Corals

I ran that same light over my 75 for over a year.You'll like it.
For now,I'd just burn the bulbs that come with the fixture.Worry about changing them out in about 11 months to a year.
As for test kits.You'll need the standard set of ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and PH.Add to that calcium,alkalinity,and magnesium.I'll even suggest Salifert for the magnesium kit.
 
Also need some direction on what corals to start with. I really like polyps and acro. Just not sure which to start with on a new tank. Btw anyone have any success with the coral packs on liveaquaria?
 
i'm just so confused on what to start out with coral wise :P. I really like zoos, Gsp, candy cane, torch,acro,sun corals. ARGG the choices :(
 
My advice on which corals to start with.Zooanthids,leathers,things of that nature.Their more forgiving of water quality and dosing/testing mistakes.
After 6 or 7 months with the softies,add a couple of LPS corals.Hammer,frogspawn,and torch seem to be the hardiest to begin with.
MAke sure you parameters are stable and that you can keep them way before you start adding SPS.Acros aint that hard to keep,but all it takes to wipe them out is one little slip up,this parameter getting too low or that one getting too high.
 
Good choices for beginner corals. Do you plan on getting clowns? If so a toadstool would be another good addition. Also some colorful mushrooms or ricordias. I also dip my corals in a iodine dip before they get added to my main tank. I keep my PH at 8.3 Calcium between 400-450 Alk 3-4meq/L Mag- 1450-1500.
 
+1 Piggy
Its a good idea to dip new corals.I give all new corals a 15 to 20 minute dip in lugols solution before adding them to the tank.
 
I would for sure go with the leather, I am really new to all of this too. I got a frag of a leather from a local reefer and it has taken off in my tank not sure what I am doing but it seems really happy!!
 
You have been given great advice so far concerning lighting and water parameters. Absolutely get the extra test kits because you will use them very often at first until you get a good feel for how the paramiters line out. Use only RO water. If you havent in the past start doing all of your water changes with RO, preferably RO/DI if you can. This will help avoid other problems later.
Coral ideas will fall to what you and as you said earlier (your wife) like. My wife loves getting to help me pick out corals and fish for the tank. Although she always wants stuff we cant have...ha.
Check out the link below. It is a much cheaper site and some really nice frags for the price. I would do softies low in the tank, and they will spread like wild fire. Capt suggested once to glue the green star polops to the back wall and watch them become your background. That is a neat idea and reguardless of what color your background is it well be purple soon. Do the LPS you like mid tank and any SPS upper tank. Monti's are more forgiving than acros and some are super cool.
Some polops for you to consider.
http://www.petsolutions.com/Medium-Zoanthid-Frag+I402963P+C40003220.aspx
http://www.petsolutions.com/Small-Zoanthid-Frag+I402955P+C40003220.aspx
 
The lights you picked out will be great for your tank. You should not be restricted in the types of corals you can keep by the lights.

I suggest starting off with some easy corals -- skip the acropora (SPS) corals for now. They are tougher to keep. Start with mushrooms, zoanthids, and LPS corals.

Liveaquaria.com does have some really good "beginner" packs, and I have ordered several of them in the past. Their zoanthid, mushroom and LPS packs are great.
 

Similar threads

Hellybell80
Corals dying
Replies
16
Views
3K
Hellybell80
Hellybell80
UnshackledAI
Looking for Feedback on my Aquarium Plan
Replies
5
Views
2K
claidheamdanns
claidheamdanns
Sherrell Rell
Ekkk...I have no idea what I'm getting into!
Replies
1
Views
2K
Becky
Becky
J
New to Forums: Question about lights
Replies
9
Views
2K
pkc
P
Shep
Starting Corals
2
Replies
28
Views
3K
ReeferRob
R
Back
Top