sps aquaculture

[moron_clown]

hi all,i am planning to start a sps aquaculture facillity.Before i start,i need to get some of my facts right from all u experts out there.

1)will using only natural sunlight work?are there any instuments or meters which i can use to determine the intensity of the sunlight at my facillity?I plan to get a couple of 400w outdoor MH lamps in case of extremely cloudy or dark days.

2)are there any websites or books which have detailed examples of aquaculture success using only natural sunlight ?

3)will a negligible amount of rainwater cause any sustaintial fluctuation of water parameters?

[FuEl]

Rainwater is acidic. It's best to ensure your corals and system is sheltered if it rains. You can probably get something like those electronically controlled shelters they use in kopitiams when it rains.

Considering the amount of cloud cover in Sg most of the time I doubt natural sunlight alone will not be sufficient for optimal growth and probably even colouration. Supplementary MH will be needed. Why sps grow faster in the wild (even though light intensity varies during the day) is not because our lighting is not up to par, but because they have ample food supplies in the form of natural zooplankton. If you could get a reliable supply of clear natural unfiltered seawater it would be the best.

2 things you need to minimize in an outdoor facility. Temperature and evaporation.

[blueheaven]

Haha another aspiring coral farmer like me

Some tips for you:

Use natural lighting- it's good and cheap

Monitor the site for the motion of the sun- you do not want to have a big tree shading your farm

Do monocultures- As some colonies grow faster without the prescence of other corals

Prepare for a high capital investment- You cannot afford to skimp

Have good ventilation- saves on chilling costs

As for the rainwater part, I do not really advise even a single drop of it.

Rainwater contains carbonic acid, sulphuric acid and nitric acid and can affect the water parameters. You want your SPS to grow fast so you need good water parameters.

Go read Anthony Calfo's Book of coral propagation

[ciaolong]

natural lighting is fine ... it much more than 400w lol

and corals dont always get sun everyday u think all reef's get 12 hours of sun everyday of the year ?

there is a few places here that use sun light i would do mine in the sun next time we move but since we have no backyard i gotta use garage lol

and rain water is a no no well in a closed system anyway maybe do a green house ?