When to get first coral?

[errdivideby0]

I was wondering today how long I should wait before I get my first coral. I know with Anemones you need to wait about 6 months before you get one, but is the same rules with corals? My tank has been cycled for almost 2 weeks now. Also I know my lighting isn't the best but will it work for any corals right now? It's a coralife 48inch (I think) with two 50/50 bulbs. What would be some good "beginner" corals that would work with this light?

 

[HN1]

You really don't need to wait X number of weeks or months before adding a coral if your tank is cycled, stable, and can support it with lighting and nutrients. Good beginner corals would be softies and maybe a few LPS. Add slow and monitor closely. What size tank is this? Exactly which type of lighting fixture is it (bulb type & power)?

 

[Ziggy953]

Good advice above!

I agree as long as your system is stable and cycled and your lighting will support the corals you want then you are good to go.

 

[errdivideby0]

That's good news for me but not for my wallet, but nothing has been since I've started this! The tank is 75G and the light is a Coralife light with two 65W 50/50 bulbs. On the box it says the 50/50 is 50% true actinic 03 Blue and 50% 10,000K day. Don't know what that means but would this support any corals?

 

[HN1]

That's good news for me but not for my wallet, but nothing has been since I've started this! The tank is 75G and the light is a Coralife light with two 65W 50/50 bulbs. On the box it says the 50/50 is 50% true actinic 03 Blue and 50% 10,000K day. Don't know what that means but would this support any corals?

LOL. It definitely can get expensive. If you have a local reef club, definitely check them out. We're very fortunate to have a great one with folks that readily sell cheap frags or outright share them. The cost of membership is totally worth it! With that lighting, I'd probably suggest starting off with Zoas or shrooms. Try out a frag first before trying to acquire a full colony. It's more fun to watch them grow anyways!

 

[Ziggy953]

That would be good for soft corals, mushrooms and things like that. You may get a few LPS corals to be happy but for more light demanding corals like most LPS, SPS, Clams and Anemones you are going to need more light. I started out with a similar setup and upgraded to MH with VHOs and then increased my MHs and added T5s to my setup.

Any corals you look at you need to check the light requirements. You need low to moderate light corals.

 

[errdivideby0]

Thank you for your help, That really helped. I will probably be getting one over the weekend then as long as everything remains as it is. My two clowns and my Snowflake eel are doing great, I feel really great that they've been doing so well. Thanks again for the help.

 

[errdivideby0]

Oh and unfortunatly I haven't been able to find any Aquarium clubs in my area, It's unfortunate. I could barely find the fish store that I go to!

 

[HN1]

Check out How To Become a NFMAS Member. - The Reef Tank. Northeast Florida Marine Aquarium Society.

 

[errdivideby0]

Thanks for that info, will defiantly Look into it.

 

[errdivideby0]

Wait, where in Georgia do you live, Are you part of that? I noticed some people from Georgia were.

 

[HN1]

I'm not. We're in metro Atlanta and members of ARC (Atlanta Reef Club). I just did some searching on a few sites I know looking for the St. Augustine / Jax area.

 

[errdivideby0]

Ah okay, just wondering.

 

[errdivideby0]

Well, I got two little coral frags today, a Red mushroom and a Bubble mushroom. Here are some pictures.

 

[melosu58]

Look pretty good.

 

[errdivideby0]

Thanks, The button mushroom was open more earlier when I'd first put him in there but when I went to take pictures he was closed like that.

 

[melosu58]

He`s still acclimating. He`ll be OK.