newbie needs help

[Maunus]

Hi! I am posting this on the various coral forums.

I am planning a 120 gallon tank. 150 gallon rubbermaid trough will be the sump. I will have halides, a GREAT skimmer, live sand and live rock. I currently have a 75 gallon with all that and T 5 lights. my fish and corals, simple corals, are doing great.

can you recommend specific corals I might try first, and where to buy them. I am a beginner with corals. I have had my 75 gallon probably 1 1/2 years with good success and expert advice.

I plan on this 120 gallon to have lots of interesting corals of all types, and some coral safe fish.

I definitely need advice!! I will buy good quality test kits, and probably use whatever that 2 part solution is for calcium and alkalinity.

please send ALL your ideas!!! thanks very much!
best

bob

 

[pisces4u]

GSP, xenia, mushrooms, leathers, and zoanthids are usually recommended as good starting corals. The problem is GSP, Xenia, and Mushrooms spread so fast in good conditions that people who start with them and stick with the hobby for a few years end up regretting putting them in their tank.

My advice would be take your time, let your tank cycle and mature at a relaxed pace, and don't rush into coral purchasing. If your tank has been up a month or so and you start seeing pieces you LOVE, then give them a try one or two at a time. Only get pieces that you will like to look at every day and won't mind if they spread fast.

 

[sks4613]

Thats some good advice!

 

[mr chris]

patience,start with softies

 

[svynx]

GSP, xenia, mushrooms, leathers, and zoanthids are usually recommended as good starting corals. The problem is GSP, Xenia, and Mushrooms spread so fast in good conditions that people who start with them and stick with the hobby for a few years end up regretting putting them in their tank.

My advice would be take your time, let your tank cycle and mature at a relaxed pace, and don't rush into coral purchasing. If your tank has been up a month or so and you start seeing pieces you LOVE, then give them a try one or two at a time. Only get pieces that you will like to look at every day and won't mind if they spread fast.

So true. I started with red/green mushrooms about 8 months ago. Now, I wish I hadn't put them in. Having one rock covered isn't a problem, but in a very short period of time they spread and now I'm having to manually remove them. They are very fast growers. From what I can tell, they don't have the "chemical warfare" that other corals do, but they take up so much landscaping that they can kill other corals before they have a chance.

 

[russelll]

I think you will find the mushrooms do have toxicity in thier slime. Good advice above - start small go slow and stay away from Xenia, it doesnt have a "foot" as such can wonder over the rockwork normally on top of something special (I watched one head move accross a zooanthid colony towards the light source a couple of months on the zoos are back up and I have taken a scapel to that head !!! It will given reasonable conditions grow at a rate of knots - you thought the mushrooms spread quickly.
Good luck and always leave a little room cause you wont stop finding things to add - then you'll buy a bigger tank !!

 

[Akimbo]

If you put xenia, GSP, or shrooms in your tank...isolate them on a rock