Easy Corals? Looking to stock a few. Any help out there?

[logman17]

Good Morning!

I have a 47.5 gallon that has finished cycling(2 1/2 weeks ago) and I wanted to add a little more life and color.

Are there any easy, beginner corals that don't require special feeding arrangements, ie low maintanence corals, that I could place to add some color?

I have 192w PC lighting (1-10K & 1-actinic) (4 watts/gallon)

and 12-16 times circulation with wavemaker

I just want to add a splash of color w/o having to target feed or get a calcium reactor, etc...

TIA,

Logan

[lando]

Hi Logan...To be honest, I would wait a bit before adding any corals. Your tank is very young and you need to give some time to stabalize. Now that your tank is cycled you will want to keep an eye on water parameters to make sure all is well. Frequently check amonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, SG, temp, alk, Ca. Once you have gone a few months with no problems go ahead and try some easy corals. Start off with some mushrooms, polyps or zoos. Most do not require any special dietary requirements as they obtain most of their energy from light. 4watts/gal is plenty for most beginner corals. Lando

[logman17]

Thanks!

I thought I should wait, but wasn't sure.

I check ALL of my parameters EVERY day (for some reason, maybe I like it a little too much?) and they have been very stable for the past 19 days.

I check: Ca, Alk, no2, no3, nh3, salinity, pH (digital monitor always on), phosphate.

I will give it a few months to make sure all is still well.

Thanks for the 411

--Logan

[malkore]

Not to argue, but I'd say if you have stable, consistently 'good' water parameters for a month, after cycling, you could add some shrooms or yellow polyps.
Now, if you were wanting an anemone, I'd definitely wait 6 months to a year before adding such a delicate life form.

[EL Diablo]

I added shrooms after 2 months with very stable levels.
Polyps soon followed. Both are easy to care for.

5 months later and I have a few more types of Corals and all have been doing great.

just take it slow. add a small amount of shrooms and just see how it goes for a few weeks. One thing that can get you with a new tank is algea growth. It can easily over run your coral if you get a bad out break. you want to make sure your tank is stable before you really start adding them.

Ca levels are not as important with the softies as it is with the Hard Corals.
you can dose with a 2 part suppliment to get your levels over 400 if you want.

Good Luck

[lando]

One more thing. If you are realy interested in corals and begining a reef a tank, get the book "Aquarium Corals" by Eric Bornemean. It is packed full of great inf and has been a great resource for me. You can never stop learning...Lando

[logman17]

Thanks again-

I think i'll order that book and read it while waiting 2-3 months to make sure params are stable enough.

I am not looking into a full-fledged reef setup, just a few low-maintenance, colorful corals for a little added punch.

Of course, when I started into this hobby I was going to have a FO tank with CC substrait.

Now it's 60lbs lr, 60lbs LS, fish, corals, if I could fit a diver with scuba gear I'd probably throw him in there...

I am starting to wonder if this is a hobby or an obsession?

Probably the latter.

Thanks for all of the good advise, and keep it coming if there is anything else I need to know.

--Logan

[lando]

I was in the same boat. All I wanted was a FO tank. Then I learned of the benifits of LR so it became a FOWLR. Then I bought a smal hairy mushroom colony for kicks (just like you) and now I have a full blow habbit...um...I mean reef tank. Careful what you say about the SCUBA diver in your tank. Somewhere Quarryshark is putting on his dive suit and heading over to your place

[logman17]

Sounds familiar...

I bet most of us just wanted "a few pretty marine fish" to start with.

I my case I had (slightly) altered my feelings before the cycling process had time to complete.

[EL Diablo]

same here
what started as a FOWLR tank quickly turned into a Reef tank.

Once I learned I could get Corals with a lighting uprade it was over.

[TeenReefer]

I just got some brown polyps today and ive had my tank for 5 months now. There really cool and i would suggest that you get polyps or shrooms first since they dont require to be fed as the obtain most of their energy through photosynthesis. Good luck!

[logman17]

Well-

I just ordered "Aquarium Corals"

I plan to read then slowly add some corals.

My wife thinks I'm crazy- I haven't read 3 books since college, but since starting this hobby 2 months ago, book count=4 plus the countless hours reading internet articles.

Thanks again lando and everyone else.

--Logan