trying to start a LPS reef tank. recommendations??

[drktemplar]

Hi everyone. I'm currently starting my 2nd saltwater tank. My current tank has been up for about 6 months now. I want to start adding corals to the tank. I have one clown fish now and a CUC.

I had a SW tank a few years ago, college got to be too much and couldnt deal with it anymore. I had a FOWLR and a few corals but they died. So I'm coming to you with recommendations.

I was wondering what recommendations you guys had as to get for starting out. I want something that looks good but is hardy. I dont want to spend all that money and have it die.

thanks a bunch

 

[KRAZE]

Even though you are looking for lps, start off with some mushrooms, zoas or palys, or even some clove polyps. You can get the common ones fairly cheap, just to give yourself some color while you experiment into corals(since you had bad luck last time around) If you want to just dive right in, I would suggest favia brain corals or some acans, they are pretty hearty for the most part.

Before taking any of that advice.... what size tank? what filtration? Lighting? And have you checked you water parameters recently/do you do any supplimental dosing?

 

[drktemplar]

i have a 75G DT a 30G sump
protein skimmer for up to 150G
I have 2 LED fixtures theyre 110W each i believe with 3W LED's
I use a sump a have a mini refug in my sump with about 100 LBS of Live Rock.

my parameters are good i dont have dosers though. but do a 10% water change a week and check parameter. I add a little calcium and Alk if its too low. Mg is usually always at 1350 or so.

 

[drktemplar]

calcium is 480
alk is at 10 dkh
mg is 1320
ph is 8.0
nitrates are at 5ppm

i dont check for phosphates its a waste. If u have phosphates then theres algae if u dont have algae, then theyre low, that simple.

 

[Rockster2599]

Even though you are looking for lps, start off with some mushrooms, zoas or palys, or even some clove polyps. You can get the common ones fairly cheap, just to give yourself some color while you experiment into corals(since you had bad luck last time around)

Funny, I would suggest the opposite:eek2:
Most LPS (disregarding gonis and the like) are fairly hardy so pick what you like the look of. I started my old tank in the way Kraze suggested but found I had a tank full of stuff I wish I hadnt bought that grew like weeds and bashed the stuff I really liked.
If you only have stuff you like then you will be more motivated to take better care of it. Just keep your system simple so you dont have to permanently tweak it and buy stock that is suited to your system (lighting, flow water quality etc).
My current system is small with no sump, simple lighting, underskimmed and no extra filtration apart from the rock.

 

[KRAZE]

Funny, I would suggest the opposite:eek2:
Most LPS (disregarding gonis and the like) are fairly hardy so pick what you like the look of. I started my old tank in the way Kraze suggested but found I had a tank full of stuff I wish I hadnt bought that grew like weeds and bashed the stuff I really liked.
If you only have stuff you like then you will be more motivated to take better care of it. Just keep your system simple so you dont have to permanently tweak it and buy stock that is suited to your system (lighting, flow water quality etc).
My current system is small with no sump, simple lighting, underskimmed and no extra filtration apart from the rock.

This is also true, you don't want to end up with coral that spread everywhere and take over, however if you choose wisely on stuff you realy like and find a good spot in the tank then youwon't have a problem. The zoas I started with are nice looking, and they have their territory which adds life to tank and shouldn't bother my lps, but yes, GSP or xenia will take over lol


It doesn't look like you will need to tho, your set up is suitable and parameters are good to start. With that said, its up to personal preference on coral. I love the fleshy corals, such as wellsophylia, thrachephylia, scolymia, etc and the acans and closed brains have such cool colors especially with your LEDs. You can also get some frog spawn, hammer or torch corals that will do just fine. And like Rockster said, keep away from gonipora for now

 

[greech]

Funny, I would suggest the opposite:eek2:
Most LPS (disregarding gonis and the like) are fairly hardy so pick what you like the look of. I started my old tank in the way Kraze suggested but found I had a tank full of stuff I wish I hadnt bought that grew like weeds and bashed the stuff I really liked.
If you only have stuff you like then you will be more motivated to take better care of it. Just keep your system simple so you dont have to permanently tweak it and buy stock that is suited to your system (lighting, flow water quality etc).
My current system is small with no sump, simple lighting, underskimmed and no extra filtration apart from the rock.

+1 to avoiding "beginner" corals unless you like the look of them and/or won't mind if they spread rapidly in your tank (many do).

 

[drktemplar]

thanks everyone for the suggestions im looking at getting a hammer and maybe an acan. im not sure what kinds yet but i really like those and open brains. I'm gonna do more HW this time around instead of jumping into it like last time.

 

[mfinn]

I would suggest getting a frogspawn. They are fairly hardy and there are some great looking purple tip green ones available for decent prices.

I started a lps tank a few months ago and am sticking to branching type lps

 

[coolbreeze]

My starter was a softball size rock wit GSP on it that grew quickly and started taking over it looked really cool but was hard to control also started with a frogspawn that turned out to be my favorite piece

 

[Biocubehqi]

I had mushrooms that arrived in my tank as a hitchhiker, they drive me mad. They spread like a wild fire. Frogspawns are nice. But I love my acan and moon coral. They are def my favorite and easy to feed.

 

[etannert]

If you are worried about Gsp or shrooms taking over then just keep them on their own rock on the sand bed so they can't get on your main LR. Keep them for 6 wks so you're confident in your tank keeping things alive, then sell them/trade for store credit or other corals, or pass them to the next newbie in your reef club.

For initial LPS I suggest frogspawn/torch/hammers. I also think zoas are a really nice complement to most LPS - balance between small and large, splash of color, etc.

 

[reef kid96]

some other lps easy corals to start off with are chalice's,acan's, candy canes, and almost any type of euphyllia

 

[symon_say]

My tank is taking the route of an LPS tank, but when I start I get some "easy" corals, what I did was put then in their own rocks near the main structures but no touching it, this way is easier to control the grow, if you need to trim, you just take that rock out.

But from what I have learn in 9 month of having my tank is that corals are really hardy, you just need to keep your parameters stable.

About good corals to start frogspawn, hammer, torch, acan, scoly, duncan, fungia and moon coral have been doing great on my tank, that is bigger than yours, have parameters almost like yours, but only have 72 leds, so your tank should be fine for then.