View Full Version : 3+ year FOWLR tank - looking to go newbie reef
DeadDuck
03/27/2013, 02:23 PM
Hello all,
We've had a FOWLR for a few years now and I think I've been bitten by the coral bug: I now want to add a few corals. I'm looking for an easy coral for a beginner that our 2 false clowns might host in.
We have a small tank (~17 gal) with a basic Marineland filter, Remora-S protein skimmer (rated up to 75 gal, supposedly), and T5 lighting. I do 20% water changes weekly.
I really haven't taken many phosphate readings recently. However, I realize that once we go coral we'll have to really start tracking calcium, alkalinity, phosphates, ph, etc. a little more regularly.
I'm looking for general, overall tips for the tank. Should I be doing anything else? What would be a good coral to start with? I'm going to take a phosphate reading today, but I suspect it might be high-ish since we do have green hair algae growing. Is there a recommended way to leech phosphate from the water?
Thanks!
thegrun
03/27/2013, 03:44 PM
Here is a link to easy to care for corals:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/
Most of these are pretty forgiving as far as lighting and water conditions go, but you are going to need to be on top of your game if you plan on keeping an anemone.
DeadDuck
03/27/2013, 05:54 PM
Here is a link to easy to care for corals:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/
Most of these are pretty forgiving as far as lighting and water conditions go, but you are going to need to be on top of your game if you plan on keeping an anemone.
Thanks for the reply!
I'm definitely not getting an anemone. If we ever get an anemone, we'll have to start a 40+ gal tank. If the clowns don't host in the corals, that's ok. :)
GroktheCube
03/27/2013, 06:45 PM
Zoanthids or palythoas might be a good bet. They're tough, tolerant, and pretty.
TAZ_67
03/27/2013, 07:41 PM
Zoanthids or palythoas might be a good bet. They're tough, tolerant, and pretty.
+1 on that... In that small of a thank they wont be to hard to keep track of. Just be mindful of what you place them on preferably a removable small rock as if they are in there over time they do spread.
DeadDuck
03/28/2013, 08:04 AM
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I will consult with my boss (ie wife) and see what she prefers.
OnTheReef
03/28/2013, 11:46 AM
I really haven't taken many phosphate readings recently. However, I realize that once we go coral we'll have to really start tracking calcium, alkalinity, phosphates, ph, etc. a little more regularly.
Be sure to include nitrates in your regular bank of tests. You really only need to closely track calcium and alkalinity for stony corals. Also, if you like to get your live rock nice and coated with coralline algae, you'll need to keep those parameters higher.
I'm looking for general, overall tips for the tank.
With any nuisance algae growing, I'd hesitate to pull the trigger on corals until you address any water quality issues. By water quality, I mean nitrates and phosphates are undetectable on a good kit, such as Salifert. Test your source water and your mixed saltwater for nitrates and phosphates. You can then ensure that you are not introducing these compounds into your tank. How is your skimmer output? Are you getting a half cup of dark green sludge a day? If not, it might be time for a tune-up or a better skimmer. Check the many great skimmer mods out there too.
I'm going to take a phosphate reading today, but I suspect it might be high-ish since we do have green hair algae growing. Is there a recommended way to leech phosphate from the water?
A Phosban reactor is an excellent way to reduce phosphates in the tank. But with green hair algae growing, I suspect nitrates are more of an issue. An RDSB or a live refugium is a great way to reduce nitrates.
Good luck, corals are a very rewarding aspect of the saltwater hobby.
DeadDuck
03/28/2013, 12:26 PM
Be sure to include nitrates in your regular bank of tests. You really only need to closely track calcium and alkalinity for stony corals. Also, if you like to get your live rock nice and coated with coralline algae, you'll need to keep those parameters higher.
With any nuisance algae growing, I'd hesitate to pull the trigger on corals until you address any water quality issues. By water quality, I mean nitrates and phosphates are undetectable on a good kit, such as Salifert. Test your source water and your mixed saltwater for nitrates and phosphates. You can then ensure that you are not introducing these compounds into your tank. How is your skimmer output? Are you getting a half cup of dark green sludge a day? If not, it might be time for a tune-up or a better skimmer. Check the many great skimmer mods out there too.
A Phosban reactor is an excellent way to reduce phosphates in the tank. But with green hair algae growing, I suspect nitrates are more of an issue. An RDSB or a live refugium is a great way to reduce nitrates.
Good luck, corals are a very rewarding aspect of the saltwater hobby.
Thanks for the comments! Currently Nitrates are on my weekly checklist and pH is like every other week. I am using the much-lamented API test kits, and I know they're not the best, but the coloring I get is somewhere between the first two bars (0 - 5.0 ppm). I'll look into the Salifert tests.
I will check the source water. I currently use Instant Ocean w/ RODI water.
The skimmer seems to be doing well - I tend to clean the collection cup every other or every 3rd day. Typically the stem has some junk in it and occasionally the cup fills a little with water. We're going to reduce fish feeding. We were doing it twice a day because they always act so hungry, but I was thinking of going back to once a day.
We'll probably wait until we get a month+ of good water tests before we actually buy the corals. Right now I'm in "data gathering" mode. :)
Thanks again! I really appreciate the community here.
Corals are filters. What they need to run on is light. Low light, stick to softies; brilliant light, go for stonies, stay away from SPS. But either some buttons and mushrooms (softies) or some hammer (stony) would be easy. Lower your nitrate and phosphate first with water changes, get some nassarius snails (3 per 50 gallons) in there to clean the sandbed, and then get a hardy coral like mushrooms or hammer. With a stony like hammer, you have to have evaporation and put kalk powder (pickling lime) into your automatic topoff. That's all there is to it, really. Try to get that nitrate down to 5 before you start with corals, and after that they'll keep the nitrate low by eating detritus. They're far from fussy, and can exist without a skimmer, but a moderate one is a good idea, particularly if you ever get cyano: takes a skimmer really to get rid of it.
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