LPS Recommendations for Beginners
- Thread starter nmywrx
- Start date
I hate to say, but the first step should be trading the softies for the lps, because the two don't get along without problems. Softies spit chemicals designed to clear their areas, and it results in unhappy lps and sps.
If you wish to try, I'd suggest running carbon to remove those chemicals, and to position the lps upcurrent of the softies...BUT: bubble and tentacled lps will sting their neighbors to move THEM out, so be sure to allow 6" for the longest-tentacled lps.
Short tentacled, hardy: caulestra [candy cane].
Medium: frog and hammer [can touch each other], maze brain.
Long: bubble [a shade stony], galaxea [6-8"]
Mobile: plate coral [expert only]
All but bubble like moderate to bright light.
You might
consider leaving your successful AC24 for softies and setting up a separate system for the stonies---that's how you blow the rest of the funds the first tank didn't get.
On the other hand, you could investigate some of the more exotic softies, which do get along [not because they're friendly, but because they have defenses against chemical spitting.]
If you wish to try, I'd suggest running carbon to remove those chemicals, and to position the lps upcurrent of the softies...BUT: bubble and tentacled lps will sting their neighbors to move THEM out, so be sure to allow 6" for the longest-tentacled lps.
Short tentacled, hardy: caulestra [candy cane].
Medium: frog and hammer [can touch each other], maze brain.
Long: bubble [a shade stony], galaxea [6-8"]
Mobile: plate coral [expert only]
All but bubble like moderate to bright light.
You might
consider leaving your successful AC24 for softies and setting up a separate system for the stonies---that's how you blow the rest of the funds the first tank didn't get.On the other hand, you could investigate some of the more exotic softies, which do get along [not because they're friendly, but because they have defenses against chemical spitting.]
nmywrx
New member
I am currently building a house and putting in a 150 gallon in-wall. The AP24 is kind of my practice tank, but I am in the planning phases for the 150. Would you suggest waiting for the 150 to do any stoney corals, and in a tank that size can you do both softies and stoney?
Also what are some examples of the "exotic softies" you were refering to.
Also what are some examples of the "exotic softies" you were refering to.
Jefe12234
New member
Some soft corals do release secondary metabolites in order to compete with surrounding corals for space. I think the leather corals are the ones best known for this. But you don't need to go trading them away in order to keep stoneys. Lots of people keep soft and stoney corals together, including myself. For the most part it doesn't seem to cause problems, but if you do observe problems or just want to be proactive then running some carbon should help remove those secondary metabolites. I run a small amount of carbon in an internal filter that sits in my sump. It gets changed every couple weeks.
As for easy to keep LPS, I've found most of them to be pretty forgiving with just a few exceptions. Goniopora, Heliofungia (long tentacled plate coral), and Catalaphyllia (elegance coral) are the few LPS I can think of that are generally regarded as more difficult to acclimate and maintain. Non-photosynthetics like Tubastraea (sun coral) and Dendrophyllia need to be fed regularly in order to survive, but are otherwise pretty durable. I have found Turbinaria to be particularly forgiving along with many types of closed brains (Favia, Favites, Platygyra, Acanthastrea, Montastrea). I had a couple problems with Euphyllia earlier (a torch and a hammer coral), but now have a hammer that does fine. Caulastrea seems to survive in my tanks, but never grows new heads. (Others seem to have more luck with it).
I think you should definitely try a couple LPS. As long as you stay away from the few difficult corals, you should be fine.
As for easy to keep LPS, I've found most of them to be pretty forgiving with just a few exceptions. Goniopora, Heliofungia (long tentacled plate coral), and Catalaphyllia (elegance coral) are the few LPS I can think of that are generally regarded as more difficult to acclimate and maintain. Non-photosynthetics like Tubastraea (sun coral) and Dendrophyllia need to be fed regularly in order to survive, but are otherwise pretty durable. I have found Turbinaria to be particularly forgiving along with many types of closed brains (Favia, Favites, Platygyra, Acanthastrea, Montastrea). I had a couple problems with Euphyllia earlier (a torch and a hammer coral), but now have a hammer that does fine. Caulastrea seems to survive in my tanks, but never grows new heads. (Others seem to have more luck with it).
I think you should definitely try a couple LPS. As long as you stay away from the few difficult corals, you should be fine.
GobyJohnKenobi
New member
Trumpets!
Feed them mysis and they will split like crazy.
Feed them mysis and they will split like crazy.
