Coral Maternity in Portugal

Hell Oh Axe (Machado) de Sousa,

Congratulations for your propagation system, its definitely a blast on this small country (Portugal).

Your post is receiving the proper attention (like Pestana's did - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1095596&perpage=25&pagenumber=1) - in THIS giant reef community.

Your previous aquarium was already a master piece, but this one is out of this world.
I've seen it live, every time I see it I feel like a fish, surrounded by colorful corals and waving water.

What is the next step ? Can you post more pictures ? Do you use natural water ?

I never asked you this, but, you don't have a DSB (you got algae’s on it, right ?), what are the advantages and disadvantages of it ?

Where did you get those colorful frags ? Do all those frags came from that journey to Germany ?
Take care


ZRK
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10861919#post10861919 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikekman
WOW!!!! Very nice setup, looks fantastic! Please post more pictures if you can.

Hi mikekman,
Very soon I will go adding new photos. Be attentive please.

Cheers

Machado de Sousa
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10864220#post10864220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redox
this is awsome. How do you keep the eggcrate so clean? and have you figured out coral warfare?

Hi redox!

In the Nursery tank (with plastic pipes) I changed eggcrate and I have this about 1 month ago. The previous one was covered by coralline, biofilms and some algae and I placed a new. In the Day-care tank (with reef plugs) I can't substitute eggcrate and thus I have there some clean up crews like herbíbovos and detritívoros fishes, stomatellid snails, Turbos, Nerites, Ceriths, diademas, etc.
About chemical warfare, the tanks outlets, before return to sumps, go straight to the skimmers, which are fed by gravity.

Cheers

Machado de Sousa
 
Make sure to let us know if you decide to get into the business of selling coral fragments.

I am going to be the first one on your list;)
 
An excellent example of someone's courage and hard work. Beautiful frags and excellent idea with the nurseries. You inspired me, how to do it in my next setup. I always love to see someone trying to save the reefs by growing them inland :)
 
Hi,

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10882498#post10882498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefman13
I am going to be the first one on your list;)

I think it will be a little bit dificult once Machado is in Portugal!

Cheers,
Diogo
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10864935#post10864935 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessp
what are monthly costs of running a system like that. how long has it been running, what are some problems you encounter?

It does not please me much speech on about costs not discouraging.:confused:' let me see... I expense about five hundreds dollars monthly.
First works adapting the space (the prop space was destined for parking automobile) had started have about 1 year ago. The first corals had entered have about 6 months and are the ones that I had in my home aquariums (all moved).
The main problem become related with the difficulty in finding rarer corals in the place where I live in. To acquire rarer colonies I have to go to far to buy some little frags. From Germany I brought about 20. I hope to return there soon but time $$$ is rare too. lol
<a

Originally posted</a> by jessp

Please show pics of your display tank, that thing looks awesome as well.

I'll post more pics. May be tomorrow. Today I'm gonna try to take some. The pics posted up to now in this threod was taken by "the master and magician" my friend João Ribeiro!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10864935#post10864935 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessp
Please show from start to finish how you frag your corals. Are the flower plugs filled w/ cement or any filler?

lots of questions, i think everyone is in awwe right now.
Soon I will show a sequence since the harvest of the polyp, or a little frag, up to setting in the plastic pipes.
The plastic pipes may be filled with reef sand or aragonite. Filling the plastic tubes with cement, as you ask, is such an idea never entered my head. thanks, you just gave me a good and practical idea! to fill with aragocret...

Cheers,
 
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Machado - I appreach your time for sharing this awesome adventure with us. I hope all your research pays off. I was wondering if you could also elaborate on some details of the systems. And some of the maintenance you do to the system. Also what ballast are you running your t5s on? are you overdriving them? Which reflectors are you using? I am also interested in the turf scrubbing system.

Thanks,
Shawn
 
some grown babies:

IMG_3016.jpg




Machado de Sousa
 
Calcium reactors:
IMG_3047.jpg




Partial view of the CO2 supply system and mangrove:
IMG_3065.jpg




View of Top-off water tank and Kalk reactor:
IMG_3051.jpg



I hope you enjoy it,

Machado de Sousa
 
once the nursery frags encrust the top of the plug you just cut off the top of the plug and glue it to a disc? or do you drill the disc and put the whole plug through?
 
Yes. I made some tests. I always used for years, before mounting this prop, Metal Halide lamps in my home aquariums. I used 2/3 of l10.000ºK HQI lamps as main light and a correction of the spectrum with 1/3 fluos with color temperature superior to 20.000ºK (Watts). Here, in my prop tanks, I cannot use this type of illumination, to prevent on heating and to reduce costs with the refrigeration in the summer.
Using now only fluos I opted to 12.000ºK as main lamps and a correction of the spectrum with 18.000ºK. I concluded that using 60% of 12.000ºK lamps and 40% of 18.000ºK the corals grow more and their color is sacrificed. If I use 50/50 I obtain less growing and more color.
 
How do you keep the rock so clean with all of those frags in the way? WOW very nice work... Have you notice any particular special of SPS not like the T5?
 
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In the Nursery tank I changed eggcrate and I have this about 1 month ago. In the Day-care tank I can't substitute eggcrate and thus I have there some clean up crews. They work hard! lol
Alll My SPS go well with T5. I think that all corals that likes MH lamps like t5 too. it is an adaptation question.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10866942#post10866942 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RRodrigues
Hi Machado,

Sweet system you've got there. I must visit you soon.

Why did you choose T5 over MH?

Do you have live rock in the system?

Why didn't you use any substrate in the tanks?

Congratulation, that is really amazing!

Hello Ricardo!

I don't use MH illumination to prevent on heating and to reduce costs with the refrigeration in the summer. As you can see in the setup I have 200 kg in the sump. I have a small layer of Aragamax of the Caribbe Sea to reflect the light and is siphoned every month together with the sediments.

Cheers

Machado de Sousa
 
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