Toadstool keeping? Hardy? Light Requirements?

[Florida8]

After reading the replies to the clown fish question I think I might rather keep this than the anenome down the road in the new tank. Maybe I will get a pair clowns that like, it maybe not... but how hardy is this coral and what are it's light requirements? Anything special I need to know? Tell me your hands on with them.

Kimberly

 

[fishfreek]

Toadstools are a fairly hardy coral. They would be in the class of soft corals. These softies require less light than many of the stony corals. What size tank is this for? You can keep softies in tanks with as little as 4WPG and have no issues. Growth will be lower than if you had more light but thats about it.

THere are a few different types. YOu have a short polyped toadstool and you have a long polpyed toadstool. I would suspect a clown would be more incline to host in a long polyped variety.

They do not require direct feeding but can benifit from the adding of phytoplankton if you have some.

Ideally the coral should be placed in a location with medium flow. I define medium flow as being a place where the poylps will sway back and forth in the current. The flow should not be direct on the coral either as this will inhibit the polpys from fully extending.

Sofies will shed their external layer of cells from time to time as they grow.

 

[Florida8]

Thanks for the info.

We are still trying to decide which tank we want to go with. We had the 55g for ever and I was looking at a 72 bow front and also a 45g. DH is really leaning towards a 90+G but the lighting cost was much more $$$ so I don't know for sure... just trying to get it planned out. The hardest thing is everyone here offers light kits and we need already put together LOL. We know we are going to do LR again with some easier kept corals, thought I would branch out and try some new things this time.


Kimberly