Coral recommendations??

[jcdwep]

Okay, I got good advice on lights, now let me milk you for a little more info and opinions. When all is said and done I will have a 75g, 70lbs(+-) LR, Dual 175 mh, 2 110 03 vho, and only a yellow tang and mandarin for company.
I want to get corals that are fun to see and colorful (neon-like) if you know what I mean. Give me some suggestions about which ones you feel fit this description. What are your favorites and why?
Thanks in advance for all the help. I really appreciate everyones 2 cents!

JIM

 

[cj10488]

IMO I think Brain Corals would be great.. As well as Zooanthus, Bubble Coral, Frogspawn, plate corals... Most of those IMO are pretty easily kept.. I would make sure your tank is well established before adding any corals and as well as all your tanks Water Specs are in line... I would suggest getting your tank up and running and keep some fish in it after your cycle for quite some time until you get the hang of SW tanks... After 5-6 months I would start out with 1 coral and go from there.. Make sure you monitor Ca, and Alk and that those are acceptable along with all others before adding any corals..

HTH<
James

 

[jackdp]

There are some Zooanthids and Ricordia that are quite colorful under the right lighting and are easy to care for.

 

[cj10488]

Another note...Mandarin Gobies often need well pod populations to feed on and survive. It could take 6 months to a year for your tank to have enough pods to support 1 Mandarin...apparently they are quite the pigs and most won't accept anything but live foods.

This is soo Very true.. On another note.. One should not have a Mandarin in the tank unless there is a fuge hooked up to it to support the feeding habits of the Mandarin.. I woud have mentioned this before as well but I didnt catch the mandarin part LOL.. I would skip the Mandarin if I were you...

HTH<
James

 

[nodoubt471]

i have no experience with bubble coral, but my reading has led me to beleive that it is one of the harder corals to keep. personally i would go with some pulsing xenia or some star polyps to start. they come in a variety of colros, spread fast, and aren't particularly picky about water conditions, etc. plus they ship well- i should know, at the fish store i work at they definitly have the best survival of agressive shipping rate!

 

[cj10488]

have no experience with bubble coral, but my reading has led me to beleive that it is one of the harder corals to keep

As from Liveaquaria.com about the
Bubble Coral
(Plerogyra sp.)
Quick Stats
Care Level: Easy
Light: Moderate
Water Flow: Low to Medium
Placement: Bottom
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12

FWIW this was the VERY first coral I ever introduced into my tank.. IMO it has been one of the easiest corals to keep.. It has fallen over, been knocked over, powerhead dropped and full forced water at it until i noticed quite a few times.. LOL not many other corals can take that abuse LOL.. I would not recommend doing any of the above to any coral but all this has happened by accident and all solved now..

HTH<
James

 

[Hara]

Jim,
If you are wanting xenia, star polyps or some leathers .... give me a call as
I have some I would be willing to part with. Also have clams if you decide you
would like to try one.

 

[jcdwep]

Thanks Hara!
I've been gonna contact you about some livestock but playing the waiting game to get all the things needed for my tank has been slow. I will be talking with you soon.
Jim