Pictured: The man who created a coral farm... in a fishtank at his London home



These stunning corals look like they belong in the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef or in the azure seas of the Caribbean.

But a closer inspection of these living rocks reveals they are actually residing in the colder climate of southern England.



Bred by 'Reef Farmer' Clayton Smith, they are part of the home-grown coral farm craze that is catching on in the UK.

Marine biologist Clayton Smith with his tank of coral which has taken him 10 years to grow

Grown in the garden shed of Mr Smith's London home, his revolutionary coral farming techniques have made it possible to own a small piece of the tropics.



'Coral is an incredible pet to own,' the marine biologist said.



'The growth in coral farms and farmers is similar to the boom in tropical fish in the 60's and 70's.



'Except corals are just that little bit more spectacular in their appearance than some of the fish that people keep.'

Cut from sustainable coral that exists in the wild, Mr Smith has spent the past ten years and more than £2,500 perfecting his growth techniques.



He grows more than 120 different species in his intensive back garden lab in Bromley, south London, catering for the estimated 600,000 or so coral enthusiasts in the UK and worldwide.

Mr Smith has travelled to places including Australia's Great Barrier reef to perfect his coral growing technique

'People generally have a personal taste for their aquariums and they might want soft corals, which are wavy, or they might want the large polyp stone corals which are big and fleshy.



'However, the really popular corals amongst first time farmers are the corals which glow in the dark. They definitely have the wow factor, especially if your coral tank is displayed well.'

Obsessed with the sea since he received his first fish tank at seven years old, Mr Smith has spent most of his adult life in conservation and marine study.



His work has taken him to Australia to work for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and to the endangered reefs of the Philippines.

Mr Smith grows more than 120 different species in his intensive lab

Mr Smith advises that anyone wanting to take on a coral farm must realise how difficult it is to care for as well as the moral implications that come from taking on a living creature.



'Keeping corals is becoming a lot easier, because the industry has come along so much in the past five years,' he said.



'However, corals need perfect conditions and total dedication in terms of the right algae as food, nutrients in the water and temperature.'.



A start-up kit for a coral farm costs as little as £13 for one two inch piece of coral, but that piece given time will blossom.

Intricate and complicated to grow and care for, coral farms require the care and attention of a bonsai tree.

Mr Smith has become so skilled at his hobby that he now sells his farmed coral and breeds a diverse range of rare and endangered species



