Help with choosing corals

[Lavey29]

@Lavey29

Tell me more about this...

I love RFAs, bit like others have said, I'm afraid my fish will be electrocuted by one...I've found many great deals and awesome colors of RFA, but am hesitant to add one.

Change my mind

Electrocuted? I've got 5 of them in my tank. I must have smart fish or something because I have no problems. I've got a football size elegance coral that is probably more of a threat to fish and I'm not worried about that either. Fish live in the ocean where predators are around them 24. 7. They know what's what.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

Zoas, leathers, kenya trees and mushrooms are hard to kill.

 

[Roatan Reef]

Electrocuted? I've got 5 of them in my tank. I must have smart fish or something because I have no problems. I've got a football size elegance coral that is probably more of a threat to fish and I'm not worried about that either. Fish live in the ocean where predators are around them 24. 7. They know what's what.

OK, thanks, I've also wanted an Elegance for a while too. Why is that more dangerous than an RFA?

 

[dedragon]

lol because elelgance get huge if well acclimated and have the most potent sting i have ever witnessed. I have had one for 6+ years that is now 14+ inches and obliterates all snails, hermit crabs, and corals it touches

 

[dedragon]

my clowns tried to get elegance to host until i got my btas large enough and it left them with huge bruises/sting marks

 

[dedragon]

also most new imported elegance specimens do not make it to 6month to 1 year, then there is the common 2-3 year die off as well. Once it is passed that they are super hardy in aquarium life but also really risky to frag as well. I think mine is aussie and they fair better than indonesian ones. Oh also ECS disease is prominent and kills them unless treated with cipro i think (elegance coral syndrome)

 

[bluecheese]

Yep,
montipora…

These look interesting. The plating type looks cool. Can I mix the plates with other types, like branching?

 

[GoVols]

These look interesting. The plating type looks cool. Can I mix the plates with other types, like branching?

Yes

Just keep them out of the way of softies and lps.

 

[bluecheese]

Yes

Just keep them out of the way of softies and lps.

Why is that?

 

[GoVols]

Why is that?

The montis (sps) would lose out to softie‘s chemical warfare, and be stung by lps. A Duncan might be safe, but a branching hammer would do a lot of damage to an sps.

It‘s just about each coral type having enough room.

 

[Lavey29]

OK, thanks, I've also wanted an Elegance for a while too. Why is that more dangerous than an RFA?

This is why the elegance might be more of a hazard and as the other poster mentioned a very powerful sting.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Uglies?
Can you post pic under white lighting of what tank looks like? I dont recommend any addition of you have the WRONG uglies such as cyano or dino
What test kits are you using?
Any test readings you can provide?

 

[glb]

Will the rock anemone harm my clownfish? Some googling suggests it may.

I have lots of rock anemones and two clownfish and I’ve never had a problem.

 

[glb]

I’d recommend zoas, softies like Kenya tree, rock flower anemones, acans, duncans, and favia.

 

[bluecheese]

Uglies?
Can you post pic under white lighting of what tank looks like? I dont recommend any addition of you have the WRONG uglies such as cyano or dino
What test kits are you using?
Any test readings you can provide?

Got over a diatom outbreak a few weeks ago. Right now I'm dealing with cyano. I wasn't planning on putting any corals in the tank until I was past the bulk of the ugly stage.

The tank ran from August 2021 to January 2022 without lights.

I turned the lights on in January.

That's why I'm dealing with outbreaks right now.

As far as testing, I'm using Aquaforest test kits.

As of my last testing, last Tuesday, my parameters are:

Salinity: 1.025
PH: 8.1
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0.01
Mg: 1280
Calcium: 450
Alk: 7.6

 

[vetteguy53081]

After a lengthy blackout, there should be nothing in the form of algae able unless your tank is at or near a window which is why the request for pictures

 

[bluecheese]

After a lengthy blackout, there should be nothing in the form of algae able unless your tank is at or near a window which is why the request for pictures

The tank doesn't get any sunlight. I'm willing to wait out this stage of the tank's progression.