LETS TALK SUSPENSION PROPAGATION!

This is something that I have been doing quite a bit of research on and to be honest am pretty excited to start it.

What I am talking about is suspension grow out. And by this I mean taking a coral frag and tethering it to a piece of polyester thread and hanging it from a rod and suspending it in the water.

Sounds strange doesnt it! :huh:

So ask yourself: "why should I give this a try when all I have to do is glue it to a piece of rock?"

Well the advantages of suspension fragging are beneficial.

For one you are going to get a very different growth pattern than just the upright growth of an attached frag.
It also optimizes the flow around the coral and the lighting that it recieves as a whole.
The one thing that I really like about this method is that is uses sooo much unused water in a frag tank!!!
and by optimizing this unused water you are liberating the coral from the influences of shelter and shadow from rockscape, as well as from competators.
This method gives the vunerable divisions further protection from many benthic pests and predators (worms, crabs, encroaching algae). It gives you maximum control over coral colonies from interspecific aggression as well.

I have been reading accounts of other hobbyist practicing this method of propagation. They have reported a very significant increase in the rate of growth. This is something that really caught my attention.

Some of the species that have had very good success with this method are: Pocillapora, (Seriatopora and Slylophora), Agaricids (Pavona), Galaxea, Psammocora and Hyndophora, Acroporas.

I am going to be testing this theory on several diff types of acro and Galaxea and Hyndo.

I will start a log document the rate of growth and will get lots of pics to keep you guys informed of what I find.

Thanks for tagging along.

Greg

Sounds like a very interesting propagation method... this should be fun to watch progress!

So are the frags hanging upside down? I'd like some more info on that.

I have read that hobbyist do this either 2 ways:

1. they break a frag off and they they put a dab of glue on the exposed break and attach a piece of thread.

2. you take the piece and just tie a piece of thread around the middle of it and let it hang that way.

from what I have read either way produced the same result. I do not think the way its suspended makes that much diff in the growth.
Good question thanks for bringing that up Eric

I still don't get it. lol

In my head, the frag is hanging from a string like a yo-yo, upside down, and it kinda just blows around in the frag tank in the current. I suppose after a while the coral would start growing "upwards" and if it was just blowing around in the current, it would get a lot more light exposure.

I'm sure that I'm reading it wrong though.

you have got it. by it being able to move around it maximizes the over all flow that the coral gets and better exposrue to the light. if will grow upwards but your going to get a diff growth "pattern" than you would from it being attached to a frag plug or a piece of rock.

How does gravity come into play here? Does the downward pull of it affect the growth pattern of the coral?

yeah it will affect the growth of the coral. you get unusual growth formations out of suspension propagation. what this is mainly used for is growing out a frag quickly to obtain other useable frags for the "standard" form of fragging which is attaching to a piece of rock

Sounds really interesting ... I can't wait to see pics as your frags grow!

I have seen this done and it usually is sound in begining stages and then the farmer will move the frag to a plug,rock rubble or another solid surface so the growth pattern doesnt effect the placement potential(grows into a ball). I like the method and have had success but what has me a little hessitant is my frag tanks are shallow and it blocks some light when there are too many.