. That's allot of money to tie up.

And to think that this would help regrow coral for the wild is just wishful thinking. If just propagating coral to frags and growing those isn't working fast enough, then it won't be feasible to spawn coral to then replant in the ocean. See here https://reefbuilders.com/2023/07/05...agments-may-be-a-big-expensive-waste-of-time/

Thanks!


Remember that at one time, breeding clownfish was really difficult and it was thought that home breeding them would never be a thing and that captive bred clowns wouldn't have any kind of impact commercially. Now, captive bred clowns are so ubiquitious that it is almost seems unimaginable that there was a time breeding them was thought to be impossible. Same of a host of captive bred fishes that are now commonly available.
I think this may be the second instance ever of acro's being spawned and raised in a home enviornment, ahd we have a lot to lean about doing it efficiently (which is part of the point of this project). I have spawned and raised acros something like 6 or 7 times and every time it gets easier.
Reef restoration is also a pretty new science, so we don't really know what may or may not be viable and helpful. Spawning does have one huge benefit over fragging for reef restoration, genetic diversity.

But who knows, maybe in 15 years coral spawning will be as common place as captive bred fish have become. Maybe not.

But is sure is fun.

Thanks again!

 

[Kasrift]

Super cool, but certain corals absolutely spawn and grow in home aquariums. Pocillopora is one that is pest level and growing on everything in my tank. I also had a hammer spawn recently and now have a baby hammer growing on my crocea clam shell, not sure what to do about it.

 

[Thales]

Baby P. dam are so cute

 

[Pntbll687]

Thanks!


Remember that at one time, breeding clownfish was really difficult and it was thought that home breeding them would never be a thing and that captive bred clowns wouldn't have any kind of impact commercially. Now, captive bred clowns are so ubiquitious that it is almost seems unimaginable that there was a time breeding them was thought to be impossible. Same of a host of captive bred fishes that are now commonly available.
I think this may be the second instance ever of acro's being spawned and raised in a home enviornment, ahd we have a lot to lean about doing it efficiently (which is part of the point of this project). I have spawned and raised acros something like 6 or 7 times and every time it gets easier.
Reef restoration is also a pretty new science, so we don't really know what may or may not be viable and helpful. Spawning does have one huge benefit over fragging for reef restoration, genetic diversity.

But who knows, maybe in 15 years coral spawning will be as common place as captive bred fish have become. Maybe not.

But is sure is fun.

Thanks again!

I bolded what I think is the most important part here!

I have enough with just growing out frags and selling a little bit here and there. I couldn’t imagine spawning coral.

How long does it take to go from spawn to a size of frag you would see being sold at frag swaps? Let’s say the size of a quarter across?

 

[Thales]

I bolded what I think is the most important part here!

I have enough with just growing out frags and selling a little bit here and there. I couldn’t imagine spawning coral.

How long does it take to go from spawn to a size of frag you would see being sold at frag swaps? Let’s say the size of a quarter across?

Depends. Anywhere from 3-9 months. Can be more depending on how little work you want to do. However in 2 years, they can grow out to be the size of two open hands, so the goal may not be to sell babies, but frags of babies. That is until we get real good at growing babies!

Spawning coral isn't for everyone, just for nuts, but we have a lot of nuts in this hobby!


Now playing with P. dam or other brooders, that is for everyone. Super easy and fun.

 

[Pntbll687]

Depends. Anywhere from 3-9 months. Can be more depending on how little work you want to do. However in 2 years, they can grow out to be the size of two open hands, so the goal may not be to sell babies, but frags of babies. That is until we get real good at growing babies!

Spawning coral isn't for everyone, just for nuts, but we have a lot of nuts in this hobby!


Now playing with P. dam or other brooders, that is for everyone. Super easy and fun.

3-9 Months is actually faster than I thought, and probably faster than fragging and waiting for some acropora to encrust.

And keep up the good stuff on ReefBeef!!

 

[StatelineReefer]

I think what makes coral spawning more viable is that instead of a few frags, a spawn can have hundreds of settled new corals. With the right substrate in the donor tank, and the right conditions, over a single year it's a greater yield than fragging.

 

[Thales]