What to include in a softy dominated aquascape? Tips and advice

[fishski13]

With my new 120 gallon tank I am deciding to go with a softy tank for a few reasons. I have never kept any softies besides one ricordea in a nano tank. I have only ever experienced lps so building the aquascape for something I have no experience with is something new. I wanted to ask what are some things that I should include in such a aquascape different form lps? Is there somethings I should avoid doing? I am definitely looking to keep toadstools, gsp, pulsing xenia, nephthea, blue ridge, clove polyps, disc mushrooms, and anything else I like while adding livestock. I have no interest or want to do zoas. Any help with an aquascape would be appreciated.

 

[MoshJosh]

You could consider making "islands" to isolate the most aggressive growing corals.

 

[lulubap]

You could consider making "islands" to isolate the most aggressive growing corals.

+1 on this, people tend to not like gsp for this reason. You could reference some tanks online. Planning on putting any fish or inverts?

 

[fishski13]

+1 on this, people tend to not like gsp for this reason. You could reference some tanks online. Planning on putting any fish or inverts?

Yes, I will have an average bioland in this tank. Basically transferring all my inverts and fish from current tank into this one

 

[danieyella]

Some species of xenia are not crazy spreaders like the common one. Ruby & Giant Bali come to mind. Very pretty "trees" imo

 

[Aspect]

I really like Xenia and GSP although they can overtake your tank. Kenya Tree, Mushrooms (Ricordea, Rhodactis, etc), Clove Polyps, Sympodium, Toadstool, Daisy Polyps, Sinularia. All of these are must haves imo and won't require any dosing as they are true soft corals without a calcium skeleton. Water changes should be enough to replenish calcium for them. I would stay away from Pipe Organ and corals of the like as they actually have a calcium skeleton that would probably require dosing after it gets large enough.

 

[mfinn]

There are several different colors of clove polyps ( fire polyps), then lots of mushrooms.
Got to have green and yellow sinularia.
Then a few colonies of zoanthids are always nice.
I would worry too much about stuff growing together. Most nice softy tanks I've had or seen, it looks pretty crowded usually.

 

[Kehy]

I have suddenly become a fan of gorgonians, and they do provide excellent vertical interest to the tank. Actually more a fan of the soft movements in the flow, as opposed to acros that... don't. I only have a nano/pico tank at the moment, but being able to closely observe the polyps and behavior is really interesting.

 

[Sump Crab]

I am currently in the midst of setting up a soft coral dominated tank. I already have a large variety of mushrooms, zoanthids, Xenia, Kenya tree, pipe organ, and a toadstool. I also have a variety of lps for color: gold hammer, multi color hammer, plate, Blasto merletti, favia, cyphastrea,

My list of corals I’m trying to get a hold of are green Kenya tree, green nepthea, koji nepthea, neon green cabbage leather, gorgonians, green sinularia, and cespitularia.

 

[Aspect]

I am currently in the midst of setting up a soft coral dominated tank. I already have a large variety of mushrooms, zoanthids, Xenia, Kenya tree, pipe organ, and a toadstool. I also have a variety of lps for color: gold hammer, multi color hammer, plate, Blasto merletti, favia, cyphastrea,

My list of corals I’m trying to get a hold of are green Kenya tree, green nepthea, koji nepthea, neon green cabbage leather, gorgonians, green sinularia, and cespitularia.

Cespitularia are pretty boring imo. No movement.

 

[Sump Crab]

Cespitularia are pretty boring imo. No movement.

Are we talking about the same thing? Cespitularia definitely moves with the current.