Everyone knows that Goniopora are impossible to keep. They always die after a year or so. That’s the word on the street–but it’s not the whole truth. In fact, there have been dozens of reported successes. What has allowed a few aquarists to successfully grow Goniopora?

Over the years, we have “cracked the code” on many kinds of corals and other marine organisms. Many can remember when Acropora were considered impossible to grow in captivity. Today, there are numerous captive-grown strains firmly established in the hobby.

Goniopora is just the latest group of corals with the “keep away” label–but I have no doubt it will soon be put on the “been there, done that” list. I feel we are already on the way to establishing domesticated strains of Goniopora as we have with so many coral and other reef aquarium invertebrates. Captive-grown coral grow faster and are hardier than wild-collected colonies. Not only has the coral itself adapted to captivity but the bacteria, zooaxanthellae, and other symbiotic organisms also have adapted.

That being said, you must do what is necessary to keep these corals alive and thriving. As with Acropora, Goniopora are not the best beginner coral.

Read the rest of this article by Justin Credabel on Advanced Aquarist Online Magazine.

Intro

Watching a small frag “magically” morph into a showpiece colony is easily one of my favourite parts of reefkeeping. To me, this provides a great feeling of accomplishment, not to mention a host of other warm fuzzy feelings on the inside. Besides the inherent satisfaction that accompanies fragging corals, coral propagation is without doubt an integral part of successful reefkeeping. The benefits of fragging corals are numerous, and fragging allows the hobbyist to collect more variety of corals. After all, frags are: relatively cheap, tradable, and at the backbone of the reef keeping community. Ultimately, these benefits are not restricted to the hobbyist alone. Indeed, one can speculate that private coral propagation is an essential factor to insure that our hobby is sustainable and survives in the years to come.

If I could, I would have a large dedicated system built for the sole purpose of coral propagation. In this system, I would have the space and organization needed to hold a large number of frags with appropriate lighting, flow and room for them to grow. Unfortunately, there are a few “tiny” hurdles holding me back from starting this kind of a system. These little problems include: not having the space, the money, and a giant frag tank is hardly something I want in my living room!

What would be the best way to effectively propagate corals in the average reef tank? I will “dive” into this question, while keeping in mind: space, costs and aesthetics.

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Check out this video demonstration with coral propagation master, Anthony Calfo.  Anthony uses a straight tile bit in a Dremel tool to cut a doughnut from the outside, so the mother colony retains a natural shape.