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View Full Version : Ideas on first corals to add


hredder
02/19/2009, 07:34 PM
Ok, so after 1 and a half months i finally just got my nova extreme pro 6 bulb for my 90 and wow are they bright. Anyways i cycled my tank during that time and have 3 firefish, one goby and 2 chromis..

I would like to purchase my first corals tomorrow and what catches my eys are flourescent greens blues and reds. since this is my first corals, whats the steps needed to build up the tank. From what people tell me, I will be chaning the corals around until i get it right. What would make a great set of corals. I realize it is up to taste, but im asking for your opinions. I will make mine at the Point of Sale, but its nice to also see how others started theirs.

scottallert
02/19/2009, 07:45 PM
start with mushrooms, they are cheap and come in all colors.

jbird69
02/19/2009, 07:51 PM
My only cuation with mushrooms is they can take over and be tough to irradicate. There are a few beginner corals out there that people end up really kicking themselves for puting in theyre system.

1. Green star polyps
2. kenya tree coral
3. xenia
4. mushrooms

theres more but these are corals that are nice at first and then they cover everything and take over (not in all cases, but a lot)

I would vote for a frogspawn, hammer coral or a colony of nice zoas.

macronut
02/19/2009, 08:08 PM
How exciting a new tank and what to add!

I might suggest that you stay away from star, anthelia, xenia and clove polyps, they can take over your tank quickly.

Zooanthids are good and come in a wide variety of colors and are easy to propagate later down the road.

sarcophytan (sometimes the polyps in this coral will not open immediately so don't be to alarmed), ricordia, hammer, frogspawn, candycane, cynarina are good ones.

jdmcivicek9
02/19/2009, 08:10 PM
toadstool leathers...

macronut
02/19/2009, 08:25 PM
I might add.....

you can sometimes find the cynarina in orange/red. There is a nice pic on page 135 of Cynarina deshayesiana (red) in Julian Spungs "Coral A Quick Refernce Guide". This is very nice coral and would make a nice focal point for you.

In time you could add some acanthastrea these come in red too. (Sprung book, page 125).

You can also find Blastomussa wellsi in red.

If you do put mushrooms in your tank, I might suggest blue. I have had blue in the past and they are very nice, however, they can multiply quickly.

hredder
02/19/2009, 08:31 PM
wow, all this is digest. LOL, how about bubble polyps?

macronut
02/19/2009, 08:41 PM
If you are referring to bubble coral I would suggest waiting a few more months. That's my opinion. Bubbles don't need a lot of current. Tissue tears much easier than many other corals. There are hardier corals mentioned above I would begin with.

hredder
02/20/2009, 07:19 PM
ok i got three corals.


first one is a zooanthid, heard they can pretty much go anywhere in the tank.. the second one is a flame coral...was told lighting good but not too much circulation around it..third one was a blastomussa,,what a beauty..i put that where theres some shade and not alot of current..I trust the LFS i go to otherwise i wont do business. since this is my coral,,,wheres the besty place to put coral on the live rock..Im guessing most people glue the corals down. I have a frag for the torch coral and that round stone they put frags on is so ugly..Im assuming eventually the torch coral will grow over it so i wont see it. The only place to put corals is in the crevices of the LR..IF i want to have it on the side of the LR im assuming im gonna have to apoxy the corals down..is that correct or is there any easier way to do this

macronut
02/20/2009, 08:35 PM
Congrats on your new corals. Check out Reefvideos.com There is one video that shows how to secure your corals to the sides of your liverock. Mounting and pegging video. Other vids are nice to watch as well. Good luck!

hredder
02/20/2009, 08:41 PM
correction..i posted that one of my corals was a flame coral...its a torch coral

jbird69
02/20/2009, 10:03 PM
I think those are great choices! Do you have a clean up crew?

hredder
02/20/2009, 10:18 PM
great question. because i let my tank cycle with just regular ambient lighting, i didnt go through a algae bloom, but with that said i have 3 turbo snails 12 blue legged hermits and 6 peppermint shrimp..being a newbie i thought my peppermint shrimp were eating my new corals. I freakin put these 3 corals in and bammm, all the shimp come out and there running there little feet in and out of my coral polyps. I promply called my LFS and they said there just doing what they do, cleaning. At first it was sobering. Spent 140 bucks on 3 corals and now there gonna die due to 12 dollars in shrimp. With that said, the corals are doing fine. They are open already.. Quick question. I set my two timers for my nova extreme pro. The blue acrynics are running from 9pm to 10pm with my t5s running from 11pm to 8pm..What changes should I make on the timing of the bulbs. This is day one for me with corals so please feel free to rip me apart if im wrong. Sometimes we become better with criticism!

hredder
02/20/2009, 10:20 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14444717#post14444717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macronut
Congrats on your new corals. Check out Reefvideos.com There is one video that shows how to secure your corals to the sides of your liverock. Mounting and pegging video. Other vids are nice to watch as well. Good luck!

wow what a great idea but should i take the Live rock out now to drill to do the pegging?? will that cause a nitrate explosion in the tank

macronut
02/21/2009, 01:16 AM
taking a piece of lr out of the water to drill several small holes in it for a few minutes isn't going to hurt it.

Good luck with your system. You seem to be off to a great start.

macronut
02/21/2009, 01:22 AM
On your lighting times did you mean any of those to be AM?

Example
Like actinics 10 am to 9 pm remainder of the t5's 11 am to 8 pm

I'm assuming your lighting fixture has built in fans? if not watch your tank temp.

macronut
02/21/2009, 01:25 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14446397#post14446397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macronut
taking a piece of lr out of the water to drill several small holes in it for a few minutes isn't going to hurt it.

Good luck with your system. You seem to be off to a great start.

I wouldn't take all the rock out...just a piece or two where you want to mount your coral. The way the video shows give you greater flexibility to move a coral if you need too, especially in a new system such as yours.

hredder
02/21/2009, 05:48 PM
the corals look great after 24 hours..i think im gonna have to move the blastos..should they be in indirect lighting?

macronut
02/21/2009, 11:09 PM
I would place at the bottom of the tank allowing it to get full lighting. I wouldn't shade it.

Good luck....sounds like you are starting off well. Just remember to take it slow. Don't rush your system and don't impulse buy. If you don't know the proper care research it first before buying.

IridescentLily
02/22/2009, 12:03 AM
Here's a beautiful example of a tank which has multi-colored zoanthids and palythoa polyps on the bottom.

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee318/picklethepug/IMG_3150.jpg

Take a look at this link, you won't be disappointed. ;)
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1246758

hredder
02/22/2009, 06:37 PM
ok so i purchased 2 more corals today and now im gonna wait a while before adding anymore. i purchased a leather toadstool and a leather devilds hand. I have them on the bottom in very little water current..thats the best place for them right. I will eventually apoxy them to the live rock..now they are just on the bottom. i was reading two things. First that the torck coral is pretty aggressive..hes on the top of the LR and away from any other corals. The other thing i was reading is that zooanthids are pretty toxic, though that is a beautiful photo of them in that photo..im gonna be real careful with the zoos'. Any other advice would be great!

Btw, i came home from work today and the torchs tenticles were kind of droopy and withdrawn into the base..is it because its in a new environment. When i first got him last night, it was more open. Again any more advice would be great

stargazer=2
02/22/2009, 06:55 PM
i got a torch. it was a hitchhiker in my parents tank.it was so small we couldn't idenify at the time. since then it has grown to 5-8 inches(depending on mood) and i swear he searches out my other corals to sting. hes melted several ricordias and mushrooms already. so make sure you give him room or he will take it.

hredder
02/22/2009, 06:58 PM
yeah theres only 4 corals in my 90 gallon and hes one..so i will definitely give 6 to 8 inches between him and any corals maybe even more..but at least i got the aggressive one first now i can put corals around him knowing hes gonna be a SOB

havoc519
02/22/2009, 07:14 PM
Torches are really sweet to look at. My clown started to host in mine.

hredder
02/22/2009, 07:31 PM
so about zooanthids..i read a post where someones dog actually died cuz i guess he was putting a group in his tank and his dog put his face in the bag...this was a post from like 2003..anyways the dog a few hours later went to the vet and eventually died..im gonna start being careful around those guys..can anyone give me someinfo on lighting and water current strenght for the following.


zooanthids
blastos
devils hand
torch coral
toadstool

Peter Eichler
02/22/2009, 08:51 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14458348#post14458348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hredder
so about zooanthids..i read a post where someones dog actually died cuz i guess he was putting a group in his tank and his dog put his face in the bag...this was a post from like 2003..anyways the dog a few hours later went to the vet and eventually died..im gonna start being careful around those guys..can anyone give me someinfo on lighting and water current strenght for the following.


zooanthids
blastos
devils hand
torch coral
toadstool


zooanthids: Really depends on the particular zoanthid, they're a very diverse bunch and can occur in various types of conditions and depths.

blastos: Assuming it's Blastomussa wellsi, fairly subdued lighting and current. In nature they're usually found vertically on reef slopes to protect them from strong light. These can be a little tricky sometimes and a lot of people have had a hard time keeping colonies going for more than a couple years.

The last three will do well in most lighting and moderate flow.
devils hand
torch coral
toadstool

E.intheC
02/22/2009, 09:12 PM
the zoanthid toxicity you're referring to is actually well described. There's a link posted at the top of the zoanthid forum on this site.

I agree with Peter's Answer, however; honestly, you really should know the answers to all the above questions before you are buying corals from the LFS. Same goes with any fish you might buy.

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:16 PM
right now the blasts look like there doing well. the red outer part of the coral is a bit fuzzy and they are open. when i got them yesterday the red part of the blasto wasnt as fuzzy..is that normal when they open up wide? also, this is what i thought was devils hand...heres a photo of it..is this devils hand?http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/211413php9d20QqPM.jpg

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:18 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14459268#post14459268 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by E.intheC
the zoanthid toxicity you're referring to is actually well described. There's a link posted at the top of the zoanthid forum on this site.

I agree with Peter's Answer, however; honestly, you really should know the answers to all the above questions before you are buying corals from the LFS. Same goes with any fish you might buy.


your absolutely right...theres so many books i have and alot of the books give you different answers on lighting requirements etc..so i dont know which one to trust. With that said, you are absolutely correct when it comes to researching before buying. As a newbie I am putting a little bit of trust in my LFS.. Coral Corral in Tampa Florida. You have to start somewhere!

dwd5813
02/22/2009, 09:25 PM
Craig, Pierre, Glenn, and all the guys at CC know what they're talking about. Just don't take that green stylo in the left bank. ;) It's mine! allll miinneee!! lol

E.intheC
02/22/2009, 09:26 PM
Yeap, I understand. We were all newbies at some point. (I'm a newbie on many things as well.. still.. and it's been a few years now) haha..

I really feel strongly about the 'research thing'.. It's great to go into a fish store and know what you're talking about and what will/wont go into your system. You'll save a lot of heartache (and money.. fish/coral's lives) if you read first. To me, it's at least 1/2 the fun of this hobby.. reading/planning/researching. It makes you aware of many other things and when you actually buy something, you're more confident in your decision.

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:29 PM
i agree e.intheC..is that a devils hand in that photo above?

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:30 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14459374#post14459374 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwd5813
Craig, Pierre, Glenn, and all the guys at CC know what they're talking about. Just don't take that green stylo in the left bank. ;) It's mine! allll miinneee!! lol

dwd, green stylo...am i missing something.. lol..clue me in

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:31 PM
btw, my torch didnt look too good when i got home..yesterday when i got him he was all stretch out and open..today his arms were all droppy and he was not all the way out..is it because hes in a new tank and acclimating?

dwd5813
02/22/2009, 09:41 PM
nah, it's just a coral i've had my eye on the last couple times i was there. i need to go back this week to pick up a pump they're exchanging for me and if it's still there i'll probably not be able to leave it there again. :lol:

can you take a picture of the torch?

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:44 PM
i will but can you tell me about the devils hand i posted a picture of a few posts up..i will take a picture now and have it in a few..is that a devils hand..all the photos i seen of it in a book look different?

heres the photo again

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:45 PM
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/211413php9d20QqPM.jpg

hredder
02/22/2009, 09:52 PM
heres a photo of the torch..as you can see his arms arent retracting into his calcium base and earlier when i got home from work his arms werent stretched either. when i woke up this morning he was all the way in his base..let me see what happens in the morning..theres no slime or anthing like thathttp://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/211413phpPjxhVIPM.jpg

dwd5813
02/22/2009, 10:00 PM
your first pic looks like a type of finger leather, possibly sinularia. my i.d. skills leave a lot to be desired though. do you have the borneman book? i'm looking at the top right photo on pg. 133, if you do. different color, but the coral looks similar..

on the torch, i'd try to give it a day or two and keep a close eye on it. what's the flow and lighting like where it is now?

hredder
02/22/2009, 10:04 PM
On top of the lr and in low to moderate flow

dwd5813
02/22/2009, 10:07 PM
try moving it down some in a couple days if it doesn't start to open up for you.

Peter Eichler
02/23/2009, 01:46 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14459540#post14459540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hredder
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/211413php9d20QqPM.jpg

That's most likely Cladiella sp. and devil's hand is usually Lobophytum.

Peter Eichler
02/23/2009, 01:50 PM
Keep in mind that it's a good idea to start all your corals in lower light and then slowly moving them up to where you want them.

jbird69
02/23/2009, 02:38 PM
the picture looks a bit like Kenya to me

Nanz
02/23/2009, 02:44 PM
Torch coral
Zoanthids
Frogspawn

Those corals are very easy to keep and look great :)

hredder
02/23/2009, 08:49 PM
my frogspawn is starting to open tonight as he is showing some signs of his pores and little tentacles are there. I see he is showing some mucous on his top so I am assuming he is shedding. He looks very healthy. Do frogspawns do that when they close up, then reopen..Do they shed there outside skin? I know corals do molt. Is the shed going to be toxic to the other few corals i have in the tank away from him. I do have active carbon in my sump?