Lets talk about wild caught colonies

[slapshot]

There are quite a few coming from Auzzie land now. What has been peoples experience with them. Any ideas on how to be succesful with the transistion? My experience is 50/50. My goal here is not to have this go down the right or wrong path (PLEASE) but how can we best accomplish keeping them alive and getting them to thrive. Please share what has worked.

In my case light seems to be a big factor. They seem to bleach out with lack of light fairly quickly. I have had sucess in getting them back in the brightest light possible as quickly as possible. As with all SPS though I have also had them parrish doing that, but less than if I try to go from low light and acclimate them to bright light. Anyone else?

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

I know someone who just got one and it bleached and died fairly quickly. I have one as well but it is just brown now.

 

[MammothReefer]

They do fine for me as long as I'm really on top of my tank for the first few months after addition of anything new (wild). I've found even the smallest of alk swings can send them to there doom. After a few months though they seem to settle in and tolerate a little bit of mishap which as much as we all try to avoid will happen from time to time.

In my experience they mostly demand more flow and light then you would expect. I always start high and in the event I see any signs of bleaching I lower from there.

 

[dvanacker]

Out of 4 wild Aussie colonies I bought 3 eventually RTN'd completely and the 4th (my sarmentosa) half RTN'd but I managed to save half and regrow it....seems stable now. So I would say...not the best of luck here. Very sensitive it seems.

 

[Alex T.]

I'm beginning to believe that there's more at play than just the coral being wild harvested. For instance, many people that have put wild or maricultured pieces in their tanks wind up going through some kind of issue, and many times frag some smaller pieces away in an attempt to save some of the animal. Many times this method works...sometimes it doesn't.

I starting to believe it has a lot to do with the sheer size of the corals that are brought in. A small frag has time to acclimate to the flow and lighting in our tanks, but a maricultured/wild piece grew according to the conditions it was harvested. A larger piece may have less ability to adapt...especially to a weakened or stronger flow than from that which gave it the growth form it currently has/had. You could take frags of the same coral and expose them to different parameters, flow patterns, lighting and orientation on the rock structure and get an assorted form of growth patterns. To me, it actually makes a lot more sense that maybe buying a couple wild corals with some other hobbyists and cutting up the colonies into frags might have much more success in the long run. I've had this happen to 3 wild colonies where they either STN/RTN, and after breaking a couple pieces off, discarding the bad and replacing the fragged portion on the same spot worked out well and it grew into a beautiful piece. I've since broken that tank down and am starting over. Maybe we should all chip in, each buy one and send frags to each other! 10 wild corals for the price of 1!!!

 

[slapshot]

Interesting. You might be right. Maybe the colony itself prevents it from getting what it needs during the transition.

 

[Alex T.]

I've noticed in my previous tank that a monti cap on the right corner near an MP40 was growing outward and plating horizontally like it would in nature. Yet when I fragged it and stuck a small piece in the center of the tank between two rock structures, it received less flow and grew upwards like a turban...sort of looked like a flower a couple days before it fully blooms with pedals extended. My assumption would be that if I took the mother colony from the corner and stuck it in the middle of the tank that it may have gone through the same problems that larger maricultured or wild colonies that can be purchased on-line form Diver's Den, etc. go through. Its' space to grow would have been limited in its current growth form between the two rock structures, and if it didn't adapt it may have receded and died. The stress of being "locked in" with less flow could be what causes an early demise to a larger piece. I've had little stumps of frags grow faster than some with a couple branches too. Without knowing what causes these animals (SPS) to branch where they do, we may be simply putting them in the wrong conditions to maximize their natural growth patterns and coloration.

Of course this is just a theory, but it's starting to make sense that smaller frags are a better bet, whether they're wild, maricultured or aquacultured. I told myself that in this new tank build I was going to have less specimens and allow them to grow out into good size colonies like I see in natural reefscapes. I love the affect of large colorful colonies that reflect their colors back to the surface.

 

[SeanT]

How large of a "colony" are you referring to?

 

[rogerwilco357]

I have had good luck lately just match the water don't drop them in a high alk setting since they come from the wild i also use amino's to help with the recuperation period they loose the color but you can always get that back as you acclimate them to the ULNS and higher alk settings..

 

[SAZAMA]

just use a reliable vendor. I have added at least 10 colonies in the last three months, and only lost one. just make sure your chemistry is good and give it a rip.

 

[coralreefdoc]

Just give it a rip ???

I urge everyone to remember/consider the consequences, of often premature/uneducated actions, regarding the captive placement of wild coral colonies !

These arent just another coral ...

 

[rodneyri]

Could be the long shipping that gives them a hit, our LFS are full of wild caught and most reefers here purchase colonies and do well.

 

[Alex T.]

Could be the long shipping that gives them a hit, our LFS are full of wild caught and most reefers here purchase colonies and do well.

I think you Aussies are just better at it than us Yankees.

How large of a "colony" are you referring to?

I don't think it's so much the size as it is the developmental stage where the coral begins to take on its' growth form. For instance, sometimes you'll see someone's Green Slimer shoot out into odd staghorn forms that stretch toward every side of the tank. Then in other tanks you'll see it actually table out a bit and grow somewhat like a bottlebrush. Aside from lighting, I believe there may be a link to the flow pattern provided after the coral has established its' form that may help cause its' demise. Sometimes I've seen the same instance when I wanted to add one more frag in the path of a well established colony and then all of the sudden seen the new frag take off while the other one developed a problem from being blocked by light, change in flow, etc.


Again...just an observational theory. No science behind it whatsoever.

 

[murphreef145]

my experience is mixed... if your tank is very stable and has been operating for some time then chances are they should do just fine! typically you wont get the same colors out of them as in the wild just depends...

if your tank is more new then i would stick with aqua cultured pieces or frags from other fellow reefers

 

[rodneyri]

lol dont think so but it could also be that we use natural sea water from the same area where the corals come from so they are not shocked as much

 

[slapshot]

Interesting. You sure can't beat the corals that are coming in now. 6 to 8 inch colonies are crazy. I picked up a strawberry shortcake the is 8 inches. It is doing well. I also grabbed an unknow table and it bleached. I'm really not sure if it is dead yet or not. Now I have kept acros for years and have only bought a few wild caught colonies preferring maricultured to help the islands or aquacultured. I must admit I like the instant coral. Thanks everyone.

 

[Alex T.]

lol dont think so but it could also be that we use natural sea water from the same area where the corals come from so they are not shocked as much

I'm willing to bet your Australian waters are little better than my New Jersey water source...and I'm less than 5 mintues from the beach. So close...but yet so far. Natural seawater may explain why so many ULNS guys have good success with wild harversted and maricultured corals too. Keeping parameters at natural seawater levels may have something to do with it.

Interesting. You sure can't beat the corals that are coming in now. 6 to 8 inch colonies are crazy. I picked up a strawberry shortcake the is 8 inches. It is doing well. I also grabbed an unknow table and it bleached. I'm really not sure if it is dead yet or not. Now I have kept acros for years and have only bought a few wild caught colonies preferring maricultured to help the islands or aquacultured. I must admit I like the instant coral. Thanks everyone.

True. The Aussie stuff is eye-popping.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

An 8" strawberry shortcake sounds amazing! Hope it lives!

 

[allsps40]

I have had poor luck with maricultured and wild corals. Most will do well for a while then STN on me. IME it is best to have a large stable system at is mature. Lots of light and flow.

 

[toothman]

My experience has been favorable with them I have 3. I think with all wild colonies it is very important to mount them just the way you think they grew in nature. Plus make sure there is movement of pe all the way down inside the coral. Give the a high spot with lots of water movement.