Images and Answers from the Solomons Farming Operation
Many folks have been asking us about the cultured corals from the Solomons. We thought we'd bring you this little FAQ section to clear some of the mysteries about these beautiful little corals.
Q. Why cultured corals? Isn't it easier for the collectors in the Solomon Islands to pull wild corals for export to the US and elsewhere?
A. Yes, wild heads are easy to collect and that is still done in the Solomons and elsewhere, at least for the time being. The motivations behind cultured corals are several; 1)Wild caught corals will not be allowed indefinitely. 2)The trade needs to go in this direction to become more eco-friendly and remain viable for the future 3)The culturing is done by a group of native women in the Islands operating as independents, providing them with an indispensable source of income. 4)Income earned through the culturing operation has taught the natives the importance of responsible reef management and it has taken them away from more damaging activities, including collection for the curio trade. This former destructive practice has completely ceased in the area where the culturing operation has been introduced. Credit Dave Palmer, a transplanted American, who oversees the operation by offering the training, tools and guidance.
Q. Where is the parent stock for these cultured corals?
A. The parent stock are, in fact, wild colonies. But rather than just stripping full heads of coral for export, only fragments are taken and mounted to the cement discs, while the parent stock can be allowed to re-grow. It can't be called zero impact, but you can see how this practice is much more friendly to the overall health of the reefs.
Q. What makes these cultured corals so special and why should I buy a little piece of coral when for a few dollars more I can buy a full colony?
A. Well some of the answer to this one will come down to the hobbyist's own conscience. As we've already pointed out, buying cultured corals supports an important cause, provides vital income to native people of the Islands and is really a more environmentally responsible product to purchase. The trade in live corals cannot continue indefinitely with the practices of today. Eventually the environmental groups will bring enough pressure to the governments involved to seriously regulate or even stop the trade altogether. It is our opinion that if we can show that the trade will act in a responsible manner, with ethical reef management practices such as those associated with culturing corals, we have more of a leg to stand on when the time comes that we must defend our hobby. As for those wanting the "instant gratification" of full colonies, well, we can't offer too much. However, there is something to be said for both the pride and credit for having grown that full head in your tank from only a fragment. In our experience, the colonies that are grown mostly in captivity are much hardier and more disease resistant than imported full-size wild heads of coral.
Q. What can you tell me about the water conditions and depths from which these corals come?
A. Almost all of the cultured SPS that is currently being shipped, with few exceptions, were originally taken from heads of coral found in 20 feet or less of water. After the initial collection and mounting to the discs, the corals are put onto trays, as show by the photos on this page, and left to grow out and encrust the cement bases for a period of 4-6 months before being rounded up for export. The trays sit in about 10 feet of water. Temps in the lagoons range from 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit and the salinity is typically 1.024, though it can drop as low as 1.018 for an extreme when heavy rains hit the coastal areas.
Q. How many species are cultured and how many pieces are there?
A. As of Feb. '99, we have seen close to 40 different species of small polyp stony corals shipped into the US. The main farm in the Solomons (there is a much smaller independent 2nd farm) currently has about 25,000 pieces mounted and sitting on the trays you see here in various stages of growout.
Q. Will soft corals be cultured at this facility?
A. Yes they will. We've just received the very first pieces of cultured soft corals from the Solomons operation[2/20/99]. A bright green Sinularia sp.,that by all appearances will be a hit. Color is outstanding and they ship much, much better than their wild counterparts. These are the first in what will be an expanding variety of the more popular species of soft corals.
Q. What sort of systems are these held in once they are imported?
A. CoralFarms is but one importer of the Solomon Island cultured corals, so we can only tell you about our own systems. Our holding tanks use 400W lighting(6500K, 10KK and 20KK lamps are used), ETS skimmers and our own K2R calcium reactors for calcium and alkalinity maintenance. Good, strong water movement and regular phytoplankton feedings are also employed. We do not supplement with trace elements. Our systems are set up specifically to house SPS type corals. As the cultured soft corals come online, we will be dedicating tanks better suited to these with more subdued light and less aggressive skimming.
Have any additional questions not covered here? Please drop us a line info@coralfarms.com
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