Is this possible?

Grandreef 2

New member
I was wondering If I could do a 50/50 tank of Soft and NP Corals. I am just a beginner but I would like to try. Soft corals are so nice when they wave in the current but NPC just take your breath away with their vibrant color display and unique needs. So I was wondering If they need the same vitamins that soft corals need (calcium, iodine, exc.), what do they normally want to eat; clam meat, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, or krill. A good example of the corals I like is in Merrigs aquarium. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1595166 What are those tall branch corals in the back, how about the tree like corals (all three types) on the bottom right near and below the anthias? Why do most people say that these corals are so hard to keep? Can I keep them under 4 65w light anyway.

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just so intrigued by these corals.:fish1::D:fish1:
 
Most soft corals are easy to maintain, fast growing, and good starters for reef aquarium beginners. They can more then double in size and quantity within one year.
This near-surface-depth allows for currents which provide the soft corals with food and oxygen.
 
Well, in terms of ease of care, I would say that photosynthetic soft corals and non-photosynthetic corals, in general, are at exact opposites of the spectrum. Soft corals do well as long as there is light and decent water quality. Most non-photosynthetic corals require practically non-stop feeding along with excellent water quality. That said, soft corals can do very well in tanks designed for non-photosynthetic corals, provided they have sufficient lighting. In my tank, I use an LED spotlight directed in one particular area, which is covered with Cespitularia. The Cespitularia grows like mad and I have to constantly cut it back to keep it from encroaching on my other corals. It seems to benefit from the high nutrient input in my tank.

Since you are beginner, do not try any non-photosynthetic corals until you have a lot more experience under your belt with other easier corals and until you have done tons of research into what it takes to keep non-photo corals. There are plenty of threads on this forum that describe the methods people are using to keep these corals. Keep in mind, however, that for many of these non-photo corals, we are really only just beginning to understand what it takes to keep these corals alive. We are applying unproven methods and seeing what works. It's frontier territory out here.

In the meantime, there are in fact some soft corals that are sort of on the cusp between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic. These corals seem to need good lighting, but also benefit from the feeding required in a non-photo tank. These are corals such as Lemnalia sp. and Stereonephthya (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+1492+2295+2548&pcatid=2548). If you start with a soft coral tank, these might be good corals to attempt as a sort of intermediate between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic. Also, photosynthetic gorgonians (photosynthetic versions of the "tall branch corals" you see in Merriq's tank) are good candidates. They aren't as colorful, but they have similar requirements.
 
If it not to much trouble can you possible make me a small basic list of different species of NPC?

Hope this is not to much to ask for
 
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