Easy Corals for Ten Gallon Reef

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

Light: Current USA Orbit Marine
Filtration: live rock, canister filter, UV sterilizer, and soon to be Mame Protein Skimmer

More rock is coming soon.

I'm new to reefing, I'm wondering what corals I could keep as well as possibility of keeping an anemone? Suggestions would be great! Thanks. The tank has cycled and been up for a few months with some snails, crabs, starfish. Live rock arrives today and will start curing. Thank you in advance for your advice

agfish12 · Sep 28, 2015

A protein skimmer isn't really needed for a 10 gal. I have the IM Fusion 10 and small weekly wc are enough to dispose of wastes

In regard to coral I have sps lps and a couple of mushrooms. I would be careful iwth the anemone if you get one get him first so he can find a happy place and then add coral after

agfish12 · Sep 28, 2015

I just saw its the mame. Those are pretty neat little skimmers. It will def help keep your water clean

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

agfish12 said:
A protein skimmer isn't really needed for a 10 gal. I have the IM Fusion 10 and small weekly wc are enough to dispose of wastes

In regard to coral I have sps lps and a couple of mushrooms. I would be careful iwth the anemone if you get one get him first so he can find a happy place and then add coral after

Yes, that's what I've heard although I'm such a equipment nerd that I just like to have different equipment that aren't necessarily needed

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

agfish12 said:
I just saw its the mame. Those are pretty neat little skimmers. It will def help keep your water clean

Where did you see it? I've found little information or reviews on it but I'm Farley certain that's the skimmer for me. It just works with my setup and is visually appealing

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

agfish12 said:
A protein skimmer isn't really needed for a 10 gal. I have the IM Fusion 10 and small weekly wc are enough to dispose of wastes

In regard to coral I have sps lps and a couple of mushrooms. I would be careful iwth the anemone if you get one get him first so he can find a happy place and then add coral after

Would Zoas be okay? What do I need to know in order to have them thrive?

agfish12 · Sep 28, 2015

Zoas are fairly easy. Just make sure they get enough light and ok water flow. What is the turnover rate of your canister filter and what all do you have in it?

3dees · Sep 28, 2015

I would ditch the canister. not needed for reef and unless cleaned often they become nitrate factories. with only 10 gals. there is no room for error. most softies and lps are pretty easy, but again, the smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep stable. your lighting and flow will dictate what you can have.

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

The canister runs 160gph and all I have is mechanical filter pads, carbon, and phosphate remover. I'm trying to push the live rock to be the biological filtration.

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

agfish12 said:
Zoas are fairly easy. Just make sure they get enough light and ok water flow. What is the turnover rate of your canister filter and what all do you have in it?

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

3dees said:
I would ditch the canister. not needed for reef and unless cleaned often they become nitrate factories. with only 10 gals. there is no room for error. most softies and lps are pretty easy, but again, the smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep stable. your lighting and flow will dictate what you can have.

I'm not going to ditch the canister but every two weeks it will be cleaned out and all the nitrifying bacteria will be killed. As well as chemical media replaced.

agfish12 · Sep 28, 2015

Yes that is the purpose of the live rock. I would be careful with your activated carbon and phosphate remover. I recently removed the carbon and GFO from my system because it was doing more harm than good!

Ahruk · Sep 28, 2015

Some zoas are easy and some are hard. In a tank this small, just because you have a skimmer doesn't mean you don't have to do regular water changes :/For the most part though they're great beginner coral. Definitely give them a go (although be sure to read up on palytoxin poisoning first).

Anemones take up a LOT of space so be sure you really want one before you invest in one (also make sure your tank is at least 3-6months old and your lighting is strong enough). Once you get into zoas or other coral you might want that space for other coral (<-my reason for not having an anemone despite being fairly confident in my ability to take care of it and being offered free rose bubble tips).

Other coral that I've found to be easy if you use good salt are duncans, frogspawn, plating montis, birdsnests and acans.

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

agfish12 said:
Yes that is the purpose of the live rock. I would be careful with your activated carbon and phosphate remover. I recently removed the carbon and GFO from my system because it was doing more harm than good!

How so?

brandon4432 · Sep 28, 2015

Ahruk said:
Some zoas are easy and some are hard. In a tank this small, just because you have a skimmer doesn't mean you don't have to do regular water changes :/For the most part though they're great beginner coral. Definitely give them a go (although be sure to read up on palytoxin poisoning first).

Anemones take up a LOT of space so be sure you really want one before you invest in one (also make sure your tank is at least 3-6months old and your lighting is strong enough). Once you get into zoas or other coral you might want that space for other coral (<-my reason for not having an anemone despite being fairly confident in my ability to take care of it and being offered free rose bubble tips).

Other coral that I've found to be easy if you use good salt are duncans, frogspawn, plating montis, birdsnests and acans.

Thanks for the advice, even tho I will eventfully have a skimmer I have a water change plan set. I'm either going to do a once a week 20% or a every two week 40%. Very carefully matching the temp, and the salinity. I'm not planning on getting any coral for this tank until about December or January. I will deff use this advice when it's time. I am now focusing on getting live rock in, and fish. As well as completing the clean up crew

joshkirkland83 · Sep 28, 2015

brandon4432 said:
How so?

It can take too much out.

Ahruk · Sep 28, 2015

brandon4432 said:
Thanks for the advice, even tho I will eventfully have a skimmer I have a water change plan set. I'm either going to do a once a week 20% or a every two week 40%. Very carefully matching the temp, and the salinity. I'm not planning on getting any coral for this tank until about December or January. I will deff use this advice when it's time. I am now focusing on getting live rock in, and fish. As well as completing the clean up crew

That's my water change schedule

Works like a charm. I have a very happy mix of lps, sps and softies. Even some rock flower nems. Good luck.

agfish12 · Sep 28, 2015

Ahruk said:
That's my water change schedule Works like a charm. I have a very happy mix of lps, sps and softies. Even some rock flower nems. Good luck.

40% seems like a lot do you not have alk swings when you do that?

Afishionado · Sep 28, 2015

zoas, softies (leathers, xenias, cloves etc) and some lps are good beginner corals that are very durable.

I would eventually ditch the in tank uv as it can leak electricity and potentially hurt you and your livestock as well as canister filter and replace it with a reactor.

Ahruk · Sep 28, 2015

I imagine I do have some swings but the corals seem to be perfectly happy with this routine so long as I don't knock them off their rock or touch them. (including my beautiful sunset monti which I've had for over a year). I personally think if you properly dose though you can probably minimize the difference in alk between tank and fresh saltwater (I personally don't which is part of the reason why I stay away from acros).