spawning corals?

[jtoliver]

For all of you that were interested in my last post about the lunar cycle and it's relationship to coral spawning, I think I might have something to tell. My lunar bulbs have been on "full moon" for two nights now and this evening someting odd happened, I dont know if my grape coral spawned or not, but I think it did. This evening I put in a new feather duster worm and went away for a couple of minutes, when I came back the inside of my tank had spider web looking things floating all over the place and sticking to everything. one of the heads on my grape coral was closed. I think that it spawned, but since I've never seen one spawn before, I don't really know. Do any of you have any idea?

 

[clayton]

Very possibly. From what I have found out lately about spawning, it is not that impossible at all. It has also been proved that it is dependent on lunar cycles. A guy named Steve Tyree has shown a correlation between spawning and lunar cycles by getting corals to spawn according to a 15 day lunar cycle instead of a 29.5 day cycle.
Also here are some suprising water parameters for tanks that have had coral spawnings:
pH 8.2 - 8.5 (morning to evening)
KH 7-10
Ca 380 - 450mg/l
Nitrate 1mg/l
This was the variations in Steve Tyrals aquarium, whom has achieved a lot in spawning hard corals in aquariums.
Bit suprising hey.
I have yet to find an account of a spawning in a tank that did not have lunar lighting.

 

[jtoliver]

So when are you going to take the plunge and put them on yours?

 

[clayton]

In about a month. I need to do some more research about lumens and available bulbs first. I mostly have soft corals in my tank - about 20 different species, and I have not found so much info about spawning soft coral as I have about hard coral. There is also the possible problem of inhibition with so many different types but we will see.
I have found a great book containing detailed info about spawning corals in aquaria.
What is the lunar set-up that you have?

 

[jtoliver]

I just have 2 night light bulbs in my hood. For the five days before the full moon I have on 1 bulb, at the full moon I have on both bulbs for four days, after that I have on one bulb again for 5 days. It's that simple.