Starting my propogation business...

[chewitback]

I have run smaller scale systems similar to what i intend to do, but this will be a much larger scale (numerous independent tanks). Yes, i will be cutting the anemones by knife. "mother colonies" are more or less nonexistent as each anemone will be cut in half, producing two anemones from one, with every cut. Since their healing time is about 10-14 days, I can harvest half of each tank around every two weeks. Harvest one day, cut the remaining anemones the next day. Healing starts on them, and in another 2 weeks my numbers are doubled on fully healed, eating, sellable anemones. Then the cycle repeats itself. I should be able to sustain ~200 anemones in each tank, harvesting 100 of them (from each tank) every two weeks. The remaining anemones will become the "mother colony" for the next day's splicing, but there wont be a designated mother colony, if thats what you are asking.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

I should be able to sustain ~200 anemones in each tank, harvesting 100 of them (from each tank) every two weeks.

I think you'll find this schedule overly optomistic. Six clones a year from each original is a more realistic number, and still tough to achieve.

Jeff

 

[chewitback]

@jimmy I intend to harvest up to 1,200 every few weeks from the tanks, so you are fairly close on that assessment.
@jeff where/how are you growing anemones that you could only produce 6 a year? Even if I cut them only once every two months (6 splicings a year), that produces 63 anemones from the original. Even if I cut them 3 times in a year, thats still 7 clones from the original. With even remotely decent conditions, you should be producing much faster than that.

 

[jimmy frag]

hi chew, i do believe you are correct that you can get much more that 6 per year. i have been able to get 13 from one over a few days, this was done by stress. was not planned, just happened. do you think the anemone can handle being cut every two weeks. have you tryed this procedure over any period of time before with positive resaults.

 

[chewitback]

absolutely Jimmy. I have also read of others doing it on other anemone propagation threads here on reef central as well, not to mention Anthony Calfo's confirming its sustainability, process, and rate of growth.

 

[Treeman]

All I can say is good luck and you will need it.

 

[oceanarium]

I have run smaller scale systems similar to what i intend to do, but this will be a much larger scale (numerous independent tanks). Yes, i will be cutting the anemones by knife. "mother colonies" are more or less nonexistent as each anemone will be cut in half, producing two anemones from one, with every cut. Since their healing time is about 10-14 days, I can harvest half of each tank around every two weeks. Harvest one day, cut the remaining anemones the next day. Healing starts on them, and in another 2 weeks my numbers are doubled on fully healed, eating, sellable anemones. Then the cycle repeats itself. I should be able to sustain ~200 anemones in each tank, harvesting 100 of them (from each tank) every two weeks. The remaining anemones will become the "mother colony" for the next day's splicing, but there wont be a designated mother colony, if thats what you are asking.

So two weeks to heal and two weeks to double in mass... That's amazing :thumbsup:

What do your feed them and how often to get them growing so quick? Do you ever get infections spreading through the entire tank with so much cut and damaged tissue?

 

[chewitback]

@treeman: thank you. I appreciate the well wishes. It's been a long hard road, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. I know all this hard work will pay out shortly.

@oceanarium: the healing process grenerally takes around 10 days, but it still grows while it heals. Within two weeks of cutting, they double the size. There inlies the secret of my business. Figure that out, and you are gold.

 

[oceanarium]

@oceanarium: the healing process grenerally takes around 10 days, but it still grows while it heals. Within two weeks of cutting, they double the size. There inlies the secret of my business. Figure that out, and you are gold.

If its not the feeding then... My best guess is the nitrate factory sponge filters combined with very good lights :lol2:

 

[chewitback]

you are sort of on the right track, but there is more to it.

 

[jimmy frag]

hey chew, if you are cutting nems every 2 week and assuming you will not be feeding, why bother with a sponge filter at all. you will have some rubble in each tank and probably some substrate for bacteria to colonize plus a 50% minimum water change every 2 weeks.

 

[chewitback]

I never said I won't be feeding them! They will most definitely be fed. They simply can't eat solids during their 10 day healing process. Sponge filters are needed, I assure you.

 

[jimmy frag]

what are they going to be fed ?

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Well if this works like you say, you will be the first to mass market captive propagated anemones.

If this happens, you will be a very popular guy.

 

[Ocean2k]

Wow those green shrooms looks special

 

[freetareef]

lookin froward to seeing your system complete!!

 

[jimmy frag]

hey chew. any luck yet with the plumbing.

 

[chewitback]

Jimmy, I feed them food that I make myself, that way I know exactly what's going into my tanks.
Jeremy, I really think it will, and so do the wholesalers and the bank, not to mention Anthony Calfo, who played a key role in the skeletal design of my business plan.
Ocean2k they are special! I first saw one of them at inland aquatics in Terre Heute, IN, and they wanted $100 for one shroom! When I tried to buy it off them, the price suddenly became $400! Apparently they wanted to hold onto it more than selling it. I never saw one like it there again, but a year later I happened along that rock of them online, which was far less than inland's price, and I jumped at it. Never seen anything like them since.

 

[chewitback]

Jimmy, my building will be attached to the sewer on Tuesday! I'm stoked. All that is left on the garage is building a non-structural frame on the walls and ceiling to fit insulation in (then plastic line it for a vapor barrier), epoxy the floor, and install the insulated garage door. Maybe add a radiant overhead gas heater if needed, then add a water line, and while the two 1,500 gallon reservoirs fill I'm going to attach the plumbing around the garage for each of the tanks to fill off of, and fit the air lines for the blower to run them all. Oh, and a quick electrical work to set the new outlets for each tank. My biggest task right now seems to be selling the 180 gallon bowfront display tank I have sitting in there, because it needs a home before I can epoxy the floor. All in all, I'm hopeful to get things running now in early janurary.

 

[ReefCupid]

Almost there Chew!! cant wait to see the outcome!!