Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrie_eleison
Xler,
I've spoken to some very important people who have dealt with deepwater coral collection and I've learned some interesting facts about the it. It occurred to me that most of our understanding of tropical coral collection is still somewhat limited. Deep water corals in general are a funny thing. It's not ENTIRELY about the light; Quarantining; inspection work or even flow. But believe it or not, temperature and pressure play a huge role. See, deep water coral like the ones featured in this thread are very very sensitive to temperature and pressure. The recommendation of keeping corals under low light is NOT enough. You have actually keep them "shaded" w/ indirect lighting. Corals like this need to be sustained in cooler temperatures. 75F degrees if possible and even that's sort of a push. Who wants to run a chiller that often?
It's tricky trying to maintain corals of this nature when our tropical reef tanks need or must be kept at 78 to 83 F. These are just a few things to consider when you buy deep water corals.
By the way, Flyguy, you should consider a less stressful hobby; you're taking this true reef-stuff way too serious.
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when you acclimate a coral it has everything to do with light which is why you always start low. Keeping "deepwater" corals of any kind has nothing to do with light in the sense that they require less. That is all too often repeated myth that just recently has pushed over into the polyp keeprs from the sps guys as more people are paying attention to where things actually come from. Regardless, evern the deepwater corals in the wild are getting more light than we typically provide and its a myth that they require less simply becasue they are collected deeper.
QT, and inspection is more so to protect your current inhabitants and tank, than your new arrivals. And if you introduce things very often at all, and overlook that you will sooner than later pay the price.
There is certainly some truth to the temp thing you bring up though. I am actually playing with a small colder water tank (72-75)at the moment in an attempt to keep a few morphs in particular that I have failed on numerous times in the past. Flow is absolutely important, and most people simply do not have enough high, yet low velocity random flow. This again is irrelevant in concern to where the polyp comes from, polyps simply do better in it and are used to it in the wild and especially when introducing recently caught wild corals they want flow, flow, flkow to give them the best chance at making it. As far as after teh acclimation period, I personally feel a polyp dominated tank should have every bit as much flow as a sps tank. Again, random, high low velocity flow.
as far as stress? lol ok
as I said, just clarifying misperceptions and I did as well say that I had been in a serious conversation on the topic earlier in the day on another forum. I did speak somewhat out of context as I accidentally carried that conversation over and I apologize if it came off wrong. Doesnt change anytbhing I said, I was just mistaken a little picking on you about it.
If anything, the people in this thread who were talking about breaking their polyps up for a profit, I wwas probably more speaking to as that is really no different than a chop shop. Result is the same, selling corals at an high end aquacutured price when they are freshly caught wild. To be sure before I irritate anyone else, I dont think either of you would do it intentionally if you understood what it really meant, and if you would, then it is simply something I dont agree with.
-cheers
