HELP me get ready for my first corals

[HotSauce]

i think im just about ready to start adding corals to my tank which has been up for 2 months. i have 45 lbs live rock, 110w PC, and HOB protein skimmer and all my water parameters are good. livestock include 2 ocelaris, longnose hawk, coral beauty, LMB, firefish.

1) what are good corals for beginners and how do i maintan them?

2) what supplements/chemicals should i dose my tank once i start adding corals?

thanks

 

[MT79]

2 months is very young as you probably know. I personally would suggest, with your lighting, some shrooms, GSP's (keep high in the tank) , to start with. Low light corals will do best. If you Keep up with water changes, at least 25% monthly, you should not have to add anything. I'm sure others will give you advice.- That seems to be a bit to "much" fish for your tanks capacity.

 

[HotSauce]

so just feed shrooms or softies with phytoplankton?

 

[cj10488]

I would only do low light shrooms kept up in the top portion of the tank.. You really dont have that much light and your tank is very very young for alot of corals.. When you say your levels are all good what are the levels... Do you have coralline coverage on the tank or Equiptment.. At 2 months I would doubt that much if any..

James

 

[HotSauce]

no coraline growth yet..

 

[HotSauce]

no coraline growth yet..

 

[cj10488]

I personally would not add ANY corals as of yet then.. If you can't grow coralline then IMO you ain't gonna grow corals.. I would wait until you had some coralline coverage.. In SW tanks Patience is the best.. It will pay off in the end.. WE all hate waiting but its best for the Livestock and for your pockets..


HTH<
James

 

[HotSauce]

ive heard about adding epsom salt to promote coraline growth..is this true? regardless what are ways to grow coralines? additives? chemicals?

 

[cj10488]

I would not add anything that you are not testing for at all.. Adding Epsom salt is in ways bad for your tank but in essence all that adding Epsom Salts is doing is boosting your Mg which your salt should already have NSW values to it.. So I would not recommend doing it even if your Mg was low.. I would use a good quality additive in that case.. The only way that I have been know to safely promote coralline is by turning off the skimmer and scrapping some off the rock.. Other than that good Ca and Alk levels are also needed to grow coralline which if you are doing regular water changes you should be pretty ok with that.. If you are planning on getting into corals I would suggest you at least get a Salifert Ca and Alk test kits.. Seachem is also good but not as.. One of the Sponsors of the site should be able to get you some of them...

HTH<
James