Soft Coral Questions?

[MKFMedic]

So over the last three weeks I have started, cycled and set up a 12 gal nano reef tank. After many forum discussions and advice from all the fantastic and experienced resources here at the site, I've progressed nicely and now have a Percula Clown and Watchman Goby with four small pieces of coral in my tank. All seems well, water specs have been good. When I ventured into my local FS a yesterday I spoke at length with one of the owners regarding care of the soft coral.

Long story short, they sold me on supplements for the coral including calcium, strontium and magnesium. My water tested at 8.0 for the high level pH, so they also said that I should raise the pH in the tank to a minimum of 8.2 before using any of the supplements because in their words, "The corals wouldn't be able to actually process any of the supplements with a lower pH." So guess what, I bought a product to slowly raise my tank pH.

What do you guys think? Was this stuff necessary, will it help? A little or a lot? Oh and on a side note, what do you guys feed your perculas and goby's. I purchased some pellets, and some frozen misas(?) shrimp. Does the goby scrounge stuff off the bottom?

Anyway, thanks again for all of the support and guidance!

Mike

 

[carey]

In my opinion corals dont NEED to be fed supplements, if you do your weekly water changes then you are replenishing those elements. Another good rule is to never ever dose anything you dont test for.

When you took the water dample does matter as well as it drops at night and raises during the day usually. I think as long as the ph is stable it's better to not mess with it with chemicals.

I feed my clowns pellets, flake, mysis, brine and a dozen other froaen types of food, they are really easy to feed. My goby loves chopped clam cubes and other meaty items. He also will eat pellets and will sometimes get the food off the sandbed.

 

[mr_X]

i think he just wanted you to buy more stuff. carey is right about the ph and i have never heard that corals won't be able to utilize nutrients with a ph of 8.0.

soft corals use VERY LITTLE calcium. you can replenish this easily with weekly water changes and also export nutrients at the same time.

 

[MKFMedic]

As always, thanks carey and mr. X. After I started thinking about it for a while, I felt like I was being talked into it by the fish store owner. I should have know better. On the other hand, I didn't open any of them, so back they will go!

Thanks!

Mike

 

[carey]

When in doubt just wait it out. Don't ever feel pressured to buy something YOU are the customer and you're the guy paying for it. LOL

Their job is to sell you stuff so I understand where he was coming from.

You can always research a purchase before hand and go back tothe store and buy it if you need it after all. I try not tolet anyone talk me into anything. The few times I have were bad news.

i was tlaked into a scooter blenny that "eats everything I feed it", nope not the case, eats primarily pods. I coulda gone back and smacked that guy after i got home and found out the truth.

The second one was a sand perch that the guy insisted was a red headed goby. Again, furthest thing from the truth.

I try to come on here and verify and check the net and books before any purchase now. Burn me once shame on them, burn me twice, well, shame on me! LOL

 

[MKFMedic]

Thanks Carey!

Great advice. It's funny how I am competent, confident and good in my career, but I let a 12 gal nano reef tank shake my good judgement... LOL, all part of the learning experience.

On a funny note, I put in my stevie t rack a couple of days ago, with the purigen, chempure and filter floss so I decided that today would be a good day to do a "Small" water change. Uggg. Did I learn a lot today! After spilling a 1/2 a gallon of water on my hard wood floors, sucking in some salt water, knocking over coral in the tank, and sucking up a hermit crab, I just about threw a gasket (In a good way). All in all, everything looks good, the percula is a character and the watchman goby follows me around the tank! By the way, the percula seems to have formed an attachment to my torch coral.....

I've secured a couple of pieces of the small coral with putty (Mostly because the turbo snails knock them down), and the end result it seems like everything will be O.K..

Other than possibly adding some variety to my corals, maybe a third fish, I think I'm squared away for a while...... until I can upgrade to a larger tank that is, I can see how addicting this hobby can be.

Have a good weekend, and "Always Remember,"

Mike

 

[carey]

Some times we have to learn by trying. lol luckily it wasn't more water.

Have a good day, I'll always remember, I worked in NYC on 9/11.