Want to ease into keeping coral. Suggestions?

Willz · Feb 20, 2012

I have a 75G tank with a 40G sump/refugium. I have about 100lbs of seasoned live rock. I have a clown, two damsels (humbug and yellowtail), 12 snails, and 12 crabs. I have a Coralife 48" 220W power compact lighting system ready to go, but to save money and the bulbs I'm running a 48" T5 x 2 light now, but can switch them out when I get the corals if needed. I also have a 400W MH light that I'm not using because I don't have a way to mount it above the tank now. I bought the system from a guy that had everything set up for about 15 years. I have had it set up for a couple of weeks now and have been testing about once a week. Everything seems to be cycled and in the normal parameters. My phosphates are very close to zero and my nitrates are zeroed. The calcium is a little low (340 last night). He was using a low tech Kalkwasser drip that I haven't set up because I don't really need it with FOWLR, but I can set it up if I need to. I've been doing weekly 10% water changes and topping off with RO/DI water. I'd like to just add the calcium supplement in with the RO/DI water that I top off with if I need to bump my numbers up a little (if that works, I don't know).

I want to get some nice beginner corals/anemones that aren't too impossible to keep. What are some good suggestions?

Will I need to get the crabs/snails/damsels out or will they be OK with inverts?

Unrelated, but where can I get pods for my refugium? I have been looking for them in with the Chaeto and don't see any and wanted to go ahead and stock them but my LFS doesn't carry them and there are no local clubs or hobbyists that I know to buy from. My girlfriend is fired up to get a Mandarin dragonet, but I don't want to get one until we have an established colony for at least 6 months. I don't want to starve the little guy.

I have read "Saltwater for Dummies" and "Marine Aquarium Handbook" by Martin Moe, but they didn't really get into compatibility issues other than to say to ask your LFS. My LFS doesn't carry a big selection of corals so I'll probably be ordering them online. So, I'm asking here

Thanks!

boxer · Feb 20, 2012

algagen sells reefpods your local fish store should be able to order it for you.

christye · Feb 20, 2012

If you are new to saltwater may I suggest you relax and enjoy the fish? Then upgrade your lights enough to support an anemone or two (other members more help than me). Here is a link to some basic coral care https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets that would have saved the lives of a lot of coral if only I had known....

Lessons I have learned:
*You can't have it all in one tank.
*No matter what you still can't have it all in one tank. Google "coral chemical warfare" and see why even with the best lights and a good skimmer it STILL won't work.
*Fish are great, and once healthy can be maintained Indefinitely
PS Did I say you can't have it all in one tank?
Believe me, a bunch of zoas, a lot of fish, a pair of clowns, a nice carpet anem, a few other everything and you are flirting with disaster. Try to add a brain coral, some sps, and if you don't have a zillion gallons I don't see how you can pull it off.
Experts say, coral and anemones don't mix. I can explain how they must be wrong, but can't show any pix!
PS am still trying, I just have 6 tanks now:wink: But even my stinking "frag tank" wont quit growing nusance algae, while my ten year old 24 gal biocube can sit in the sun and not cause any probs for the soft inhabitants + very mean coral banded shrimp. Perfectly cycled, stable with crap lights. Go figure.
So my best advice, to protect your wallet and the critters....play with fish for a while. If you are well stocked with old rock, get the mandarin and add more pods. Pick some gobies/blennies and learn the craft.

Bad news: the damsels may have to go. Also, clowns are damel cousins with smaller turf. I had a 12 gal nano I stocked w/eight tiny damsels. a few disappeared, some got given away, three are 4 inches plus alive and well in the 125gal display tank, taking up valuable space. Treat every fish as a lifetime commitment.

Am sure there are many with different opinions or different equipment....

mfinn · Feb 20, 2012

Try looking at some leather corals. There are some nice finger leathers that are pretty easy.
You didn't say what kind of skimmer is on your system. Maybe look into a good quality one before adding anything else.

Willz · Feb 21, 2012

mfinn said:
Try looking at some leather corals. There are some nice finger leathers that are pretty easy.
You didn't say what kind of skimmer is on your system. Maybe look into a good quality one before adding anything else.

Thanks! I'll look into finger leather corals

I have a German brand Sander Ozonreaktor Proteinskimmer. I'm not running ozone on it though. It uses a water pump and an air pump counter current to skim. It's not the latest technology, but it does work. It is fairly tall (about 2.5 feet) which I have read is good for the air/water interaction. It is keeping my nitrates at zero, my phosphates are still at .25 or less (the kit I have doesn't register anything lower than .25 and it is a very weak looking .25 color, so I'm assuming it's actually lower than that).

Willz · Feb 21, 2012

christye said:
If you are new to saltwater may I suggest you relax and enjoy the fish? Then upgrade your lights enough to support an anemone or two (other members more help than me). Here is a link to some basic coral care https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets that would have saved the lives of a lot of coral if only I had known....

Lessons I have learned:
*You can't have it all in one tank.
*No matter what you still can't have it all in one tank. Google "coral chemical warfare" and see why even with the best lights and a good skimmer it STILL won't work.
*Fish are great, and once healthy can be maintained Indefinitely
PS Did I say you can't have it all in one tank?
Believe me, a bunch of zoas, a lot of fish, a pair of clowns, a nice carpet anem, a few other everything and you are flirting with disaster. Try to add a brain coral, some sps, and if you don't have a zillion gallons I don't see how you can pull it off.
Experts say, coral and anemones don't mix. I can explain how they must be wrong, but can't show any pix!
PS am still trying, I just have 6 tanks now:wink: But even my stinking "frag tank" wont quit growing nusance algae, while my ten year old 24 gal biocube can sit in the sun and not cause any probs for the soft inhabitants + very mean coral banded shrimp. Perfectly cycled, stable with crap lights. Go figure.
So my best advice, to protect your wallet and the critters....play with fish for a while. If you are well stocked with old rock, get the mandarin and add more pods. Pick some gobies/blennies and learn the craft.

Bad news: the damsels may have to go. Also, clowns are damel cousins with smaller turf. I had a 12 gal nano I stocked w/eight tiny damsels. a few disappeared, some got given away, three are 4 inches plus alive and well in the 125gal display tank, taking up valuable space. Treat every fish as a lifetime commitment.

Am sure there are many with different opinions or different equipment....

Thanks, I'm not really trying to do it all in one tank, but I would like more than a FOWLR tank. I have 300G of FW fish tanks to enjoy fish only biotopes, I got into SW to keep coral, the fish just came with the tank (so the damsels can definitely go, I'm not attached).

I enjoy challenges, but like you said I don't want to kill critters, that's why I'm asking for easy to keep corals

I do have lighting that will support coral that I can set up if needed (400W MH and power compacts).

The site you linked to is really great thanks! I think I can go through that and learn a tremendous amount and make a more informed decision based on it. It's favorited. Thanks!