Captive Breeding

We have captive bred a wide range of fish and invertebrates. 

While we continue to experiment with new and exciting species of fish, our experience with invertebrates has been quite extensive, being the first laboratory to propagate both the Giant and Haddon's Carpet Anemones (Stichodactyla haddoni and Stichodactyla gigantea).

Since 2015, we have worked with Bandit and Colin's Angelfish, as well as Flame, Magma, Feminus, and Lennardi Wrasses to name a few. Candy Basslets (Liopropoma carmabi), Blue Ribbon Eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita), and Purple Masked Angelfish (Paracentropyge venusta) have been our most recent successes, with the first few groups of each being raised back in 2017.

Coral Propagation 

Our company was founded to research. 

However we also end up producing an exquisite array of captive cultured corals from within our systems. We keep live corals, mostly SPS, in every system rearing and grow-out system as we have found that larvae, juvenile, adolescent and even adult fish can benefit from being raised in a more naturalistic environment, despite a slight cost increase for us.

In addition to the SPS and NPS, we maintain large amounts of LPS and Soft corals along with a variety of Macro Algae. These specimens aren't usually offered for sale in our catalogue, but are donated to the Texas State Aquarium and various regional Reef and Aquarium Hobbyist Groups.

Our Research and Experimental Projects

Sustainable Practices

Aquaculture 

Aquaculture is the culturing of specimens in systems under artificial conditions. Aquaculture is indisputably the future of the marine aquarium industry, however other practices will certainly remain in this trade for some time.

We prefer to aquaculture our corals in a much more efficient manner based on tried and true aquaculture practices of Europe. Rather than using massive water volumes resulting in both low control and high inefficiencies, Atoll uses a series of long and shallow, rimless glass frag tanks lit by a combination T5 and Metal Halide fixtures, and supplemental LED units for perfect spectrum, coverage, and diffusion.

Atoll Aquaculture produces predominantly aquacultured corals, some of which are provided by vendors such Reef Gen. 

Mariculture 

Mariculture, the culturing of corals in oceanic ecosystems under natural conditions, has been a mainstay of this hobby and industry. Mariculture reduces the costs considerably, but its products often lack much in quality and health.

Maricultured corals require careful selection and must endure the stresses of extended transport and handling between not only collection and exporting but even after initial importation. Exposure to wild pathogens and parasites leave Maricultured corals vulnerable and mean that they must under go thorough inspection and quarantine when received. Maricultured corals should be quarantined like any item entering a reef tank.  

Any maricultured species we offer are from highly respected coral farms in Australia and Indonesia, such as Bali Aquarium.

Collection

Wild collection, the capture of specimens by local collectors is often used to source many rare and hard to reach species that otherwise can not currently be aquacultured. It also supports economically many remote costal communities.

Wild corals and other livestock such as maricultured corals must undergo many procedures to prevent the transmission of illnesses. In some cases wild collected specimens can be subject to improper collection methods, rendering damage to both the specimens and the reefs from which they were collected. Aquaculture is the best solution to replace it and satisfy hobbyists.  

In some cases we source exceedingly rare specimens for our captive breeding projects from vendors such as Cairns Marine