coral placement 70gal - please advice

[balajeek15]

I would like to setup a mixed tank with SPS/LPS with nice color contrast, I need help in coral suggestion and placement position. I would like to buy all of them during this BF2018 sale, I will not be adding any fishes for another 3 months or so.

Here is the aqua-scape of my tank as three sections:

- 1st section stacked flat rocks bigger to smaller in the top with 3 piller like suspension,
- 2nd section like a V-shape tree (i could expand adding more on top) with rock connect to 3rd section
- 3rd section like two foot ball stacked on top with a lot of caves and holes.
(I do have many tongo rocks in my sump now and will try to place if I have any better idea)

FYI: my rock structures are all fixed and i can't disturb them. I raised the entire rocks 4" up so none of the rock is touching the glass and sand bed of clear of rocks, some barely touching the sand. There is lot of room surrounding each sections. You can see two power heads on the back pointing to the back side of the rocks. (I wonder if i can change that to middle in opposite direction push to side walls).

I don't have much of experience with coral and their growths and in the past with old tanks i had placed them where it looked good, so please help me suggest corals and their placements.

 

[balajeek15]

some i have in mind that i like:
- zonthid frag colonies
- nice colored mushrooms
- leather coral
- greenstar polyps
- wavy corals that look like anemone (of course i will get an anemone now for my later planned clown)
- Acropora and similar

 

[Auto-pilot]

If it's not a mature tank you might have a hard time with some types of corals. Might want to experiment with some corals before you buy a ton and add them all at once. If you get SPS put them neat the top and lps near the bottom to avoid the SPS from getting g stung. If you get any scollys or wellos( didn't spell those right) or similar brain corals they might like to be hidden a little more under that arch as some don't like direct light.

 

[balajeek15]

If it's not a mature tank you might have a hard time with some types of corals. Might want to experiment with some corals before you buy a ton and add them all at once. If you get SPS put them neat the top and lps near the bottom to avoid the SPS from getting g stung. If you get any scollys or wellos( didn't spell those right) or similar brain corals they might like to be hidden a little more under that arch as some don't like direct light.

thanks for your feedback, yes i agree its not a mature tank, please tell some of the types of corals that require a mature tank so i can try just one in first round if it works out then may be a year later i will add more.

 

[Algaewarrior]

I would not add an anemone until your tank is more mature. Clowns don't need anemones for survival. I have even seen them host gonioporas. For wavy corals that look similar try euphillias: frogspawn, hammer heads, torches, and octospawns. If you really want green star polyps isolate them to their own island or they will take over everything.

 

[Auto-pilot]

I advise against green star, euphillias are easy I agree! There are some really cool leathers that you can try! Blastos, tooth coral acans are easy, Duncan's are fun to feed and are easy

 

[Auto-pilot]

If you get mushrooms that can explode and go everywhere

 

[balajeek15]

I would not add an anemone until your tank is more mature. Clowns don't need anemones for survival. I have even seen them host gonioporas. For wavy corals that look similar try euphillias: frogspawn, hammer heads, torches, and octospawns. If you really want green star polyps isolate them to their own island or they will take over everything.

thanks, its fun to watch clowns hosting anemones (I had in the past) so i would defiantly want one but i guess i will wait until I finish the first round corals and 3-4 months later fish selections and may be a year later will do anemone. I will look other corals you mentioned. I agree with the green star polyps as i have seen some picture which is covering most part of the tank, i will try come up with a plant for island just for green star. Just curious if green start does not find room on the rock what does it do, stop growing or can grow on sand too?

 

[Auto-pilot]

My mushroom colony.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Green star will grow across sand but it's easy to control it on the sand and just trim it back

 

[balajeek15]

My mushroom colony.

Nice, so you put in the corner of the tank, how long you had it and how much did it grow?

 

[Auto-pilot]

Brain corlas are my favorite! I got these for 20$ each because the guy who I got them from almost killed them with too much light. They are shaded a little bit in my tank and have really started to come back and grow again. You can see the blue one has alot of skeleton showing but has really started to bounce back. They are cool and if water parameters are right and your not blasting them that can be great corals

 

[Auto-pilot]

Nice, so you put in the corner of the tank, how long you had it and how much did it grow?

Had it for 6 months, got it from someone tearing their tank down and it had 10 shrooms on it. Mushrooms don't like direct light and once I put it in that shady corner they really started growing

 

[balajeek15]

Brain corlas are my favorite! I got these for 20$ each because the guy who I got them from almost killed them with too much light. They are shaded a little bit in my tank and have really started to come back and grow again. You can see the blue one has alot of skeleton showing but has really started to bounce back. They are cool and if water parameters are right and your not blasting them that can be great corals

Nice, thanks for sharing.

 

[balajeek15]

zonthid frag colonies

How fast they grow, just looking online in some places and they are just one or two polyps for lot of $$$
so i can place them appropriately with enough space.

 

[Auto-pilot]

Really depends on if they are happy with where you placed them. This colony started with 5 polyps a year ago.

 

[Auto-pilot]

These moved by themselves and it took them 2 years to grow this big.

 

[Auto-pilot]

I don't know know where your at but I'm up North in Minneapolis and if you want any frags or corals let me know and I'd be happy to give some to you!

 

[balajeek15]

I don't know know where your at but I'm up North in Minneapolis and if you want any frags or corals let me know and I'd be happy to give some to you!

I am in NJ so its not anywhere close and thank you for your kindness in offering.

 

[balajeek15]

I ordered seacheam reef dip in preparation for my coral order this black friday (wonder even its worth waiting to save $), so my question is as per the instruction its certain amount to add to 1 gal of tank water to dip corals for 5 min and discard the water. Can i put as many corals i can put in 1 gal water at the same or its only effective just one.

Also I still do the drip acclimation for corals before the dip considering I am in the fishless tank for next 3 months?