Help me choose my first corals!

[tommydee]

Taking the plunge for the first time from FOWLR to reef, never done this before. All 0's on water parameters, temp about 82, salt at 1.024. I'm thinking of starting with some star polyps and mushrooms, then a BTA for my 2 clowns. Any other ideas? I'm thinking no more than 2 corals this weekend, wait a few weeks, then add the BTA.

I've had the 30 g FOWLR going for about 6 months, and just added a Nova extreme 4 light T5 (man, it's bright compared to a single T8 bulb)

My goals are pretty humble, just want some cool things for the kids to look at, maybe some things that flouresce, just a standard "Nemo" tank. But, I'm new, so nothing too fragile/finicky, or difficult to feed.

Give me some ideas!

 

[scadsobees]

I like pulsing xenia...not so colorful but the constant movement is pretty fascinating. I like it as much at the kids do....

Some of the easier corals like GSP and xenia are more aggressive growth wise, which is great for beginners. They can be controlled by keeping them on rocks on the sandbed and so on. The more experienced reefers tend to detest them...:hammer: Maybe someday for me....

 

[happyclam]

Clove polyps, green star polyps, mushrooms, and the various leathers all seem to very easy to keep corals in my experience. they have not grown a whole lot while I have had them (~4 months), but that is because I am stuck with PC lighting over a 125g tank.

 

[stingythingy45]

Try a nice colorful ricordea Florida.

 

[BeanMachine]

If possible I would recommend lowering your tank temp just a bit, and raise the SG to 1.025 or 26.

Careful with GSP and xenia, it can get out of control and hard to get rid of in the future. They are both very easy to keep and will give you great color and movement though.

Zoanthids and palys are also easy to keep. Most leathers, etc.

 

[theitalianczech]

various leathers would work especially a toadstool leather would be a nice choice..some mushrooms would add some color along with some zoas/polyps

 

[tommydee]

Thanks everyone, you guys rock in this forum! My temp has come down to 79/80 now that i have a T5 fixture over open tank (closed hood kept in the head, and i live in PR, so house is warm).

Will my T5 4 bulb (2 daylight/2 actinic)be too much for a mushroom? I would think not, but just checking....going shopping tomorrow, will let everyone know.

 

[tommydee]

picked up 2 GSP frags, a pulsating xenia, and 2 featherduster worms. 4 days in, so far, so good.

everything is opening up, and my fish are behaving. One thing, found some baby mantis hitchhikers just now...so far they are behaving, but I'm considering deporting them soon. Will they shred these corals?

I guess I've been initiated!

 

[sepulvd]

good luck on ur new corals.

 

[manicmatt]

Id definitely try to get rid of the mantis. I've never heard good things regarding them unless its a species only tank.

 

[tommydee]

Mantis gone....but my fears on water temp are being realized, it want's to spike up to 84 in the afternoon. I live in PR, so a chiller will be cheaper than electric bills to keep the house cooler. Love having T5's my LR is getting all sorts of cool purple color.

back to the equip forum to shop for a chiller....love the reef tank, but don't love the credit card bills!

 

[tommydee]

1 month plus update, and a few questions. So far, the Xenia is growing like crazy, same original stocks, just bigger all around. The GSP's seem happy, but haven't "spread" as much as I thought. I lost one of the featherdusters, removed the tube , and found a "replacement" little guy behind the original. I've exiled my 2 baby mantis..so I guess I'm net 0 loss, and enjoying it! A few questions:

1. I'm battling green hair algae, and blue-green...these have started to slow, but now some brown stuff on the glass (diatoms?) Everything in tank still happy, and water params all good.

2. I want to consider a mushroom, a Zoo, and perhaps an anemone for my clownfish. I'm assuming I should wait to see if I cycle through the algae issue, or am I good to go?

3. Temp is back down, thorugh fans, but it does fluctuate from 80 in the AM to -82ish each afternoon. Is this acceptable for the featherdusters, GSP, Xenia, and possible new softies ?

4. So far, the wisdom of this board has kept me relatively successful, so I open it again to suggestions on next addition(s) My LR still seems a bit lonely (though it is nice to see coralline in place of Green Algae), what else can I put in that adds color, is relatively inexpensive, and somewhat hardy for my noob tendencies?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[BeanMachine]

Do you test for phosphates? It might be part of the new tank process but depending on where the live rock came from it may be leaching nitrates and po4 sort of like a sponge. I would wait on adding anything. First I'd get a reactor with gfo. That would help and keep up with the water changes.

Before a water change use a turkey baster and blast the junk off the rocks so its floating around and you can suck it out. Also pull whatever hair algae up and syphon that up as well.

Oh and I think your temp is a lil high but OK so long as you keep it stable like you are.