This page explains where our corals come from, how we grow them, and how we get them to you alive. If something here doesn't answer your question, email us or call or text (416) 803-3050.
Who we are
Treasure Corals is a family-owned coral farm in Vaughan, Ontario, just north of Toronto, run by Dmitry Tumanov (AquaIllumination Signature Series). We keep 145+ coral lineages, mostly Acropora, and sell only frags grown in our own systems. More about us on the About page.
Where our corals come from
- Grown here, every frag. Each frag was cut from a mother colony on our farm and grown out for months, often years, before it was listed. You can see the colonies on Meet the Mothers.
- No wild-collected coral. We don't import colonies for resale or sell fresh cuts of imported stock.
- Canadian sources. Our founding colonies came from Canadian coral farms and licensed importers. We have never imported coral directly.
Is it legal to buy?
Yes. Stony corals are listed in CITES Appendix II, which controls international trade. In Canada that's handled under WAPPRIITA by Environment and Climate Change Canada. CITES permits apply when coral crosses a border. Our live coral ships within Canada only, so no permit is needed for your purchase. The permits covered our broodstock when it first entered Canada.
How we grow
- Quarantine. New broodstock is quarantined and dipped before it joins the main system, and the grow-out system is kept pest-free.
- Grow-out, not chopping. After cutting, a frag stays on the rack until it has encrusted onto its plug and is growing steadily. We don't ship a frag that isn't fully healed.
- Public water data. Water chemistry and lighting are logged continuously and posted on our live parameter dashboard. Light schedules are on the lighting page.
- You see what ships. Strain listings show the mother colony and a typical frag, and we send you a photo or video of your actual corals before shipping. WYSIWYG pieces show the exact coral.
How we ship
- FedEx Priority Overnight, Monday to Thursday only, so nothing sits in a depot over a weekend.
- Packed at the last minute. We pack minutes before the 3 pm pickup. Most corals spend less than 21 hours in the bag.
- Packaging. Each frag is bagged individually with plenty of water, boxed with insulation, and gets a heat pack when it's cold along the route.
- Weather holds. We delay or reschedule when extreme weather or carrier problems could put the corals at risk.
- Live-arrival guarantee. If a coral arrives dead, we give you store credit for it. See the shipping page for how to make a claim.
- Greater Toronto Area: same-day courier or pickup from the farm, with no carrier transit at all.
Here's what the process looks like, from our YouTube channel:
