Where can I find info on large scale coral farming? - Page 2

MDP · #26 06/15/2006, 05:49 PM

Vest 0830

I see you're down in Okinawa, be careful with the "free access"; corals are protected in Okinawa and it is an offence to remove them/damage them. Similarly you cannot remove wild clams and lastly removal of live rock/baserock is illegal.

Whether you get caught is another matter, but just in case you weren't aware.....

There is a new Coral farm that has just started shipping their frist frags recently. They are Coarl Culture Okinawa and they do all LPS, SPS, Softies, AC rock etc. They don't have a website at the moment, but from the look of their promo material they are pretty big.

Matt

vest0830 · #27 06/15/2006, 11:42 PM

Whoa, where is this place at! You sure you arent thinking of PPM or aqua planning?

MDP · #28 06/16/2006, 12:01 AM

I'm just heading back to the Office but will dig out the address this evening. At the mo they are only wholesaling to retailers but would be worth trying to get a tour.

Matt

MDP · #29 06/16/2006, 05:04 AM

Evening.

Found this link from Okinawa TV.

Have to be patient the guy talks about the venture (it seems to be a jint venture with Okinawa Electric co). If you stick with it you get to see a few tank shots.

I'll dig out the address.

Enjoy

Matt

http://ovs.jp/tv/212.html

vest0830 · #30 06/16/2006, 05:10 AM

thanks! I would love to know the address!

just watched the video...I MUST FIND THIS PLACE!

MDP · #31 06/16/2006, 05:49 AM

No prob.

Just have to wait until my wife gets home. I speak Japanese, but as you know, Japanese mainland and Okinawan readings of the same Kanji can quite often be way off.

MDP

MDP · #32 06/16/2006, 05:52 AM

Actually, if you have this quarters Marine Aquarist, Mo 39 Spring 2006 (Japanese language mag) there is a feature on pages 59-64.

MDP

vest0830 · #33 06/16/2006, 07:37 AM

wouldnt you know it, but book mart didnt have it. its the only time ever that they didnt have a MA book.

MDP · #34 06/16/2006, 07:42 AM

That's probably because there's a new edition out tomorrow or thereabouts.

Matt

rick rottet · #35 06/16/2006, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vest0830
This is such a cut-throat industry

You know, ive been thinking about this statement quite a bit these past few days...
Seeing your occupation, and if its true, I would have to say that you probably know what your talking about. On another hand, Anthony Calfo wrote a 400 page book on propogation. It cant be too cut throat dry if there are people publishing 400 page books about the subject. -or am I looking to far into it? (which I often do)

and im not tryin to be a smart @$$ just honestly curious.

Also remember, Anthony did not publish his book until AFTER he was done with his coral farm. He also had set up a wholesale storefront, and was also done with that as well,...THEN published his book.

MDP · #36 06/18/2006, 08:02 AM

Here is a map showing the location of the coral farm and the address. It is close to Ginowan city, but according to the map is in Urasoe city.

I'd call ahead first as they are supposed to be wholesale only.

http://map.yahoo.co.jp/address/47/47208/17/5/22/

Urasoe City
Maki Minato
5-22-6

Tel 098-871-1820

If you do get in for a look, be sure to post details here.

Regards

Matt

vest0830 · #37 06/18/2006, 09:05 PM

I appreciate it! I will post the details. Sometimes they are a little skeptical as to show off their systems and show what works and how they are doing things. PPM won't anwser to many questions as to fragging, they recently blocked off the back area to their shop....etc. etc. (yet its such a cut throat dry business)
I wish so bad I could go to go the back and check out their operation. The only thing I can tell, is they have a bunch of shallow tanks (10" deep with a 2-3" sand bed) set up with T-5 acitics over them. the frags sit on the sand.

But thanks though! I will post the info once I go there.

Me No Nemo · #38 06/18/2006, 09:20 PM

Interesting..do you know if they are wholesaling to the U.S. and transhipping?

vest0830 · #39 06/18/2006, 11:14 PM

I dont believe they ship to the US.

GreshamH · #40 06/19/2006, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vest0830
I dont believe they ship to the US.

Not yet at least

H20ENG · #41 06/19/2006, 04:47 PM

Thanks for the video MDP!! I would LOVE to know what they are saying!
Anyone have any links to more coral farm videos? Reef Porn

vest0830 · #42 06/20/2006, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GreshamH
Not yet at least

I believe its a matter of customs. Not the fact that they wont ship...unless you know otherwise.

GreshamH · #43 06/22/2006, 11:46 AM

It's a matter of Japanesse law and CITES regulations

MDP · #44 06/24/2006, 06:53 AM

Vest 0830.

www.aquaculture.co.jp

should do it for you. Click on the pics to see more,. If you have probs understanding, drop me a line and I'll try and help.

Is it true that the rainy season is over down in Okinawa? It is really humid and wet here in Tokyo, hoping the end is in sight.

Regards

Matt

vest0830 · #45 07/05/2006, 06:24 PM

I wanted to update, I found this place last night. There was a small article about it in the new marine aquariest magazine and they had a small ariel shot of the farm, so with that I went adventuring to find the place. No sign on the outside and a misleading sign on a gate later (because I cant read japanesse) I find the place. Talk about a 'farm' this place is for sure a farm. 3 full large scale greenhouses, and one what appeared to be a sales greenhouse, all plumed and full of corals (from what I could tell from looking in the place) it looks like quite a set-up. If I understand the website, they will also be building tanks for people.

Okinawa has a typhoon heading in for the weekend so I might not be able to go as planned, but if this thing keeps moving slower and slower, (and building in size), I'm hoping I can get up and go in the A.M. before the typhoon hits.

I will report back after I take a look at the place. Im going to take a few pictures hopefully as well.

anthworks · #46 07/07/2006, 10:18 PM

I have always thought about starting a frag farming business in the Bahama's or some Caribbean island. Buy land on the cost, pump ocean water in the containers. Use natural sun light as much as possible. I guess is would be maricultured frags. Maybe work towards tanks raised reef fish. The only problem was getting the frags and fish back to the states.

BoxsterDude · #47 07/07/2006, 11:35 PM

Hey's a concept,
Make friends with your LFS and grow a few corals for them.
They give you store credit for items you need and you give your city home grown corals get distributed to tanks everywhere. After all in ten years with all the isssue of the coral reefs the local guys will be the only ones in business since our goverment does't care what happens to our reefs. And importers are killing our oceans.

Just my two cents.

FateX8 · #48 07/08/2006, 01:02 AM

you guys might want to check out pacificeastaquaculture.com
they have an interesting setup but its small
they use geothermal energy and sunlight
and dr. mac is setting up a facility in the solomon islands so they can culture stuff there...and im assuming to send to him

vest0830 · #49 07/08/2006, 01:20 AM

Very interesting Fate!
*checking it out after I hit submit*

I went over to the farm last night. Awsome set-up. Inside the green house, they have long concrete tanks set-up, 3 rows. One down the center, and one down each side of the green house. -A huge skimmer on each tank. Water movement come from 3 pumps and one large pipe that ran down the middle of each tank at the bottom with holes (essencially a spray bar spraying up to create surface water movement) Seemed to be working pretty well.

They had many SPS corals growing, and were using coral suspension. They had a few soft corals that they said they were about to "culture" and they also had ALOT of clams that they were messing around with. Clams the size of pennies and as large as bricks. (huge) Few LPS, but they had a large hammer that they were about to frag. (ive seen one larger in the ocean though.

)

As for lighting, they were using 100% natural sunlight. that was the only lighting they had in the place (except for a few garage lights for evening time).

THing that got me, it gets SUPER HOT here in Okinawa. Inside the green house there were no A/C units. In fact, before we went in he warned us that it was hot! Boy was it! They seem to not have any problems with water temps, but I didnt ask them.

The manager wasn't there, but they do offer an internship program. Im going to do my best to get in on it. I am in the Marine Corps so it will probably be a weekend job, but hey, thats alright. I know I will only gain knowledge from it, so thats all the more reason for me to do it!

No pics. Maybe another time.

Eric Boerner · #50 07/08/2006, 03:29 AM

Calfo was the pioneer in Aquaculturing. He made his $$ in the business. But the book and speaking engagements became his focus. Last time I spoke with him, he still had a vested interest in an aquafarm on the east coast. So he's not completely done farming from what I understand.

The reason its so cut throat, is that there are so few LFS' that are willing to purchase corals at prices that aquaculturing demand. Why bring in inventory that is $25 per specimen from an aquafarm, when you can get a wild specimen from Fiji that is only $10, and 3 times larger.

Three things need to happen in order for aquaculturing to become a vastly viable business model.

1. CITES needs to restrict ornamentals coming into the US.
2. Aquafarming costs need to narrow that gap with ***** shipped wild colonies.
3. Global warming needs to devistate more reefs. Ths changing the buyers awareness, and forcing LFS to carry more aquafarmed colonies.

If that was to happen, you would see far more pressure on LFS' to purchase aquafarmed over wild caught.

As of now, there is little demand for aquafarmed through wholesale means. Unless the farm is mass producing a designer colony (ORA) that everyone wants. Should the demand be increased, you would see fewer start ups going bust within the first year.

This also reminds me of something else...

The hobbyist fish industry is actually on a downswing. Surprisingly.... Salt is slowly catching up with fresh, but over all in the large grand scheme of things, the hobby overall is on a decline. So even if there were more demand for cultured corals, within a decade, there may not be that many hobbyists to cater too.