Coral?

[matman]

Hi, i have a cycled 12g nano cube. I was told i could get mushrooms or a small hammer. When exactly can i start getting coral? My parameters are all normal except for my nitrates are on the high side...about 40

 

[neon_hybrid]

Before doing anything you need to get your nitrates under control. my understanding of nitrates are that they destroy coral. I am also battling nitrates, and that is why I havent added my coral yet....

 

[electrikat]

nitrates are bad for all inverts including your snails, shrimp and crabs. Shrooms and polyps are very hardy and great for beginners.

 

[PatM]

Some corals will survive higher nitrates but I have to agree that you should get the nitrates down before adding them. When a tank slowly builds up nitrates and corals are already in there they sort of accclimate to those conditions, but when you bring in a new specimen high nitrates will definitely shock the coral and may cause death. Patience is soooo hard sometimes isn't it? Nitrates, from what I've been told are even harder on inverts than corals, something to think about.

 

[matman]

my inverts are doing very well...so hmmm....

 

[PatM]

Yeah it's really long term that they suffer. I've had nitrates get as high as 60 in a reef and lost nothing, though it was obvious that things were unhappy. Good luck.

 

[midiman]

I have to say, though, that I had a shroom on a rock during my cycle and it survived hight nitTRITEs, so I can testify to their hardiness.

 

[PatM]

Shrooms are soo easy. I have a friend with a fish only tank with crappy lighting and mediocre filtration. He talked me into giving him a green flourescent mushroom frag and though it hasn't really grown it still looks healthy after 3 months. I also had shrooms and some brown polyps survive a cycle in a nano tank. I still wouldn't add new corals if you have the chance to wait.