My FTS - too many corals?

[WisconsinReefing]

So I went on a coral binge the last couple weeks.
This is my first tank and it’s still relatively new, as I’m sure all the tiny frags show lol.


Wondering if you pros can tell me a few things
1) did I overdo the number of corals?
2) do you see anything that would be a concern? Ie corals close to each other that should be. Etc.

Any and all feedback is welcome. I work really hard to manage my chemistry, 2x per week with 10% water changes etc. and knock on wood the corals seem to be doing very well. These pics were taken late evening sk some of the corals are slightly closed.

I think the stars of my “show” are either the pec. Space invader, or the most expensive is that tiny little fun dip chalice frag lol.

Thanks!

 

[bobonakamoto]

Water looks cloudy, perhaps some carbon is in order.

 

[LBReefer]

I'm no expert, but I think you did a nice job. You have given sufficient distance for everything to grow in and you have spaced out those corals that can deploy the nasty tentacles. I'd continue to watch the euphylia to see if they bother anyone.

Your SPS may need more current than some of your other corals will like. Depending on where you put your power head, you may need to move the SPS to higher flower or move some of the more sensitive corals out of the high flow zones.

What's your lighting situation?

 

[Daddy-o]

Looks good! If you really pay attention to your corals, in time, you will be able to tell if they are happy or not.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Euphyllia97]

Pretty sure it will grow into a nice reef like this! Just keep an eye on the euphyllia.

Water looks a bit cloudy, I would suggest adding some carbon. If you are dosing some carbon It might be a bacterial bloom. Make sure skimmer is running and there is enough movement at the surface for gas exchange!

Nice tank

 

[WisconsinReefing]

I'm no expert, but I think you did a nice job. You have given sufficient distance for everything to grow in and you have spaced out those corals that can deploy the nasty tentacles. I'd continue to watch the euphylia to see if they bother anyone.

Your SPS may need more current than some of your other corals will like. Depending on where you put your power head, you may need to move the SPS to higher flower or move some of the more sensitive corals out of the high flow zones.

What's your lighting situation?

Thank you for the feedback! I’ve tried to manage the flow the best I could. In a cube formate. The ones that don’t love flow, I put around the rock there. Most of them are mid flow mid light from my research.

For light I have a AI prime 26. I currently use the saxby setting.

 

[WisconsinReefing]

Pretty sure it will grow into a nice reef like this! Just keep an eye on the euphyllia.

Water looks a bit cloudy, I would suggest adding some carbon. If you are dosing some carbon It might be a bacterial bloom. Make sure skimmer is running and there is enough movement at the surface for gas exchange!

Nice tank

Thank you! And noted.

It is a bit could as I just did a water change and really cleaned out the sand quite a bit. Was getting darker grossness deeper. It’s generally not that bad, but it’s not crystal clear either. The tank has a “mini” sump I guess you’d call it, and I have a bag of matrix carbon back there. Should do something more with carbon? I had considered a UV sterilizer too

 

[WisconsinReefing]

I wasn’t going to ask this, at the risk of sounding like an idiot lol. But I’m learning that there are multiple names for some corals. Which is a “euphyllia ? Is that the hammer coral?

 

[ReefBeta]

It's ... pretty empty still. The top rock has only one frag on it.

It will take a year or two for the duncan and candy cane to get big enough that might touch each other. Similar rate as the hammer. Zoa might be faster, maybe a year till the frags reaching one another. That's all assuming you got all other perspective like light/flow/dosing in place and running stable. Any bump would set them back for months.

 

[ReefBeta]

I wasn’t going to ask this, at the risk of sounding like an idiot lol. But I’m learning that there are multiple names for some corals. Which is a “euphyllia ? Is that the hammer coral?

There are usually the common name, like hammer coral, and the scientific name for the specie or genus, like euphyllia. Many coral vendor site like both, like liveaquria.

 

[Daniel92481]

Looking good. Nice aquascape with the branch rock.

 

[SPR1968]

The main thing with corals is you have to leave enough space for them to grow into, in theory, but of course it’s very addictive. I know! Lol

But it looks great to me so far. Keep running the activated carbon as that will help with water clarity.

just keep on top of your water chemistry, in particular nutrient levels, the worst of which Is high phosphate (good target 0.03) and you will avoid many of the issues.

 

[WisconsinReefing]

The main thing with corals is you have to leave enough space for them to grow into, in theory, but of course it’s very addictive. I know! Lol

But it looks great to me so far. Keep running the activated carbon as that will help with water clarity.

just keep on top of your water chemistry, in particular nutrient levels, the worst of which Is high phosphate (good target 0.03) and you will avoid many of the issues.

Phosphate is killing me lol. I believe I was over feeding my corals for a while and it spiked my phosphate. I do 2x 10% water changes weekly religiously so it won’t kill me, but I’m working to get it under control.

 

[luke fortunato]

It seems like a small tank which is why you are struggling with the parameters. I would also check salt often, that is a problem in small tanks

 

[ca1ore]

Which is a “euphyllia ?

It is the genus name that includes a number of commonly kept LPS corals including Torch, Frogspawn and Hammer.

 

[WisconsinReefing]

It seems like a small tank which is why you are struggling with the parameters. I would also check salt often, that is a problem in small tanks

I have a Hannah tester and test every day. Varies slightly 1.024 to 1.025. I disabled my ATO for a week to try to get it to stay firmly at 1.025

 

[luke fortunato]

I have a Hannah tester and test every day. Varies slightly 1.024 to 1.025. I disabled my ATO for a week to try to get it to stay firmly at 1.025

Do you feed the coral?

 

[WisconsinReefing]

Do you feed the coral?

Yes, reef roids

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Yes, reef roids

This would be where your phosphate is coming from.

Others have mentioned keeping an on the euphyllia, but honestly, it is the pectinia that you need to watch. It is not called a space invader because of its looks, but due to the way that it will invade all the space around it and make it's own room. When they get sizable, they can have sweepers 4-6" long. So definitely keep an eye on it when it gets happy and grows up.

Dennis

 

[WisconsinReefing]

This would be where your phosphate is coming from.

Others have mentioned keeping an on the euphyllia, but honestly, it is the pectinia that you need to watch. It is not called a space invader because of its looks, but due to the way that it will invade all the space around it and make it's own room. When they get sizable, they can have sweepers 4-6" long. So definitely keep an eye on it when it gets happy and grows up.

Dennis

It doesn’t look like it in the picture. But I made sure that there was 6” clearance there. I heard he was a bit of an ***** lol