Rock Candy method for keeping your corals clean.

[Ed Hahn]

Years ago Jake Adams reminded me how well Rock Candy method worked with corals.

So here I am getting ready to tear my tank down. I have a coral colony that I treasure getting attacked by AEF (acro eating flatworms).


A friend in Cali tells me he just uses a turkey baster to dust off bugs and feeds his school of Chromi's and wrasse.

So I am thinking why not..

Those that are not familliar with Rock Candy method. I will explain. You hang a coral by fishing line so flow hits the coral at all areas as much as possible.


So I am using the Rock Candy Method to keep my coral clean and healthy.
I hooked up fishing line to my Lite Rail. The coral moves with the reflector alternating with flow as it goes to and from my Tunze powerheads. I have to admit My coral looks so much healthier than previous. I am still tearing down my tank for remodel, dosing, it always just keep getting better! My prized coral will survive though.

 

[returnofsid]

This method will also allow the coral to grow in all directions, instead of just up and out. The coral can also grow down!! Anthony Calfo describes something similar in his book, Book of Coral Propagation..

 

[ryansreef]

Thats a great method! Hopefully I will never get AEF, but if I do this is what I will try.

 

[Xtremedave67]

Hmmmm so do you keep your coral hanging by the fishing line for good? or untill it grows out in all directions then mount somewhere?

 

[FreakinReefin]

There is a great article in this month's issue of CORAL magazine about restoring the reefs with Ken Nedimyer. In it he takes Sankay Joshi and the writer to Ken's propagation area in the Florida Keys where Ken uses this method to more quickly grow his corals. It's pretty cool to see and to think about. Ideally you can take a coral and, instead of it growing up or in just one direction, it will grow in multiple directions creating several perfect fragging branches. Pretty neat idea really.

 

[ReefJeff]

Can anyone supply any photos of this techinque actually being done?

Thanks,

ReefJeff

 

[FreakinReefin]

Couldn't find any others so I just snapped a photo out of CORAL magazine.

 

[Xtremedave67]

I would assume you loosen the tie around coral periodically? so it doesnt encrust or impinge?

of course I should go buy the book and read the article and find out huh??LOL

 

[FreakinReefin]

I would assume you loosen the tie around coral periodically? so it doesnt encrust or impinge?

of course I should go buy the book and read the article and find out huh??LOL

That I don't know...it states that Ken uses telephone cord to tie it up. I am assuming the reason why is so the line will be stiff enough to keep the coral as straight down as possible; otherwise they may get tangled with eachother in the current. It definitely looks like the coral is encrusting over the wire in this picture though. Sorry it's not too clear...I took it with my iPhone.

 

[Xtremedave67]

no worries, I am thinking someone will know and post some link that talks more of this ( I hope) lol

 

[FreakinReefin]

no worries, I am thinking someone will know and post some link that talks more of this ( I hope) lol

Just looking at the picture, it definitely shows the coral encrusting the cord completely. What I image the best thing to do is to cut the corals on either side of the encrusted cord and then attack those plugs. I might just try this very very soon.

 

[Xtremedave67]

Yeah I am intrigued, be very curious to try this too, I just picked up a very nice A. Lovellie Acro frag

 

[Chichas01]

I saw this method done at the Maui Ocean Center aquarium. Pretty neat.