livecoralfrag.com

I’ve added links to my web sites on the right hand side of this page.  They are listed under “My Web Sites”.  This will make it very easy for you to visit, explore, and purchase from these sites.  You can purchase Tank Raised Live Corals, Metal Halide bulbs and Water Pumps for your reef tank.

You will also find links for you to purchase Signs of all kinds for any business.  Check out my Online Sign Store for over 20,000 different sign related products.  The selection is amazing, with virtually anything you can think of for your store or business!  You probably find many items you never knew were even available!  You can also contact me for any custom signs made to exactly your specs.

I ship all of the products you will find to anywhere in the USA!  Directly to your door!  That includes Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.  For Live Coral I use FedEx Overnight Express, and have the best rates on the entire internet!  For my other products I use FedEx Ground for the lowest shipping prices, exceptional service, and reliability.

The prices are exceptional, and all purchases help to support Live Coral Farming, and leaving the wild corals on the ocean reefs, where they belong.  Thanks for checking out the links…

1). The “Green” approach to reef keeping.

2). Grown in our reef tanks, not continually taken from the oceans reefs.  A Maricultured colony or Tank Raised frag is grown out until it is large enough to take occasional frags to offer on our web site. Most of our corals have been grown out from 1″ frags purchased from exotic coral collectors.  These collectors corals are not available in a colony size, because there is often just one colony, but they are sometimes available in sizes from 1″ frag  to a multi – branched 3″ mini colony.

3).  One of the most significant advantages of purchasing Tank Raised corals is that coral farmers typically don’t grow typical everyday corals.  I grow exotic, rare, and extremely colorful varieties…why grow the typical ones?!  Rarely does a LFS get a truly exotic coral when they order corals from a wholesaler or transhipper.  Why?  Because the rare and colorful corals are “cherry picked” by the store owners, cherry pickers, employees, etc. that are close to the wholesalers warehouses.  When a shipment of live corals comes in from the tropics, this group is often waiting at the door when they open to nab the choicest corals for their clientele.  The “leftovers” are what get shipped out to the LFS’s.  That’s why you seldom see a truly rare and exotic coral in your LFS.

With Tank Raised corals, farmers are constantly looking for other exotic and colorful tank raised frags that they can grow out and have available for their clientele – in the future when the coral grows large enough to be able to frag.  This is really the only way to get TRULY amazing, unique and exotic corals with the most spectacular colors.  Plus, it’s the most responsible way to reef keeping…leaving the wild corals on the reefs.  You’ll have a much nicer and gorgeous reef when they all grow out.  Be patient, it’s worth it!

4).   As discussed in a previous post, many corals you see for sale are Wild, and from the oceans reefs.  These reefs are being devastated and we see a definite advantage to not continuously getting our corals from those reefs.  Many, simply buy Wild Corals from the wholesalers in LA, CA, or Miami, FL and slice them up into frags.  These “coral slicers” (see more on them below) then sell you wild corals in a small frag sized piece.  Many times you think these are Tank Raised because of their frag size.  So be sure to ask the seller if these are Tank Raised and how long he has had the coral.  This is very profitable, but also very harmful to the oceans reefs because as long as they are in business, the process continues.

We believe in buying an exotic, rare, and unusual coral frag and growing it into a colony we can harvest frags from for many years to come.  Most of our corals have never seen the ocean as they were purchased from a collectors reef tank and not from the oceans reefs.  It takes a lot longer, and costs much more to do it this way, but we don’t continually take corals from the devastated oceans reefs.  We also pick our corals very carefully and only grow those exotic, rare, colorful, and unusual  varieties.

5).  Tank Raised Corals are heartier.  Because they come from our reef tanks they acclimate to your reef tank very easily.  No Ocean Involved!  Acclimating from one reef tank to another is a very easy process because chances are the conditions are very similar.  There is only the stress from shipping from our tank to you.

6). Beware of the “Coral Slicers”!  These are very common on the Internet.  They are sellers who offer frags, but they are not Tank Raised.  They can look like they are because of their size, but they are actually Wild Corals sliced up when they arrive from the oceans reefs.  Those Wild Corals are mounted on plugs or frag discs to look like they are Tank Raised, but they are just a small Wild Coral.  These are even HARDER TO KEEP because they are such a small piece of the Wild Colony that you don’t have enough to cut a part that is dying off and still have some to save.

You might be asking “How do I spot the Coral Slicers?” …..Usually, they do not have a picture of the Mother Colony of the coral.  They only show you a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) frag.  Why does one need to see what a 1/2″ – 1″ frag looks like?  They all look so close to the same when they are that size!  They show you this, and you think it’s an advantage, but it is actually a sign of a Coral Slicer because their is no Mother Colony to show you because it has been “sliced” up and is no longer!  Always look for the picture of the Mother Colony, and ask to see it if they don’t provide it.  If they can’t show you it or come up with some excuse, you know it is a Wild Coral that has been sliced up and there is no longer a Mother Colony.   Look for sellers that publicize that they offer Tank Raised or Farmed coral and show you what your frag will grow into (the Mother Colony).  Isn’t that what you really prefer?  A picture of what your coral will look like once you grow it out in your reef. I want to see that so I know it’s worth my effort to grow it.  A frag shows me nothing….and they all look the same!

7).  Tank Raised corals are grown out in a tank very similar to yours, with almost the exact same water parameters.  When we ship them to you many times they are floating upside down on a piece of styrofoam in a bag full of water.  We use the ultra reliable FedEx Express.  Many sellers ship SPS frags just laying on the bottom of the shipping bag with barely a splash of water in it.  They get jostled around throughout the trip and when they are laying in the shipping bag, there is a ton of abrasion from them rubbing against the bag constantly.  This is very stressful on the frag.  Many use very little water to save money on the shipping which is actually done so they can make money on their shipping cost.  We believe shipping is a “service” needed to ship out Tank Raised Corals, not a “product” we need to make money on.  We offer you the lowest priced and most reliable shipping available from anywhere!  We’d rather have the shipping cost us a little more, and have you get a super healthy and hearty coral…and be super happy!  Our Tank Raised frags go from our reef tanks to your reef tank…simple as that!  Our shipping service is designed to eliminate the common stressful conditions for the corals. This allows us to proclaim that you will almost never lose a Tank Raised Coral!  It is truly rare indeed.

8).   Please make a conscious effort to help end the devastation of our Wild Reefs.  This process of importing Wild Corals every week has been going on for several decades.  It needs to stop and we need to “think first” before purchasing these Wild Corals.   Please decide to “Go Green” and purchase Tank Raised Corals.  Reap the benefits of the grower offering you a Rare and Unusual Coral that is exceptionally colorful, and that will typically live well and thrive and be an amazing specimen when grown out in your reef tank.

When going to your Local Fish Store that carries live corals, ask them for their 100% Tank Raised Corals.  If they don’t have them, ask them to bring them in, and don’t settle for their Wild Corals.

Tell them you are “Going Green”!   (:^)

Are you tired of buying corals in a Local Fish Store (LFS) only to have them DIE in a week or month?  Many of you have told me just that…  Sure, these are mostly SPS & LPS corals, but some of the more delicate low light mushrooms and micro small polyped Zoanthids can be just as tough to keep.   That is because most of the corals you buy in Local Fish Stores are imported from the oceans wild reefs.

Here is an accurate idea of the enormous journey they must take to get to your LFS.  First they get collected by the divers in Indonesia, Fiji, Australia, etc., removed from their natural habitat, and placed in a tank on the divers boat.  At the end of the day they get put in other tanks on the nearby island.  When the collection area is very remote, these corals get moved to other tanks closer to an airport before they get bagged up and shipped out to L.A., CA or Miami, FL, USA.  Very rarely are the water conditions the same from tank to tank putting a ton of stress on the live corals.  Upon arrival in the USA, the wild corals get placed into the wholesalers tanks and from there, get shipped out to various Local Fish Stores across the USA.

Wholesalers have a very common practice that saves them a lot of money…they use very low salinity saltwater costing them less in synthetic salt mix.  The typical salinity of their systems in rarely above 1.021 and very often 1.019!  Sure, it saves them a ton of money over the long haul, but the stress it puts on live corals that are used to the 1.025 salinity of the ocean, is enoromus!  They do this because they hold on to the corals for only a matter of a few days before they are sold and not their problem anymore.

Doesn’t sound like much of a difference?  Mix up a 30 gallon garbage can with salt mix to 1.019.  Then count how many extra cups of salt mix it takes to get the salinity up to 1.025.  It’s a bunch!!

So, the live corals have been shipped and arrive at the Local Fish Stores and placed in their tanks.  The reef tank aquarium owner then visits the LFS and purchases the live coral and places it in their reef tank.  Very seldom do any of the moves to a different tank include any acclimation at all!  The wild coral is forced to try to adjust to often quite varying water conditions almost instantly and many times to another water condition within hours of the previous stop.  Your reef tank can literally be the 4th to 6th tank that wild coral has been in, in the last week!

This is very stressful on the Wild Corals (animals) and some don’t survive the long flights half way around the world.  Most do survive, but are suffering from the stress, changes in temperature, changes in water parameters from being moved from tank to tank with no acclimation, no light from being in a box, and poor handling, and can get to the Local Fish Store in fair to dismal shape.  This all usually happens in a period of a week to 10 days!  No wonder they’re all stressed out!  The bummer of this whole process is they have to try to survive in YOUR reef tank!  You’re the last stop!  That’s the whole plan from the beginning!   The Collectors (divers) and Wholesalers want to move these wild corals as quickly as possible so if they do die, it won’t be with them!  The Local Fish Stores also like to sell the Wild Corals (turn them) as quickly as possible.  What store doesn’t!  This is why they often DIE in your reef tank because yours is the only tank they’ve had a chance to stay for more than a few days! The Ocean to You in usually a week….

On the other hand, Tank Raised Farmed Corals are raised in a reef tank. Most have never been in the ocean because the original coral purchased was grown in a reef tank.   Sure, most of the corals were originally from the ocean, but they have acclimated in reef tanks for at least 6 months and most for a few years.  You can easily see the health and heartiness of the corals because they typically “polyp out” almost instantaneously when put into your reef.  Tank Raised Corals offer a viable alternative to Wild Corals and the high stress the corals have been put through…  Tank Raised corals are used to living in synthetic salt water and just go from one reef tank to another reef tank!   There’s almost no stress at all!   Many report to me that my Tank Raised Live Corals show their polyps within minutes of putting them from the shipping bag into their tank!  Some say they were polyped out in the shipping bag!

The great thing about Tank Raised corals is you have the peace of mind that the oceans wild corals are left in their natural habitat to hopefully thrive, and you have helped promote a self sustained reef hobby.

Hello, my name is Scott Rostad. I started in the saltwater aquarium hobby in 1989. My first reef tank was set up in 1992. I grew corals in my first tanks until they practically grew out of the top of the tanks and decided to begin my live coral farming project in December of 2005.
I found an ad in the local Oregonian classified ads for a used 500 gallon acrylic tank.  It had been used for breeding Koi and had some unusual features. I modified it quite a bit and designed the plumbing for optimum flow for a very packed Small Polyped Stony (SPS) tank.
My friend and I built the stand out of many pressure treated 4 x 4″s, making it extra strong, but with lots of room underneath for a large sump, etc.
Another friend helped me design and build a hood out of birch plywood. Because the stand was made to be viewed optimally when a person was standing up, we made the hood go right to the ceiling to allow for maximum amount of cubic feet of air space. That way it hopefully wouldn’t become a furnace of heat generated from the many metal halide lights I planned on using.
Soon after the 500g tank was up and running I ordered a 3′ x 8′ x 14″ frag tank from a local builder of tanks. it’s about 200 gallons. I built the stand, again, to be viewed while standing, and it is now packed with the many varieties of corals I grow.
About a year later another local farmer I knew called me and said he was going to quit farming corals and sell his entire set up. I immediately went over to look at it and we negotiated a deal and I bought everything he had! That gave me another 3′ x 8′ frag tank, (2) Calcium Reactors, with extras, a huge sump, a nice protein skimmer, and numerous other accessories. It was delivered too!
The local wholesaler had a couple of approx. 50 gal 2′ x 4′ x 1′ frag tanks that added nicely to my farming project. Those are used strictly for Zoanthids.
Other various tanks and equipment were added down the road and there you have it…A live coral farm with quite a bit of growing space.

Because anyone can find the common corals at any of the local fish stores, I chose to only grow the rare and unusual, exotic species of intense coloration. I now grow over way 100 varieties of SPS, Ricordea, numerous soft corals, many different LPS, and several dozen neon colored Zoanthids. Many that have visited my farm say it is the best selection of corals they have ever seen…I hear that all the time! A lot of my customers have a heck of a time picking out which corals they want because there are so many amazing ones to choose from!

You can see some of the live corals I farm at www.ReefCorals.com This web site was launched about 5 years ago and is now consistently on page one of Google searches using the key words – you guessed it “live coral”!

At ReefCorals.com I Guarantee Your Satisfaction!