First of all, the internet will let you look up the specific coral you're buying. Do. It's so bad when somebody comes here asking how to care for a coral he has neither the lights nor the supplements for. I KNOW the stores don't always know what they're selling---but you have a phone. Get a pic and show us and we'll at least be able to tell you in general what type it is. If it has many heads and branches and looks stony, don't buy it unless you have a stony setup! [see below.]
Second, all stony requires daily calcium supplement once it starts eating. Do not attempt to keep a stony coral (lps or sps) without that in place. That's either calcium supplement from a jar or kalk powder in an auto-topoff. And to do kalk you still need to start with the one in the jar to get the level right. I can tell you more about that if you need to know.
Third. While it is recommended to start a coral low in the tank and move it up every few days to find out where it does best, there is a general presumption that stony, excepting bubble, which does best low, will want high-end LEDS, or MH or the equivalent in T5's at the very top of the tank, and there is equally a presumption that buttons and mushrooms and softies in general will want to be lower down and in less light than stonies. So kind of expect that to be the case---in general. If you don't have strong light, softies can usually sit right on the top ridge without a problem.
Fourth. Once you have settled what is a coral's best position, putty or glue (I-C-Gel) it in place so it will not wobble, and plan about 6" around each frag...counting up and down as well: think of it as a bubble, and if you have strong current, a distorted bubble. 'Kay? Cause they either spit or reach out and touch their neighbors, particularly downcurrent. Settle them and don't plan to rearrange them often. You CAN break a glue or putty attachment, but corals do not at all like to go bump and rattle in the current, so plan a place for them to live and grow for years and they will grow better for you. If you must handle one, wear exam gloves (your pharmacy) which is for THEIR protection, and in general, put them and leave them firmly put in the best place as soon as possible.
Second, all stony requires daily calcium supplement once it starts eating. Do not attempt to keep a stony coral (lps or sps) without that in place. That's either calcium supplement from a jar or kalk powder in an auto-topoff. And to do kalk you still need to start with the one in the jar to get the level right. I can tell you more about that if you need to know.
Third. While it is recommended to start a coral low in the tank and move it up every few days to find out where it does best, there is a general presumption that stony, excepting bubble, which does best low, will want high-end LEDS, or MH or the equivalent in T5's at the very top of the tank, and there is equally a presumption that buttons and mushrooms and softies in general will want to be lower down and in less light than stonies. So kind of expect that to be the case---in general. If you don't have strong light, softies can usually sit right on the top ridge without a problem.
Fourth. Once you have settled what is a coral's best position, putty or glue (I-C-Gel) it in place so it will not wobble, and plan about 6" around each frag...counting up and down as well: think of it as a bubble, and if you have strong current, a distorted bubble. 'Kay? Cause they either spit or reach out and touch their neighbors, particularly downcurrent. Settle them and don't plan to rearrange them often. You CAN break a glue or putty attachment, but corals do not at all like to go bump and rattle in the current, so plan a place for them to live and grow for years and they will grow better for you. If you must handle one, wear exam gloves (your pharmacy) which is for THEIR protection, and in general, put them and leave them firmly put in the best place as soon as possible.
