upgrading to hard corals???????????????????? help

[stickyhops]

i have been growing softies for a while now, but am looking to get into the hard coral world.

i currently test for:

nitrate
nitrite
alkalinity
calcium
pH
phosphate

i stay withing the oceanic range of all tests above.

i keep my 33 gal tank 77-78F with a 5 gal water change weekly.

what do i need to monitor/test/add in order to move up to hard corals?????

thanks

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

you got it. I don't see ammonia on your list though. I would test for that over nitrite tests.

 

[Michael]

hi-sticky well id suggest the important 4.

1 calcium
2 magnesium
3 kh (hardness)
4 ph

its obvious that you are on top of the basics, ammonia, nitrite , nitrate, temperature and sg/salinity

so you need to get to grips with the big 4, firstly id ask you what salt you use, the reason is depending on the salt it will add to what you need to dose to maintain parameters, after 1 year and keeping softies you are experienced and upping the bar level to hard corals wont be a problem for you i believe, providing you understand what levels the big 4 need to be at and how to get there, it should be a breeze for you, just keep doing what you are now but spend more time testing and monitoring, after 1 year i think you should be ready for hard corals, anything pacific you need to know then ask, im no top expert at hard corals but have several myself and will always be more than happy to help

 

[joeychitwood]

You didn't mention your lighting. What kind of lights are you running?

 

[jhildebrand]

Need current levels tested. Tank pic? If this thing is loaded with softies, it may be more difficult to do stonies. They give off toxins that can inhibit the growth of stony corals (some are particularly bad - toadstools, sinularia). How much flow do you have in this tank? Lighting?

 

[lenny8671]

wow didnt know that hard corals were so much more complex to keep...

 

[Michael]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14798595#post14798595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joeychitwood
You didn't mention your lighting. What kind of lights are you running?

oh-yes one other factor as joey rightly mentioned, it would be of great benefit to know what type of lighting you have

 

[reefworm]

a bit more. Ditto what others have said, particularly lighting and Mg test. the latter is a big player in keeping your Ca++ stable. Stonies use more than softies do, obviously, so you'll need to replenish more often by way of kalk drip or a 2-part [Randy has a cheap, homemade formula over in the chem forum]. LPS need more light, and SPS even more. That said, I've kept LPS successfully under PC lighting, though they were healthy, they didn't grow as quickly as they would under MH light. Spend some time in the coral and chem forums and you'll gather lots of helpful info. Pick up a copy of Borneman's Aquarium Corals if you haven't already and you've got a good base of info. As was said, softies will wage chemical warfare, and LPS will send out sweeper tentacles to sting the competition, even to death, so placement will be an issue. for both softies and LPS light to moderate flow is good, but SPS need lots more. From my experience and what I've heard here, Euphylia sp. would be good to start with when you make the move, given the above advice. Good luck and keep us posted! You've done well thus far to ask and do the research, and you seem to be on top of water quality, which is absolutely the key here.

Michael - the Liverpool/Man. Utd. race has certainly gotten interesting!

 

[Michael]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14798732#post14798732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefworm


Michael - the Liverpool/Man. Utd. race has certainly gotten interesting!

your right there, im stressed at the mo, its been 19 years since i screamed with delight after winning the title, we are so close now, i can hardly sleep, i will be glad when its all over either way so i can relax again

 

[chris4869]

How much flow do you have in your tank? SPS need more flow than LPS. I think it'll be an easy transition for you just by the fact that you change your water on a weekly basis.