few coral questions

[badfish]

I just brought my first corals, my tank has been up for 4 months and i purchased a small colony of zoos. I also plan on keeping polyps and shrooms. I have 2.6 watts per gallon and was told this would be sufficient for the lower light corals. My questions are, what additional test should i run. Do i need to feed the corals i listed? What should be placed the highest in the tank. Right now i have the zoos just below the middle of the tanks height (total height is 21 inches).

What exactly is coral propogation? i think its just growing corals onto other rocks, is this right? how exactly is it done.

Any addition comments will be highly appreciated.

 

[badfish]

anyone??? i also got a small colony of star polyps, my zoos seam to be doing fantastically. My stars have been in the main for 3 hours and havent opened up yet, is this normal? My zoos opened up shortly after i put them in.

TIA.

 

[lando]

what additional test should i run.

ALK, CA, NH3, NO2, NO3, Ph, PO4,

What exactly is coral propogation? i think its just growing corals onto other rocks, is this right?

Pretty much, yes. High quality water parameters and a good ALK/CA balance will certainly help. So will more light.

Do i need to feed the corals i listed?

Not directly. They will feed on light and get other food during tank feeding time. Just make sure you have enough flow to bring fod particles to the corals.

 

[badfish]

thanks lando, before i had both of my powerheads pointing upwards and towards the center to break the water lightly, i repositioned them, and now my star polyps are waiving in the current so i assume this is right. I already have the basic seachem test kit, so i will have to just pick up calcium and phosphate. One other quick question. I have a couple of urchins and they knocked part of my polys over durning the night, my polyps arent attached to a peice of LR, its more of a carpet that i have placed on a peice of LR, is their any way to secure it? Anything else you guys think i should know. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Avi]

I'd add that you ought to put the zoanthids up as high as you can iwith that kind of lighting. They'll do all right out of direct light in a reef that has intense lighting, but you don't so I'd say that they really need to be toward the top of the rock under PCs. I had PCs until recently and my zoanthids did very well, so long as I had them high.

 

[badfish]

so what should i put on top, right now i have a small colony of zoos and star polyps. i plan on getting shrooms and yellow polyps as well. which should be the order from requiring the most light (place on top) require least light, place on bottom.

TIA.

 

[MT79]

Zoos and star polyps will handle and do well in a variety of light. I have 250 MH's and they are not an issue at all w/ either. They love light, but can also tolerate lower light conditions. I would place them near the top. In lower lighting growth will be slower and color not as intense. The shrooms and yellow polyps should be fine if kept lower in the tank, try midway to start IMO. HTH

 

[Hara]

yellow polyps want high light, least lighting would be the shrooms, polyps do better with more light.
you mention you have an urchin....it might graze your corals, so you should keep an eye on it. As far as securing your polyps, take the piece of rock out, dry the area you want to attach the mat to, apply super glue gel to the rock, pat dry the back part of the mat, apply glue, stick pieces together. Put this rock in a bowl of tank water for 10-15 minutes to let the glue set up nicely, then put it back in the tank.

 

[badfish]

Thanks guys, i will keep that in mind. As far is the superglue goes, any type of superglue would be safe, i have the silicone stuff for tanks, would that work? below is a pic i just took. My zoos are on the left side, and polyps are right above the clown, do you guys think i should move them. I also been thinking of re-aquascaping to get higher in the tank. thanks again.

 

[Avi]

The silicon for tanks isn't a good idea. It isn't meant for and isn't good for drying in a flooded situation. It's intended for using before a tank is full of water.

Another thing...you should get into the habit of blasting your zoanthids with water using a turkey baster on a regular basis. This will clean them off between their polyps where detritus tends to get trapped and then serves as a harbor for fungus and also adventitious algae. Once they get a grip on the zoanthids, it's very difficult to bring them back to health. I do it twice a week...more often wouldn't hurt. It's also a good reason for having a good flow over the zoanthids.

 

[badfish]

Hey thanks guys, these are just the advice i need, anything and everything you can tell me will be appreciated. Do you guys think the placement is good? Should i change the angle on my powerheads?

 

[lando]

Placement looks good, so does the tank!

 

[Avi]

You're in good shape...But, I'd make one more suggestion...I'd add these Hydors to your Maxijet powerheads. I have one on a MJ1200 and I really think they're excellent. The kind of flow they cause is superior to the intense flow that the Maxijets and other powerheads create. It's more natural for the coral and I think it benefits them. They are good for the coral, aren't expensive and they're reliable. That's a combination you don't come across that often in reef-keeping.

 

[badfish]

Avi, what exactly is a Hydor? i take its an attachment that you can put onto the end of the powerheads. what does it do? and where can i get it?

Thanks again.

- Jeff

 

[Avi]

Oh, sorry...I meant to put some links in there for you...they go on the output of the powerhead and mechanically (from gears inside and the force of the water going through, most likely) they go around and make a broader flow of water so it isn't a constant narrow intense stream of water. I watch the polyps on one of my Pagoda corals when the flow goes around and it's very natural looking and since I placed it near that coral, there's better polyp extention from it. It's effects are pretty broad and if you put one on each of those two Maxijet 1200's that you have on the tank I think you'd have some very fine flow in the tank.

Here are two links that you can take a look at for places through which you can get them but they are widely available now:

http://www.petsolutions.com/Flo+Rotating+Water+Deflector-I-41400047-I-C-1042-C-.aspx

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?

 

[badfish]

Thanks Avi,

will pick one of them up soon.