New to Salt - soft coral questions

[AC0DX]

So I have converted a 29 gallon over to salt. I am new to sw but have done fw for years. I am wanting to start with soft corals because I understand they are simpler to keep without having to do a ton of dosing. My tank is still cycling so this is more for information and planning sake. What soft corals would be best to start with. And where is best to source them from?

 

[divewsharks]

You can do leathers, zoas/palys, mushrooms, ricordea, star polyps, cloves. I'd personally stay away from things like Kenya trees.
do you have a LFS nearby?

 

[AC0DX]

Live Art Aquatics is close by

 

[Cherub]

I would look for a local club. I would stay away from Green Star polyps, Kenya trees, Xenia, and research aptasia as it is a PITA! Those three corals I mentioned can take over a tank. Oh and avoid green button polyps, also called nuclear plays. Oh and cloves are awful too lol. Be picky in this hobby

 

[divewsharks]

I would look for a local club. I would stay away from Green Star polyps, Kenya trees, Xenia, and research aptasia as it is a PITA! Those three corals I mentioned can take over a tank. Oh and avoid green button polyps, also called nuclear plays. Oh and cloves are awful too lol. Be picky in this hobby

I'd agree be picky. And I personally don't do GSP, Xenia & Cloves, but have seen many tanks where they are apart of the mix. It comes down to how they are placed and maintained. They grow to light, so if you put them on the bottom of the tank, they will find a way to grow up and over whatever is in their path to the highest point in the tank. If you create 'islands' for them that they cannot jump, they can provide nice movement in the tank - if they are even of interest to you. (and when I mention cloves, I am referring to rainbow cloves and the like).

But be picky, no reason to rush on the coral selection. If you do go with leathers, I'd recommend running carbon for the chemical warfare that they partake in.

 

[AC0DX]

With GSP if I put them on the highest rock closest to the light will they stay put or will they spread down?

I still need to add more rock. But I have it stacked to hide some equipment.

 

[divewsharks]

no they should not spread down. It only would if there was too much light, and it was trying to get away from it.
with gsp, you if you want to give up a glass panel, you can let it grow on the side glass. Also very easy to frag from glass.

 

[sfin52]

Def give gsp an island away from other rocks. Mine just recently started growing across the sand. I'm going to frag it and rubber band it to an intake tube.