If you have time, could you share what you think would be a few good "starter" stony corals and also how long would you wait to put corals or fish into this new setup?
Hi Cheryl,
For the best results, I'd always recommend running the aquarium without predators (fish and corals) for the first 6 months as the best-case scenario. This is both for the health of the specimens as well as the development and balance of the tank as an ecosytem.
Granted, most folks don't have this kind of patience with their first tank or first big tank. As a second-best route I'd suggest that fish not be introduced for the first 6-8 weeks and that only small herbivorous species or those with relatively slow metabolisms be introduced. The last thing you want to do in a new tank is load it up with a bunch of carnivorous reef fish that need to be fed a lot (and therefore provide a significant nutrient load).
As for stony corals, some of the
Montipora spp., like
M. digitata are amongst the best first additions. Many are very hardy corals that grow in stressful environments in nature, so can handle a bit of instability in a new tank.
Pavona, Pocillopora damicornis, and many
Hydnophora are also great choices. The most faviids and mussids are hardy (with a few exceptions, but you probably won't run into the exceptions) and would be good choices. The one commonly kept genus to avoid at first would be
Acropora. They range from moderately hardy (though not quite enough to be recommended in a new tank) to very sensitive. There are a lot of other stony corals to be considered and this list is by no means all-inclusive. Ideally, like I said, I'd allow a tank to mature for a good 6 months before corals are introduced for best results, but you might be able to get away with just a few months (3-4). Of course this all depends on the quality of the live rock you're using (i.e. how fresh and potentially nasty it is) and other factors, but these guidelines are what I've seen work best in the goodness-knows how many tanks I've seen get setup.
Good luck,
Chris