Getting started have a few questions

[pledosophy]

What LED lights are you guys using? I was thinking about going with a single actnic T5, but LED's might be better.

Where do you order your stock?

Is there a thread with a list of corals that work and don't work? I am really drawn to the dendro's and the gorgonia's. What about other LPS such as micro's? Caulastrea's?

Is anyone growing there own food mix? If so what are you using?

Fish choices and invert selection? Anything I should avoid?

Thanks.

I'll post a build thread when I get it up and running. I'm a few weeks out, the tank I am using is my current macro algae tank, when that gets upgraded to the 65g the 30g will be the non photo tank.

 

[uhuru]

Lighting is personal preference. I'd probably go with more than a single actinic if you go T5. Maybe 1 actinic and one 14K bulb.

For online ordering I like DD. BZ gets some cool stuff in now and then too, and Cherry Corals is starting a non-photo section (but they've always had nice LPS). Phishy Business is my LFS now and they have a great selection. You can order online from them since you are in Oregon. I'm sure you could also get Upscales or other LFS in your area to bring stuff in for you if you know what you want.

I don't grow my own food but if I did it would be rotifers.

Avoid any fish and inverts that will steal food from your corals. Avoid strict herbivores unless you can provide them enough food yourself - or unless you plan to have enough lighting to grow algae on your rocks.

Are you a PNWMAS member? I used to be when I lived in Corvallis! Loved it there. Used to drive up to Portland every weekend to go LFS shopping

 

[stunreefer]

You can see a video of my tank here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1829223

It has two 24" T5 bulbs over a 48"L x 36"W tank. Bulbs are Fiji purple and ATI Blue+.

 

[pledosophy]

Lighting is personal preference. I'd probably go with more than a single actinic if you go T5. Maybe 1 actinic and one 14K bulb.

For online ordering I like DD. BZ gets some cool stuff in now and then too, and Cherry Corals is starting a non-photo section (but they've always had nice LPS). Phishy Business is my LFS now and they have a great selection. You can order online from them since you are in Oregon. I'm sure you could also get Upscales or other LFS in your area to bring stuff in for you if you know what you want.

I don't grow my own food but if I did it would be rotifers.

Avoid any fish and inverts that will steal food from your corals. Avoid strict herbivores unless you can provide them enough food yourself - or unless you plan to have enough lighting to grow algae on your rocks.

Are you a PNWMAS member? I used to be when I lived in Corvallis! Loved it there. Used to drive up to Portland every weekend to go LFS shopping

Thanks for the tips. I was wondering how someone from Columbus knew about Travis shop.

I am a member of PNWMAS, it is an awesome group.

Is there a list of corals that do well in these tanks, or do you just go buy how deep they are collected from and there eating habits?

Also I have seen a lot of variations in what tank temp people are keeping. Any suggestions of what works and why?

Thanks. Sorry to ask so much, I did the reading first, just not to much out there I am finding yet.

 

[Aquabacs]

For the listing of corals, I will work on starting a thread later today on that. It is a question that is asked often. Once the thread is started I will ask the moderators to make it a sticky.

For temperture, you need to look at the depths that non-photosynthetic corals are collected. Suitable temperture can be anywhere in the lower range of the 70's works well with keeping them. If you want you can even drop the temp to the upper to mid 60's.

Mike

 

[stunreefer]

Mikes' thread will be much more informative (and better ), but here's a little blurb I've posted about NPS before:

IMO there are three main "types/kinds/classes" (call it what you will) of "NPS" coral:

1.) Gorgonians/Sea Fans
2.) Soft Corals (Scleronepthya, Dendronepthya, etc.)
3.) Large Polyp Meat Eaters (Dendrophylliidae, Flabellidae, etc.)

At the moment I'm stocking and keeping an eye out for strictly #3. I do love NPS gorgs, but these are much harder to care for. They require specific flow rates and current speeds in combination with multiple (expensive) feedings a day, if not continuously.

I want nothing more to have long-term success with NPS soft coral, however that statement is almost an oxy-moron as we've discovered (only in the past couple years) that the majority of these corals only live 2 max years in nature. These corals also require a basically constant food source, but they're much more forgiving in regards to flow.

With any of the above "classes" I've designated, they do require pristine water, not as pristine as SPS, but the difference is negligible. These corals can most definitely handle a parameter swing better than most SPS, but the constant food is a killer - don't feed 'em for a day and you'll wipe your tank. Which leads to the next problem, removing the nutrients that (in certain situations) we are constantly introducing due to feeding - not to mention the food necessary for our fish!

For any of the above coral a stong nutrient export system is an ablsolute must, which is why many NPS keepers run "bacterial driven" systems of some kind. Many NPS keepers use Denitrators and/or liquid PO4 removers rather than a bacterial driven system, however most of these people still dose a carbon source at least (vodka). Personally I prefer running a solid bacterial driven system as IMO/IME Denitrators and liquid PO4 removers are a PITA, however there are many ways to skin a cat. Currently I'm utilizing Prodibio and H2O changes and it's working great. I do not have to "broadcast feed" as some do for their gorgonians and NPS softies, so my nutrient load is much more managable.

Another note to mention is regarding Ca/Alk supplementation - generally not necessary with an NPS tank. Because we HAVE to do weekly water changes (bi-weekly at most) to keep nutrients down, Ca/Alk is kept in line with no additional supplementation. Most NPS are non-hermatypic (non-reef building), so their calcification rates are incredibly low compared to the Acros and other coral we generally keep.

 

[uhuru]

Sudden temp variations can cause problems with the more delicate species. My crinoid started moving around A LOT during the heat wave, and my lightning sponge started losing tissue. It was a 6-8 degree jump followed by a 6-8 degree fall. In Oregon, like Ohio you shouldn't have a problem keeping the tank in the low 70s for most of the year, though you might have to use a chiller during the summer as I know you guys can have some pretty nasty heat waves too.

For many of the gorgs if you can keep one type you can keep most (avoid the blueberry gorg). Spiral corals have gotten pretty popular and many seem to be having success with them. I'd like to see other varieties of black corals enter the hobby. Branching types and bushy types would be awesome. Of course tubastrea and dendrophyllia can do well in a variety of tanks as long as they are target fed regularly. Chili corals are probably the easiest of the soft corals and Dendronephthya and Scleronephthya the most difficult.

 

[GreshamH]

I'd like to see other varieties of black corals enter the hobby. Branching types and bushy types would be awesome.

In time I know of some that are in the permitting phase right now and one of them is a branching type. Cross your fingers