What kind of coral reef animals compatible with him

[Baci16]

Would like to add coral animals to my tank but his movements during feeding causes an upswell of sedimentation that fatally irritated several corals. He would consume most commonly available ornamental invertebrates. So far he has allowed a neon pink tankmate. Any other sedimentation proof corals available or predation resistant inverts?

[CrayolaViolence]

What is it?

[mcgyvr]

Forget about corals till you fix your other problems.. ohhhh... like the fact that your rocks are covered in algae...:facepalm:

Corals require good and stable water parameters...

[xanthurum]

That's a green wolf eel which would not mess with any corals but if your tank is dirty like you say it is I would suggest you do your best to clean it up before adding any corals.

[mickey204]

Would like to add coral animals to my tank but his movements during feeding causes an upswell of sedimentation that fatally irritated several corals. He would consume most commonly available ornamental invertebrates. So far he has allowed a neon pink tankmate. Any other sedimentation proof corals available or predation resistant inverts?

Not trying to be a debbie downer, however if you have proper lighting, filtration, flow and husbandry methods, fish eating or kicking up sand won't kill your corals.

Other parameters will.

Once you get all those taken care of, you shouldn't have any issues.

As for inverts, the only one would probably be a mantis shrimp...but that could turn into a pretty risky endeavor.

[kuzko]

Sand wars: attack of the phosphates

[Baci16]

I like the hair algae and intend to keep it. I would also assume that the hair algae is taking up the phosphates in the water column at a much faster rate than a Coral would. Surely there would be a coral that would be adaptable to these conditions and one that would be able to fend off the violent tail of the wolf eel.

[Baci16]

The only thing I add to the water is a peice of marine based whole animal like a shrimp scallop squid that gets consumed immediately. Every 4th day.

[teddyzaper]

you clearly have an excess of phosphates. The hair algae wont be consuming all of it near fast enough. I'd fix this before adding corals. If you want something super simple that you probably cant kill, pick up some pieces of xenia or green star polyp. This will spread very fast and look like a nice little garden.

As others have said, not many corals would die due to getting sand on them every once in a while (even a couple times a day is fine). They most likely died due to your tanks parameters or lights.

[kevin21]

I have to disagree with this. Green star polyps will not survive in this condition. The purple mats will get smothered in this hair algae essentially choking the coral. Will not survive. I would assume the xenia would be smothered by it as well and would probably get choked out as well.

Sorry man, but with the hair algae that thick and strong, corals are not in your future. Would need to get rid of that in order to be successful with corals. You'll have to pick one.

you clearly have an excess of phosphates. The hair algae wont be consuming all of it near fast enough. I'd fix this before adding corals. If you want something super simple that you probably cant kill, pick up some pieces of xenia or green star polyp. This will spread very fast and look like a nice little garden.

As others have said, not many corals would die due to getting sand on them every once in a while (even a couple times a day is fine). They most likely died due to your tanks parameters or lights.

[teddyzaper]

I have to disagree with this. Green star polyps will not survive in this condition. The purple mats will get smothered in this hair algae essentially choking the coral. Will not survive. I would assume the xenia would be smothered by it as well and would probably get choked out as well.

Sorry man, but with the hair algae that thick and strong, corals are not in your future. Would need to get rid of that in order to be successful with corals. You'll have to pick one.
Oh, I agree. I was meaning after he solved the algae issue, at least bit.

[Elricsfate]

Following this thread...

[docstach]

You try mounting something higher up, maybe on the glass that woudl keep if from getting sand on it all of the time and away from the algae. Or get something that would be above all of that like maybe a toadstool.

[mickey204]

You try mounting something higher up, maybe on the glass that woudl keep if from getting sand on it all of the time and away from the algae. Or get something that would be above all of that like maybe a toadstool.

He has to address his water parameters before he goes with a leather or a toadstool.

If that dies and makes the water toxic, he won't have a fish or hair algae to enjoy. :spin2:

[sde1500]

You like the hair algae? Then stick to that. Maybe try some other, nicer looking macros. http://www.live-plants.com/
Any coral you add will most likely just get smothered and killed by the GHA. I'd also echo others that occasional sand wouldn't kill the coral, though ones laid on the sand beds could get covered and die. So you have GHA that would smother and kill coral on the rocks, and an eel that would smother and kill corals on the sand. Not looking good.

Also, whats your alk, calc, and mag levels? What light are you using? These are important factors in coral keeping.

[jayball]

I am willing to bet that xenia could get a foot hold. It will stretch above the algae shading it and weakening it. OTOH, it may just melt due to bad water conditions.

I can not think of another coral that could survive with that kind of algae competition.

The actual right answer is to clean your tank up...

Who is the "neon pink tankmate"?

[steallife904]

I was thinking palys or a xenia... maybe. But that much hair algae will be hard to beat. Any other corals would have to have better water.

[Ou8me2]

I like the hair algae and intend to keep it. I would also assume that the hair algae is taking up the phosphates in the water column at a much faster rate than a Coral would. Surely there would be a coral that would be adaptable to these conditions and one that would be able to fend off the violent tail of the wolf eel.

You ask for help then you say you like the hair algae. So clearly you aren't willing to fix the issue and no one in their right mind would recommend any corals because you have water quality issues. Until you fix the problem, then no coral for you!!

[mcgyvr]

If the OP likes the algae then they will need to stick to Soft corals that can tolerate the water quality as is.

Most softies can easily tolerate "sub-par" water quality without issue..

As stated above the Wolf will eat small crustaceans but should not cause any issues with corals.

Not sure why everyone thinks that phosphate is the only reason for algae either.. Nitrate is also food for algae and you can still have bad algae issues with low/no phosphate and high nitrates..

[teddyzaper]

If the OP likes the algae then they will need to stick to Soft corals that can tolerate the water quality as is.

Most softies can easily tolerate "sub-par" water quality without issue..

As stated above the Wolf will eat small crustaceans but should not cause any issues with corals.

Not sure why everyone thinks that phosphate is the only reason for algae either.. Nitrate is also food for algae and you can still have bad algae issues with low/no phosphate and high nitrates..
The primary cause of GHA is high phosphates though. If he had high nitrates I imagine he would see different algae. Either way, I'll disagree on the soft coral part, if his tank is growing that much GHA I don't think any coral would survive.

[sde1500]

The primary cause of GHA is high phosphates though. If he had high nitrates I imagine he would see different algae. Either way, I'll disagree on the soft coral part, if his tank is growing that much GHA I don't think any coral would survive.

Idk, couple months ago I had some pretty solid growths of GHA. If all the OP's rocks look like that, then maybe so. But I had one rock more than others just growing it like crazy. Some of the zoas on the rock stopped growing, but still opened and lived fine, one colony still continued to expand. The majority of my corals continued to do fine and grow. The GHA he has could certainly choke corals out, but would take more than just high phosphates to kill them.

[mcgyvr]

The primary cause of GHA is high phosphates though. If he had high nitrates I imagine he would see different algae. Either way, I'll disagree on the soft coral part, if his tank is growing that much GHA I don't think any coral would survive.

Well.. I disagree on both..
And do so based on actual experience..
I had a tank that had NO measurable phosphates and 100+ levels of nitrates and had GHA everywhere (much like the OPs pictures) and had no real problems with the numerous soft corals in it..
Now they are growing faster in my new tank (3 ppm nitrate/very low phosphates) but they had no problems surviving in 100+ ppm of nitrate for years..
These soft corals were numerous Devils Hand and Kenya Trees plus a 12" dia umbrella leather and more.. The devils hand/kenya trees would drop new pieces every few weeks to create a new one and growth was "ok" but they were living just fine..


I also just returned from a Scuba/Snorkling trip and one of the stops was a spring that was now overrun with GHA (6+ inches long ALL OVER).. In speaking with the park manager/researchers they were showing the charts from their dataloggers showing the increase in nitrates (due to farming runoff,etc..) and the phosphate levels remained virtually the same yet GHA had now started taking over.. Their nitrate levels had just risen from roughly .5 ppm to 1.3-1.5+PPM over the past year and he stated that as soon as the nitrate levels hit 1 that the GHA started to show up and really take over..
It was still VERY..VERY clear water but the bottom was just a green shag rug as far as the eyes could see..

[CrayolaViolence]

I like the hair algae and intend to keep it. I would also assume that the hair algae is taking up the phosphates in the water column at a much faster rate than a Coral would. Surely there would be a coral that would be adaptable to these conditions and one that would be able to fend off the violent tail of the wolf eel.

The problem is the hair algae will compete with the corals for space, light, and oxygen. That much hair algae will choke out any corals in a matter of weeks. Some I can see, in a controlled growth. I've grown some on a specific rock to aid with filtration in a sumpless tank. I've even cultured it on wave makers to help uptake nutrients, but I've never had the amount you have. That much would simply suffocate anything else that needs light.

[rajilnaja]

This GHA thread though. GHA is now hijacking threads. :hammer: