Raj and Remy were joined this time by a fatigued Richard Ross, who’s tired for a very good reason – his corals have been spawning! So the episode goes from glass blowing, and Raj’s endeavors to get a bespoke “chandelier” made for his LED aquarium light fixtures, onto the real subject matter, reproducing corals sexually, and succeeding.
Researcher Richard Ross is not afraid to try his hand at pretty much anything saltwater-related, from breeding cuttlefish to corals, but his whole emphasis on coral breeding this time is to be able to do it at home. His broodstock even comes from a hobbyist perspective, choosing desirable corals like Acropora millepora and hyacinthus – two very sought-after species of Acros, the aim of which will eventually be to supply himself and others with captive spawned corals (or at least frags,) as well as progressing what we all know about spawning corals, and how to achieve success at home.
The ability to breed our own corals raises some interesting questions from creating designer corals (like designer clownfish,) to the commercial viability of a coral farm where colonies are spawned as well as fragged. Richard already has a first generation home spawned Acro itself spawning, and if he can raise the larvae he will have F2 coral babies – something that is well worth the sleepless nights and tireless tile scrubbing for.
We are super excited about Richard’s endeavors, but the most excited person is actually him. Take a listen to all things home coral spawning, some tips and tricks, all sprinkled with a pinch of Richard Ross’s unique sense of humor in the Reef Therapy Podcast Episode #89.
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