How do I grow soft corals?

[Raymundoreef]

How can i grow soft coral fast and most efficiently?
What kind of lights, skimmer,water flow, food, chemicals etc...?

 

[Nanook]

How can i grow soft coral fast and most efficiently?
What kind of lights, skimmer,water flow, food, chemicals etc...?

Water: Reverse Osmosis Deionized Water aka RODI (purified water for saltwater).

Lights: T5, VHO or metal halide bulbs.

Skimmer: Depends on the tank size???

Water flow: Moderate.

Food: Not necessary if you feed a few fish.

Chemicals: Not necessary.

 

[tom obrecht]

This is what I did. Not saying it is THE way to do things, but I did have pretty good success with softies. The nice thing about softies is that they do well in water that is not always pristine like sps. Hope this helps.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-05/totm/index.php

 

[Piersonlove]

Gorgonian?

Gorgonian?

What kind of large gorgonian is that in the May 2006 tank of the month? Where can I find one

 

[tom obrecht]

What kind of large gorgonian is that in the May 2006 tank of the month? Where can I find one

I believe Plexaurella if memory serves. I say that for when the polyps were retracted it had a smooth texture. As far as purchasing one I can't really say. My LFS at the time the tank was being stocked had them come in occassionally but that would have been a good 8-10 years ago. To be honest since then I have not seen them available. Not sure if this is because they are not collected anymore or if the demand is not there due to the fact sps corals are so much more demanded. Perhaps if you contact some of the longer standing suppliers (Tropicorium or Dr. Mac and Sons) they could help you out. Good luck!

 

[Piersonlove]

Thank You