Easy Corals

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

MarkW19

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
1,744
Location
UK
After my new 10G nano's been up and running for a few months, I'll be wanting to add some hardy/easy to keep soft corals.

My lighting will be an Arcadia Arc Pod (11W).

Can anyone recommend some corals that ideally don't need feeding, don't require any more lighting than I've already got, don't require any more trace elements to be added than my salt provides, don't grow particularly quickly, and that just basically will be very easy to keep?

My salt is Seachem Marine by the way (http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/MarineSalt.html), at 1.022. pH is 8.2, temp 25°C.

Thanks!
 
Mushrooms are always a good bet/starter. Try those while you get other suggestions. One or two on a rock may be 5 in 8 months.
 
Cool, thanks. Will my 11w Arcadia light be ok for mushrooms, and I don't need to do anything with them?!
 
You'll probably want to put them near the top of the tank near the light. One thing with mushrooms is usually the more colorful ones (reds/greens) like more light then the brownish colored ones. You'll probably have more success with the brown's/ duller colors since you dont have that much light.

I have a 32 watt pc fixture over my ten gallon nano and it's good but I know the corals could use more light.
 
I guess if I got another one of the Arcadia 11w lights so I have 2, that'd make a big difference if I get some corals?

Wouldn't mind some colourful polyps as well!
 
I agree with placing'm nearer the top. Instead, I'd look into more lighting if you really like corals. Maybe 30-50 watt range.
 
I agree with the others. 11watts of lighting is simpl;y not enough to support corals, even those specified as "low light". As mentioned, 30-50watts of at least CF lighting. With that amount of lighting you should be able to keep a nice variety of soft and LPS corals. Most of which do not require much additional care then light and they food they get at tank feeding time.
 
Thanks for the help guys, looks like I'll be investing in some new lighting then!
 
Guys, I love the light that came with my tank, it's the Arcadia Arc-Pod (http://www.arcadia-uk.info/product.php?pid=46&mid=10&lan=en&sub=&id=4). They're 11w each, so what if I was to buy another 2 of the Arc-Pods and space them equally apart over the tank, which would increase my total lighting to 33w, would that be ok?

Can you suggest some hardy corals that ideally won't require any more trace elements/strontium etc. between my fortnightly 25% waterchanges, and ideally won't require any more food than the flake/frozen food I give my fish? I'm thinking of getting 3 or 4 smallish corals - hopefully colourful, and ideally pulsating/with movement etc. so they look interesting, and epoxy'ing them to various positions on my live rock.

Thanks!
 
That's a cool looking light. How much are they? If they are cheap I'd go with 3 more of them and space them out. But if they are more then $20 each it would be easier just to buy a whole new fixture.

Mushrooms are easy to keep and lots of different colors, star polyps are colorful and provide movement, so do yellow polyps and xenia. You could also go with some leathers/zoos.
 
Lance M. said:
That's a cool looking light. How much are they? If they are cheap I'd go with 3 more of them and space them out. But if they are more then $20 each it would be easier just to buy a whole new fixture.

Mushrooms are easy to keep and lots of different colors, star polyps are colorful and provide movement, so do yellow polyps and xenia. You could also go with some leathers/zoos.

Thanks! I can only fit a total of 3 of those lights for 33w total. They're about $40 each...I've looked around but can't find a decent 30-50w over the tank luminaire that will fit my tank as it's only small (40cm wide, 28cm deep). I wouldnt mind some actinics in there as well, and a coral or two that will be flourescent under them, but as i say i dont seem to have many options for lighting (I dont want a hood).
 
How long is the tank?

For $130 (includes shipping and not on sale anymore :( ) you can get a 96 watt Coralife fixture. It's 20'' long so it fits standard 10 gallons, but if your ten gallon is 40 cm wide (~15.7'') then it's not a standard ten gallon.

33 watts will be good. I have a 32 watt 50/50 pc bulb over my ten gallon and I have lots of mushrooms, star polyps, leather tree coral, kenya tree coral, yellow polyps, torch coral, bubble coral, and a rock anemone. So what your thinking of will be good for corals like what I listed but if you want anything more light demanding (sps, some lps, aneomes) then you would want to go with something with a little more kick.
 
Thanks Lance - I definitely don't want a hood though, an over-the-tank luminaire with 30-50 watts and actinic/white would be great, but for the size of my tank it doesn't look like it's going to happen! Maybe I'll see what lighting options there are nearer the time (6-8 months when I'm intending adding 3/4 corals).

I don't like mushrooms, but some bright polyps, leathers, kenya tree corals etc. would be good. For the corals you mentioned, do you add anything for them ie. food or trace elements like strontium etc. between waterchanges? Also, what is the waterflow like in your tank, quite strong?

Lando said above that with 30-50 watts I should be able to keep "a nice variety of soft and LPS corals". I'm guessing it's going to be the bottom end of the LPS, but can you advise any suitable ones? I like the brains etc., particularly if they'll floures under actinics!

Also, can I have any that move/pulsate/open and close etc. to create a bit of interest? :) Xenia do this don't they?
 
Xenia is a good choice. For brain corals and other lps you'll have to check your ca and alk. I've never had a brain coral so I don't know how well they would do in this lighting.

For the corals I have I feed them plankton and pwc and that's all you need.

The fixture I told you about isn't a hood It's just the light and you just place it on a glass top (which I don't have) or use the "legs" to elevate it over your water (I use these). It's completely open top.

For my ten gallon I have two Whisper 10-20 powerfilters and one Mini-Jet 606 powerhead. So I have a combined total of around 30x turnover. I think it is moderate maybe. You can see the yellow polyps and star polyps moving and the torch is massive when it fully extends and the sweepers are all over the place so eveything is at least 3 inches away from the torch.
 
Thanks :) I only have a very small internal filter at the mo and the spraybar is pointed towards the surface of the water, so I guess if I was to keep any of the corals we've been mentioned I should look to increase my waterflow? It does seem fairly good at the mo though - not that strong, but there's certainly some movement there. Maybe I'll add a minijet 404 at the other side of the tank and then that'll be ok?
 
Thanks for your help mate, how often do you feed the plankton? I didn't think it was necessary for those sorts of corals? How old is your tank?
 
I feed Tues/Thurs/Saturdays alternating one day of ZooMax, PhytoMax, ChromaMax, and MicroVert then the other day with ZooPlan + PhyoPlan (both dry) and Marine Snow. The one thing you have to becareful of is how much you use because if using incorrectly they will quickly foul the water. I feed so many different just for diversity of algae species and sizes. You would be fine using solely Marine Snow or DT's.

It's not something you have to do but they will grow faster than without.

My ten gallon is 11 months old and my 20 gallon is 13-14 months old.
 
Back
Top Bottom