What are the basic costs?

[croaker]

I'm looking into turning an area into a coral greenhouse. I have some nice trays that I can use and some racks but I need some help with the corals themselves. I was looking at starting off with soft corals but I don't have a lot of experience with them. What are some good "beginning" ones and what size of a piece would I need to start with to get some frags from. I will need some MH even though it's going to be in a greenhouse right? How many would I need for a couple of 6 foot long and about 6 inch deep trays? I'm sure I'm forgetting some other info that people will need to help me with this so please let me know. I am in California so the temps get a little cool in the winter but I will still obivously have a heater but what other equipment is necessary for the sump? A skimmer but what other filtration is good?

So, basically I need to know what the likely start up costs will be along with the other stuff I asked above.

Thanks so much for any help!

 

[Anonymous]

WELL SOFTIES ARE A GOOD PLACE TO START AND MABE SHROOMS TO GET YOU STARTED WOULD BE THE EASYEST. THE SKIMMER A BIG SUMP AND A BIG PUMP FOR SPS CORALS. IF YOU START WITH A BIG PUMP YOU CAN TURN DOWN THE FLOW WHILE PROPING MUSHROOMS AND SOFTIES AND THEN DIAL IT UP WHEN YOU MOVE TO THOSE THAT rEQUIRE MORE FLOW. MAKE SHURE TO use BIG PIPING SO THERE IS NOT HIGH PRESSURE JUST LOTS OF FLOW. LIGHTS IN THE EVeNINGS DURING THE SUMMER ARE NoT NESSARY BUT GOOD TO MAINTANe LONG ENOUGH DAYS DURING THE WINTER. SORRY FOR THE CAPS

 

[raaden]

There are so many things that it depends on like size of the operation, what you plan on trying to grow, and surprisingly the time of year when you plan to start (less of a concern in sunny SD).

I am just finishing revisions to my business plan... SCORE took a big bite out of it... but look at fixed costs of ~35-50k to get started if you can do a decent portion of the work yourself i.e, running the piping, constructing the stands and skimmers (you will need a bunch). Operating costs for my area are significant for the first year at about 65-80k for the first year.

Remember all of this is with little to no income during atleast the first year.

If you are serious about this PM me and I will give you some pointers to get started on.

 

[Anonymous]

You can grow coral for fun but not for profit for the most part!

 

[fishaddict]

depends what an how rare the coral

 

[Anonymous]

depends what an how rare the coral

Give us an example. I would like to try it.

 

[coastal]

i would start by telling you your vats of 6" deep seem mighty shallow. I use a minimum of 16" depth. By the time you add current and or wave action there will be little room for coral , oh yea it took me every bit of 45 g's to build mine and i still have things i need (400 square feet)

 

[FragMaster]

That seems a little steep? Unless your talking about everything in that cost, as in stock, tanks,live rock , lighting, heating, ro/di plus the cost of the greenhouse?

 

[rayman]

most non-commercial grows can probably get away with around 1k$ to start a small mid size prop set up, as they can use some of the equipment they already have or buy second hand

 

[FragMaster]

They are commenting on Greenhouse costs. Not a set up in the basement. After looking into the costs for my self 35-40k DOES sound about right fully equipped.

 

[wade1]

Keep in mind as well: you will never get good coloration for hard corals in a greenhouse environment. We are not tropical, and even in florida, the shifting seasonal light will not allow for much coloration. That isn't to say that the corals aren't healthy, just brown.

Greenhouses are great for curing rock and growing softies. Thats about it without some heavy supplemental lighting.

 

[rayman]

right opss must have been tired

 

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind as well: you will never get good coloration for hard corals in a greenhouse environment. We are not tropical, and even in florida, the shifting seasonal light will not allow for much coloration. That isn't to say that the corals aren't healthy, just brown.

Greenhouses are great for curing rock and growing softies. Thats about it without some heavy supplemental lighting.

How long does it take them to change color when placed under lights? Could you not grow them in the sun and then "color" them using lights?

 

[wade1]

I've heard of people wanting to do that... grow them really fast outdoors then move them into controlled lighting.

I honestly have no idea how long it would take though. I've never tried it myself.

 

[FragMaster]

A fella in Waynesville Ohio ( Marine solutions inc. , down the highway from me) has a greenhouse with sps growing rapidly as well as keeping good color.
He has had it set up for more than 6 years I think now?
He uses 1x 175w halide 2 1/2 feet above the tank every 4 feet ( 12 foot tanks I think?) and uses sunshine.
The rest just get natural lighting ( lps, softies, zoanthids, rics......).
It all looks great. Now and again he will have some turn brown but usualy not to many. With out the halide though I am sure they would brown out with in a month. Addetives play a big role as well in keeping good color with an sps prop system.

 

[coastal]

I agree gh color is no prob the purp1 is old but the new 2 is new