Want to start Coral

[Piggy]

This is my next step. I got my tank up and running with two fish plus one in QT. I would like to start corals. Where do I begin? If you know of any good articles to read let me know. This is all new to me so I need to start from the beginning.

 

[yote]

https://www.livingreefs.com/forums/saltwater-aquarium-articles/2213-beginners-coral-primer.html

Thats about as good an article as there is Piggy.

 

[bobby]

Wait till your tanks atleast two months old, then if everything is stable try a hardy coral like GPS (green star polyps), kenya, shrooms ect...

 

[bobby]

Also you need good lighting. What kind of light do you have?

 

[Piggy]

Tanks been up for almost a year. So I know I can start putting corals in.

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

i like frogspawns, hamerheads, shrooms and gsp........ there all pretty hardy and look beautiful

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, all the ones that have been mentioned so far are good. If you want something a little more "different", try an open brain.

 

[reeffreak]

What lights were you running Piggy?

That would determine on what corals would do best.

 

[Piggy]

Have 260 watts cf my bulbs are 12000k and acctinic to each.

 

[reeffreak]

You would be fine with any soft and LPS corals.

I can list corals for days so if you see something you like,ask us and we can give some care tips and of their hardiness.

 

[Piggy]

I would like to start with something easy so I was thinking Mushroom. I like the stripped ones. Also what about duster clusers?

 

[reeffreak]

Mushrooms make a good choice.

I always like to start with schrooms and zoos.The feather duster should be easy too but you may need to dose the tank with phytoplankton.(concentrated micro algae)

 

[Piggy]

Should I wait until after I get my refugium set up or will it be ok to start. Going to order the hang on. How big should I get? I was thinking the med or large one.

 

[reeffreak]

It doesn't really matter if you start now or wait til after you get a refugium.I always recommend the biggest fuge that will fit.If your needing space for the skimmer or other equipment then the medium maybe a better choice.

 

[Piggy]

Do I need to QT them? Also has anyone ordered any on line?

 

[Bifferwine]

Quarantining corals? You don't need to quarantine corals. But you should dip them before adding them to your tank. Corals can come with all sorts of bugs. Some people give them a freshwater dip, but I use an iodine dip. You can also buy coral dip solutions and just follow the directions on the bottle.

I've ordered corals online, never had a problem. Prices are cheap, but shipping is steep, so it's not usually worth it unless you buy several corals at the same time. Plus, if you go and buy them at your LFS you know exactly what you're getting. I've had good luck with Saltwater Fish, Corals, Invertebrates, Clams & Live Rock, eTropicals.com - Live fish, corals, inverts, plants, live rock & sand, and Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums.

 

[hibye]

for feather dusters all you need is plankton dt is what i use

 

[reeffreak]

The only coral that can be freshwater dip is Zoos and Palys.You can iodine dip corals in saltwater though.Of course,not in the DT but a separate container.I doubt if its necessary with mushrooms though.I've ordered mushroom packages from Blue Zoo Aquatics but you don't get to see what kind you're getting.Liveaquaria is another good place.I would only use online as a last resort when LFS doesn't have what you're looking for.

 

[Piggy]

I want to get my refugium ordred. I need a hang on back type. I've been looking at the Large Aquafuge. Is this a ggod choice? Also do I need a seperate light for it?

I'll probably order coral on line because I sold my car today thinking it would take a couple months to sell so I'm carless until I find one I like.

Thanks for the help.

 

[reeffreak]

The Aquafuge is a good choice.If it doesn't come with a light then yeah,you will need one.