What goes where?

[Reefer Obsessed]

How do you decide what coral goes where? Some tanks look very stylized and organized with great colors and shapes of corals growing next to each others and some tanks have an unorganized look to them. The unorganized tanks look good but I prefer the look of the more organized planning out tanks. Do you have a blueprint of what coral you want where? Are there any blueprints or plans of tanks out there. Google search failed & I thought Google knew everything. I have studied many tank pictures and have tried to determine what corals they have placed together but have been unsuccessful. I'm a noob without any corals so now is the time to start.

 

[tdileo]

Well most SPS corals need high flow and high light, so they are generally near the top. However thats not always true and sometimes are at the middle or bottom.
Most LPS corals can sting, so euphyllia such as hammers and frogspawns are often grouped together in medium light medium flow areas. Other LPS like acans and blastos are commonly found on the sandbed or low rockwork, but still away from SPS and softies to prevent them from stinging them. Soft corals like star polyps, xenia, and leathers can pretty much go anywhere as long as the flow isnt super high, but they should be acclimated to high lighting to prevent bleaching.

 

[JALIASC]

Most coral placement is based on each types lighting and flow needs. SPS like high light and high flow so the are towards the top of the aquascape, LPS like less flow and light so they get put in middle sections, and softies basically go at the bottom. Use of a PAR meter can help with this.

As for specific placement, thats all on your taste color wise and seeing how the corals grow (I.e. branching, plating, encrusting, etc).

Also if you haven't already, start a build thread and ask questions. People around here love asking/answering questions

 

[andrewkw]

For me personally it goes: Corals I like - Do I have a spot for them, would they look good there. Another important consideration is will it thrive in my tank. As already mentioned flow and lighting requirements will dictate where a lot of corals go. Now that my tank is maybe 50-60% full I try and think what colours would I like to add and where could these go. Of course if you really plan well you design your aquascape based on what corals you have / want and go from there. If my tank was my dream tank I'd probably plan even further.

There are some people who follow colour wheels, blueprints but it probably varies a lot person by person. Also their situation. If you are ordering corals online you in theory have more time to think about it plan it out ect where as if you're at the lfs grabbing whatever is there on impulse and finding a spot for it when you go home.

I found this image from a google search

 

[Hely'sreef1]

Just don't do what I did I bought random corals because they looked pretty without knowing anything about them. I've ended up with 5 very beautiful goniopora that look stunning but since discovered require very specific feeding/ light / flow etc. Fortunately they're doing well in my little 120 litre but are quite high maintenance. If I could start again I'd go for softies and other beginner corals. They're precious delicate living creatures and should be cared for properly as much or even more so your fish. Research is the key!

 

[tdileo]

For me personally it goes: Corals I like - Do I have a spot for them, would they look good there. Another important consideration is will it thrive in my tank. As already mentioned flow and lighting requirements will dictate where a lot of corals go. Now that my tank is maybe 50-60% full I try and think what colours would I like to add and where could these go. Of course if you really plan well you design your aquascape based on what corals you have / want and go from there. If my tank was my dream tank I'd probably plan even further.

There are some people who follow colour wheels, blueprints but it probably varies a lot person by person. Also their situation. If you are ordering corals online you in theory have more time to think about it plan it out ect where as if you're at the lfs grabbing whatever is there on impulse and finding a spot for it when you go home.

I found this image from a google search

This is actually a very cool idea. The contrast is beautiful. I'm going to save this picture for when I get more corals lol

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

Thank you everybody. I like the color wheel picture too. I guess I need to study more and be more specific in my studies not just general information on each coral

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

For me personally it goes: Corals I like - Do I have a spot for them, would they look good there. Another important consideration is will it thrive in my tank. As already mentioned flow and lighting requirements will dictate where a lot of corals go. Now that my tank is maybe 50-60% full I try and think what colours would I like to add and where could these go. Of course if you really plan well you design your aquascape based on what corals you have / want and go from there. If my tank was my dream tank I'd probably plan even further.

There are some people who follow colour wheels, blueprints but it probably varies a lot person by person. Also their situation. If you are ordering corals online you in theory have more time to think about it plan it out ect where as if you're at the lfs grabbing whatever is there on impulse and finding a spot for it when you go home.

I found this image from a google search

This is a really cool color wheel. It makes sense to me. Just what I was talking about. What google search did you do? Were there other examples? I need to save this. Looks like I need to get out my paper & colored pencils to draw a possible tank layout. Reefing makes me use my entire brain.

 

[andrewkw]

https://www.google.ca/search?q=colo...n7fVAhVk04MKHVUMB60Q_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=971
I think this is the same information
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-on-creating-amazing-aquascapes.97209/
on reefcentral there is a longer thread though you should have no problem finding that.

I believe but could be wrong a lot of the initial discussion was on Steve Weasts tank

Yeah it was a 700 or whatever gallon sized tank with lots of nice coral but what really made it was how the corals were arranged. Basically there is a reason why certain reefs are so pleasing to our eyes and some good explanation out there. Better than I can provide anyone but at least I've pointed you in the right direction.

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

You have helped out so much. I can't thank you enough!

 

[ThunderGoose]

In my tank the corals go where I want until they are rearranged by the urchins, snails, shrimp, or whatever other mysterious forces seem to act at night - the ones that manage to break the superglue and epoxy bonds. Then the corals end up face down in the sand.

The "joys" of having a lot of invertebrates.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Ahhhh... Sounds just like my tank. BIG MESS! Just removed some rocks... Slightly better with more swimming room for the hippo...

 

[Mattj815]

I've been asking myself this exact same question since I started adding corals to my tank. And like you Google wasn't helping much with answers only regarding flow and light etc, not what is visually pleasing.

I know personally it has been a lot of trial and error. I'm nowhere near having some of these tanks I see online. But looking at pics and actual tanks give me ideas.

There's been plenty of moving things around until I find a spot I like. And then hoping it thrives there.

I see these tanks that are just packed with coral that look awesome and hope I get there one day. But I'm dealing with my first major problem since setup and have a long way to go.

 

[Duraticate]

I have found over the last 3 years its not where you want it its where it wants to be. And some corals over time can learn to be placed where you want them.

 

[Catfish2]

I agree that the most important thing is placing the coral where it will do well. That being said sometimes there are multiple place that a coral would do well and in those cases, the choice is yours.

One of the things I try to think about is growth patterns. This is where researching the coral before you buy it is helpful.

For example, I never put plating corals high up because they will shade everything under them. Now, if you want softies or some lps, you can use that to your advantage, but an SPS, right under a Monti cap for example, is gonna struggle. I also like tall branching corals like stags at the top and in the back so the dint block the view of a shorter coral up front. Just some suggestions.

Looking at other tanks you like and trying to replicate them is a good way too go about it.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I agree that the most important thing is placing the coral where it will do well. That being said sometimes there are multiple place that a coral would do well and in those cases, the choice is yours.

One of the things I try to think about is growth patterns. This is where researching the coral before you buy it is helpful.

For example, I never put plating corals high up because they will shade everything under them. Now, if you want softies or some lps, you can use that to your advantage, but an SPS, right under a Monti cap for example, is gonna struggle. I also like tall branching corals like stags at the top and in the back so the dint block the view of a shorter coral up front. Just some suggestions.

Looking at other tanks you like and trying to replicate them is a good way too go about it.

I have found even with plating Monti Caps even when placed low in the tank they can grow upward and outward shading or even growing over acro. I have thought about removing my monti caps as they grow so fast you can see the daily growth. Problem is I might have to do something to kill what I can't remove.

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

I've been asking myself this exact same question since I started adding corals to my tank. And like you Google wasn't helping much with answers only regarding flow and light etc, not what is visually pleasing.

I know personally it has been a lot of trial and error. I'm nowhere near having some of these tanks I see online. But looking at pics and actual tanks give me ideas.

There's been plenty of moving things around until I find a spot I like. And then hoping it thrives there.

I see these tanks that are just packed with coral that look awesome and hope I get there one day. But I'm dealing with my first major problem since setup and have a long way to go.

Thanks for the idea of looking at other tanks

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

Well most SPS corals need high flow and high light, so they are generally near the top. However thats not always true and sometimes are at the middle or bottom.
Most LPS corals can sting, so euphyllia such as hammers and frogspawns are often grouped together in medium light medium flow areas. Other LPS like acans and blastos are commonly found on the sandbed or low rockwork, but still away from SPS and softies to prevent them from stinging them. Soft corals like star polyps, xenia, and leathers can pretty much go anywhere as long as the flow isnt super high, but they should be acclimated to high lighting to prevent bleaching.

Thanks for the help

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

Most coral placement is based on each types lighting and flow needs. SPS like high light and high flow so the are towards the top of the aquascape, LPS like less flow and light so they get put in middle sections, and softies basically go at the bottom. Use of a PAR meter can help with this.

As for specific placement, thats all on your taste color wise and seeing how the corals grow (I.e. branching, plating, encrusting, etc).

Also if you haven't already, start a build thread and ask questions. People around here love asking/answering questions

Yes, I do need to start a build thread. It's always a good idea to get ideas on how to do it better and easier.

 

[Reefer Obsessed]

Just don't do what I did I bought random corals because they looked pretty without knowing anything about them. I've ended up with 5 very beautiful goniopora that look stunning but since discovered require very specific feeding/ light / flow etc. Fortunately they're doing well in my little 120 litre but are quite high maintenance. If I could start again I'd go for softies and other beginner corals. They're precious delicate living creatures and should be cared for properly as much or even more so your fish. Research is the key!

You are so right. I'm worried that"ll do just like you and end up with a bunch of hard to take care corals. I'm am going to research corals for noobs. Thanks foe the help