Vivid Coral Farm What is Vivid Coral Farm? How do I become part of the Vivid Coral Farm Network of Farmers? What is aqua-culturing? How do I grow frags? What are SPS corals? What are LPS corals? What are zoanthids? What are the tank requirements for SPS? What are the tank requirements for LPS? What are the tank requirements for zoanthids? What is Vivid Coral Farm? Vivid Coral Farm is our collection of rare SPS, LPS, and zoanthids that we acquire from our network of wholesalers, farmers, and fellow hobbyists. The purpose of Vivid Coral Farm is to grow rare and unique corals in captivity, also known as aquaculturing. We seek out and travel great distances to find the rare and unusual in an effort to grow and offer these species to our customers. In the next couple months, we will be adding another thousand gallon system to our store dedicated towards farming and aquaculturing rare corals. How do I become part of the Vivid Coral Farm Network of Farmers? As part of our Coral Propagation Program, we buy rare corals or frags for cash or store credit. If interested, please call Dave at 818-348-3288 or email us at info@vividaquariums.com to negotiate. What is aquaculturing? Aquaculturing is the process of collecting coral and growing them in captivity. The purpose is to create seedlings also known as frags in order to propagate the species. We grow and sell frags as part of our aquaculturing program. How do I grow frags? To grow frags, you must have excellent water quality and flow as well as the right lighting for the species. We recommend a filtration system that includes built-in overflow, sump, high-quality protein skimmer, and high flow pumps. For SPS, LPS, and zoanthids, read tank requirements below. To learn more about what we recommend for filtration, read our filtration section or equipment checklist. What are SPS corals? SPS stands for small polyp stony. SPS coral include acropora, montipora, and most hard stony corals. What are LPS corals? LPS stands for large polyp stony. LPS corals have hard skeletons with large fleshy polyps. Examples include brain coral, torch coral, echinophyllia, etc. What are zoanthids? Zoanthids are soft coral that reproduce by budding. They grow over rock in flat sheets and spread quickly in high water flow areas. What are the tank requirements for SPS? SPS require high lighting and high water flow as well as excellent water quality that includes high levels of calcium. Water Flow: Pumps should turn over the volume of the aquarium at least 15 times per hour. Lighting: We recommend metal-halide lighting with 8-14 watts per gallon. Our tanks have 10+ watts per gallon for optimum coral growth. Calcium: We recommend a calcium reactor for optimum coral growth. SPS skeletons are made of calcium carbonate and require 425-450 ppm of calcium. Water parameters: Important parameters to test for include calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, and phosphates. To read all recommended water parameters, click here. What are the tank requirements for LPS? LPS require moderate lighting and moderate water flow as well as excellent water quality that includes high levels of calcium for skeletal growth. Without calcium, the fleshy parts can still grow but skeletal growth will be retarded. Water Flow: Pumps should turn over the volume of the aquarium at least 10-15 times per hour. Lighting: We recommend moderate lighting with 5-10 watts per gallon. Calcium: We recommend a calcium reactor for optimum skeletal  growth. LPS skeletons are made of calcium carbonate and require 425-450 ppm of calcium. Water parameters: Important parameters to test for include calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, and phosphates. To read all recommended water parameters, click here. What are the tank requirements for zoanthids? Zoanthids require moderate to high lighting and low to moderate water flow. Water Flow: Pumps should turn over the volume of the aquarium at least 10-15 times per hour. Lighting: We recommend moderate to high lighting with 5-10 watts per gallon. Water parameters: Important parameters to test for include iodine and phosphates. To read all recommended water parameters, click here.