LF: Corals for science! - Calgary
 

Hey everyone,

I'm doing my masters thesis at U of C looking at how lunar light cues breeding behaviours in corals and echinoderms. I'm setting up my experimental tank now, but I wanted to gauge if anyone has some colony sized A.millepora or Montipora spp that they would be willing to part with. They don't have to be pretty! So, if there is some real estate that you want to free up in your tank shoot me a message and we can negotiate a price.

I will be using these species to look at changes in genetic expression during artificial moon cycles. - So, hopefully they will aid in our understanding of these cool animals.

Also, if anyone has any pesky sea cucumbers, urchins, sea stars or brittle stars shoot me a message as I would be interested in them as well!

Good luck with your experiment.

May I suggest expanding your search to include Cat's Paw coral (especially Pocillipora sp.) since I know these have a history of spawning in captivity and colonizing people's tanks (ask Brad - Aquattro).

I can give u a large red monti cap I can frag when ever

They are cool how they can spawn in tanks! That said, I kind of want to avoid Pocillopora spp as I know some produce parthenogenic larvae (which is absolutely fascinating). Basically, the coral has the ability to asexually make larvae without getting busy with a different coral. That extra element makes my brain hurt, and I don't want to have to think about it - so I want to stick with corals that reproduce the ol' fashioned way. :biggrin:

Great! I'll PM you as I get closer to being set up.

Wouldn't that kind of thing take at least a couple years to do if were to ever happen? Most people have a hard time just keeping them alive. Not trying to be discouraging. I would be interested in following a thread about it.

Yup, it would take time and it is a serious undertaking to get corals to spawn.

Check this out, you'll love it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PDx...ature=youtu.be they get corals to spawn intentionally.

I'm not trying to get the corals to spawn. I'm looking at how they change their gene expression with an artificial lunar cycle and to see if I could use a similar set up with an open set up in the field.

So, my part is just a very small piece of the puzzle. :)

Bump!

My experimental tank is ready to rock and roll! I'm running a few types of experiments and I'm looking for decent sized frags/mini colonies or full colonies of:

SPS:
Acropora millepora
Plating Montipora's

Echinoderms:
Brittle stars
Sea cucumbers

Really want to get some of those little brittle stars that love to hitchhike. If anyone has some, and feel they could get me some. That would be killer.

I accept donations of course :biggrin: But I'm willing to pay if you rather walk away with some money to replace the coral I have taken from your tank.

I can give you a large black brittle star.

PM'd