MIXED reef help???????

[snaza]

i've tried the search function but it never works so here is my question

i've been reading lots on RC and i can't decide what reef i want. Is a mixed reef possible with all corals. i really like SPS,ZOA's,softies and RIC's,mushies. i want to know if i can keep them all succesfully or what corals cant be mixed. thanks

aaron

[surfnvb7]

of course all corals can be kept together. you just have to take notice of their territories, and place things accordingly.

for instance, you can keep a galaxea LPS coral in any tank. you just have to be mindful of 12" sweepers and to keep other corals away from it.

mixed reef tanks, IMO are the hardest of all tanks to get just right. this is due to the fact that SPS, LPS, and softies all like different types of light, flow, and nutrients in the water column.

for an SPS tank, you want very bright lights, very clean water with almost no nutrients, and very strong flow to the point your sandbed is almost blowing around.

for zoas and softies, you dont need very bright lights at all (comparable to what sps flourish under), and zoas prefer water with a good amount of nutrients in them, and moderate flow.

its tough to find that balance in which everything is flourishing, and when everything is flourishing, you have to keep them from fighting and wiping out each other.

its definitely possible though. your best bet is to just take it one step at a time. do your homework on a coral before purchasing it. i wouldnt go buy a $60 frag of a tort, and then come home and place it several inches from a bunch of green star polyps. :eek: