new, first, coral added, any tips?

[Tooboot]

So the coal/fish store I buy from had a boxing day sale. I went for a featherduster and some snails and crabs. Came back with my first coral (a month sooner than planned but I felt the tank was ready given it had cycled since October and had livestock in there for about a month)

Didn't get much because from the start I've wanted to take it slow adding things to the tank.

I bought two zoa colonies, and one hammer coral. Polyps retract at nigh and open up in the morning. Here are some pics from this morning. Th hammer coral seems to still be adjusting as it retract quite a bit at night but tentacles seem to be extending more day after day.

 

[Tooboot]

I'll post parameters for you all to comment on tonight, and will try to add pictures of the zoas (can't seem to upload those from my phone).

I was more concerned with the hammer coral and your thoughts on how it is doing based on the pictures. I plan to glue the plug to some rubble and place it a bit higher than the sandbed within the next week, just want to give it some time to get used to the tank.

 

[Tooboot]

One of two added zoa colonies

 

[Sk8r]

You've been sold two species that don't like each other all that well, and one of them is a stony, requiring higher light than the zoas. Put the zoas down low, and near the outflow of the tank, the hammer on the top level, near the light, near the inflow, run a bag of carbon in your water-stream in the sump to prevent coral spats, and be sure your alkalinity, calcium level, and magnesium levels are 8.3, 420, and 1350 respectively. THere's a sticky up top about water parameters that will help you.

 

[jeremyaucoin]

You've been sold two species that don't like each other all that well, and one of them is a stony, requiring higher light than the zoas. Put the zoas down low, and near the outflow of the tank, the hammer on the top level, near the light, near the inflow, run a bag of carbon in your water-stream in the sump to prevent coral spats, and be sure your alkalinity, calcium level, and magnesium levels are 8.3, 420, and 1350 respectively. THere's a sticky up top about water parameters that will help you.

+1 on this.

 

[Tooboot]

You've been sold two species that don't like each other all that well, and one of them is a stony, requiring higher light than the zoas. Put the zoas down low, and near the outflow of the tank, the hammer on the top level, near the light, near the inflow, run a bag of carbon in your water-stream in the sump to prevent coral spats, and be sure your alkalinity, calcium level, and magnesium levels are 8.3, 420, and 1350 respectively. THere's a sticky up top about water parameters that will help you.

thanks for this. I've been checking parameters weekly without coral in anticipation, so an increase on the frequency will not be an issue. last I had check, day before adding the coral, my alk, calcium, and mag levels were: 8, 415, 1300. I plan on doing another round of testing tonight and may dose if required.

thanks for the tip on the carbon bag, will add that tonight too. I knew they wouldn't get along too well if kept close (reason why they are kept apart) but didn't think they would be too bad in a 46G tank together having seen some mature tanks with a variety of coral. carbon going in tonight either way, better safe than sorry.

As for the lights, I do plan on moving the hammer higher up this weekend, just wanted to give it some time to get accustomed to my tank. Zoas I hear are quite hardy, and I've read mixed posts on their lighting considerations, some say low light only, others say it doesn't matter so long as you acclimate them to the light levels. I am currently using some DIY lights with a mix of Blue and Whites (varying wavelengths) and a couple of violets, total wattage at max would be around 92W, but I have the whites tuned down to about 20%, and an average for the blues at 80%.

my concern with moving the hammer too far up is the increase in flow in my tank in the upper area. where it is now, and where I plan to place it longer term, has some shelter from the flow.

I would say that one mistake I made was adding these the week I return to work, I can't keep an eye on how they are doing throughout the day when the lights are on.

Thanks for the tips and feedback, always appreciate Sk8r's advice (can I be your apprentice, lol)

 

[Tooboot]

Overall I am seeing this as an opportunity to test my tank and reef keeping capabilities. I really do want to keep Zoas, and the hammer was just something a bit more difficult to test my abilities. not that I want to use livestock as a lab experiment but at 12$ for the Zoas and 10$ for the hammer coral, I figured why not give it a try. I also got to test out my coral dipping ability and process, something I now know I need to refine.

 

[homer1475]

All my euphyllia like to be about mid tank. One of the best pieces of advice I got when starting with euphyllia, "place them so the tentacles just wiggle".

The main problem being that they have a sharp skeleton, and with their polyps being blown about they have the tendency to cut their polyps on their stony skeletons. Which will cause all sorts of issues long term.

Lighting is subjective, none like to be blasted with light. My frogspawns like subdued lighting, while my torch and hammers like to be in more direct light. It often takes a few weeks to find a nice spot where they are comfortable, which IMO is never where you want them to be.

Depending on the zoa, flow isn't an issue as I have some growing directly in front of my MP10, and others like the sandbed. Again depending on the colony, some like high light, and some like more subdued lighting.

Move them around and see where they extend the best and stay extended, then you'll know they are happy in their spot.

 

[Sk8r]

What you're setting up is called a 'mixed reef', and it sounds as if you are going about it in a good way. The carbon will suck up the coral spit---zoas aren't as spitty as leathers, but still, it just keeps peace. The hammer doesn't have long tentacles or sweepers, but these can lengthen, so keep an eye on spacing. Give most corals about 6" around them and let them sort it out.

 

[Nandez13]

You shouldn't have a problem with Zoas and a Hammer in the same tank. Every other tank probably has this combinaton. I did for many years before trading my hammer.

Hammers can extend their sweepers a good amount so it's best to give them some distance irregardless of what other corals you are keeping.

The Zoas can acclimate to just about any light. They can definitely survive in lower light better compared to SPS and LPS, but that doesn't necessarily make them a "low light" coral. That's a very common and misleading comment that is made in this hobby.

 

[Tooboot]

I haven't settled on exactly where I want them yet, none are glued in place yet. I'll keep monitoring and thinking of a good place/home for them in the tank, I seem to be questioning my rockscape too nowadays but still happy with it (maybe just add more rock). Just saying, I think I'll always be questioning coral placement like I'm questioning my rockscape now.
Thanks for the advice.

I know we shouldn't add too many fish all at once, but what about coral, what is an acceptable amount to add to a tank at once, how long between adding new coral. Probably depends heavily on size of tank and tank maturity, but what are some of your experiences

 

[Tooboot]

So not ideal but I am dosing to correct it, my recent results from parameter tests:

Mg 1290
Cal 399
Alk 8
Salinity is on their money at 1.025

Trying to elevate a bit