When to add corals

[Ghostyboythedog]

Hi,
Im new to saltwater aqariums so im just curious, when you fist setup the tank with water filters heaters when do you add them? It's a 20gallon long with liverock and mabey some fake plants

 

[Lavey29]

I would bypass the fake plants. Leave lights off the first 4 months to allow tank to build biodiversity and microfauna then add first corals as you turn lights on. This will help your ugly phases be more manageable the first year.

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

I would bypass the fake plants. Leave lights off the first 4 months to allow tank to build biodiversity and microfauna then add first corals as you turn lights on. This will help your ugly phases be more manageable the first year.

Okay

 

[Uncle99]

Not until your water chemistry stabilized and your ugly stage over, hard to say…..softies maybe 2 months……LPS….6….SPS….8….varies widely as all system different, but, adding fast is a recipe for error, costly error.

The algaes and bacterium which feed corals are slow, slow to mature.

For me, I don’t even introduce softies until I mostly finished adding fish, and my 8 major parameters have been stable in level for at least two months.

I hate losing stuff.

 

[rja]

I would bypass the fake plants. Leave lights off the first 4 months to allow tank to build biodiversity and microfauna then add first corals as you turn lights on. This will help your ugly phases be more manageable the first year.

I don’t want to be that guy but I like to start with the lights on and just bear the uglies as quick as possible. I never had issues doing that. Just ride out the hair algae until your CUC and pods take care of it. Of course, I always start with a little bit of established rock so that does change everything.

My biocube, I did lights out for a while. Particularly because I didnt have the means of buying a nice light. However I still got hit with every ugly thing imaginable.

 

[Skay]

once it cycles throw in a clownfish with the lights off after a few weeks turn them on and you’re good to add softies

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

I would bypass the fake plants. Leave lights off the first 4 months to allow tank to build biodiversity and microfauna then add first corals as you turn lights on. This will help your ugly phases be more manageable the first year.

Also do your corals help the tank? Some people say they do but im still doing coral either way

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi,
Im new to saltwater aqariums so im just curious, when you fist setup the tank with water filters heaters when do you add them? It's a 20gallon long with liverock and mabey some fake plants

Please post a pic of your tank . Is it reef ready with overflow or standard box aquarium?
Agree on elimination of fake plants- but rather if you want plants- acquire live rock/live rock such a gulf rock with plants. You will want to focus also on cycling and getting parameters right before consideration of various specimens

 

[Ordovician_Reef]

I don’t want to be that guy but I like to start with the lights on and just bear the uglies as quick as possible. I never had issues doing that. Just ride out the hair algae until your CUC and pods take care of it. Of course, I always start with a little bit of established rock so that does change everything.

I could not even imagine starting a tank without live rock and honestly do not think doing so will ever be a well balanced system, just my opinion. That being said, I use quality live rock and start adding softies around 1-2 months...once the CUC gets a handle on the GHA.

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

I don’t want to be that guy but I like to start with the lights on and just bear the uglies as quick as possible. I never had issues doing that. Just ride out the hair algae until your CUC and pods take care of it. Of course, I always start with a little bit of established rock so that does change everything.

My biocube, I did lights out for a while. Particularly because I didnt have the means of buying a nice light. However I still got hit with every ugly thing imaginable.

Okay

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Please post a pic of your tank . Is it reef ready with overflow or standard box aquarium?
Agree on elimination of fake plants- but rather if you want plants- acquire live rock/live rock such a gulf rock with plants. You will want to focus also on cycling and getting parameters right before consideration of various specimens

Yes i will be using liverock

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Please post a pic of your tank . Is it reef ready with overflow or standard box aquarium?
Agree on elimination of fake plants- but rather if you want plants- acquire live rock/live rock such a gulf rock with plants. You will want to focus also on cycling and getting parameters right before consideration of various specimens

Just preparing for the future

 

[Ordovician_Reef]

Yes i will be using liverock

If possable use actual liverock not that ghastly purple painted stuff they call 'life' rock.

 

[Lavey29]

I don’t want to be that guy but I like to start with the lights on and just bear the uglies as quick as possible. I never had issues doing that. Just ride out the hair algae until your CUC and pods take care of it. Of course, I always start with a little bit of established rock so that does change everything.

My biocube, I did lights out for a while. Particularly because I didnt have the means of buying a nice light. However I still got hit with every ugly thing imaginable.

Skill level and experience is key factor. Very experienced reefers can do corals from day one but most of us are novice level and learn through trial and error. Pretty sure we have all lost corals early on with our tanks. You mention adding live ocean rock which is an excellent way to kick start your biodiversity. I just this for the majority of us going slow and learning how to maintain tank parameters first will greatly help your success as you start to add corals so your not throwing money away. Patience is the key in this hobby as we all know.

 

[Lavey29]

Also do your corals help the tank? Some people say they do but im still doing coral either way

They are living animals so they add to the bioload and help create your tank biome.

 

[Lavey29]

If possable use actual liverock not that ghastly purple painted stuff they call 'life' rock.

Agreed but can be pricey so even if you can do half live ocean rock better then none.

 

[Ordovician_Reef]

Agreed but can be pricey so even if you can do half live ocean rock better then none.

Yep....get as much as you can afford... Diversity is the key, otherwise you are just fighting to keep an inherently unstable system, stable.

 

[rja]

I could not even imagine starting a tank without live rock and honestly do not think doing so will ever be a well balanced system, just my opinion. That being said, I use quality live rock and start adding softies around 1-2 months...once the CUC gets a handle on the GHA.

Even just a few pounds of nice, clean, crusty purple live rock sets the tank off to a great path. My new tank is less than a month old and I currently have a duncan garden, many zoas, and some chalice that look good so far. Just keep corals that can sustain unbalanced pH if you do not have a system that constantly monitors it like an apex or hydros. A fuge using some Chaeto from a reputable source can also supplement more than just nutrient control in an early tank. The algae will also be full of microfauna like copepods and amphipods. Algae barn and Reef Nutrition are great sources of these copepods as well. Absolutely essential in a new system to ensure that all levels of the ecosystem are filled.

Bacteria -> Pods -> CUC -> Coral -> fish. Or something like that.

My current system started with 10 lbs of real ocean rock and 65 pounds of dead rock that I bleached cured. The only area where I got any diatoms was the sand. Those went away and were replaced by GHA. The addition of a dozen snails took care of all of that algae. Now the rock is left bare to be encrusted by the coralline from the ocean rock as well as the new corals.

IMO, most marco and manmade rock has phosphates that leach out early on and cause a lot of uglies. This is why most of my rock was dead rock from a tank breakdown on FB marketplace. I think that all the phosphates leached out over the ~2 years that the rocks were in the system. Then dried out, then bleached to create a true inert reef dry rock ready to be colonized.

 

[Ordovician_Reef]

Even just a few pounds of nice, clean, crusty purple live rock sets the tank off to a great path. My new tank is less than a month old and I currently have a duncan garden, many zoas, and some chalice that look good so far. Just keep corals that can sustain unbalanced pH if you do not have a system that constantly monitors it like an apex or hydros. A fuge using some Chaeto from a reputable source can also supplement more than just nutrient control in an early tank. The algae will also be full of microfauna like copepods and amphipods. Algae barn and Reef Nutrition are great sources of these copepods as well. Absolutely essential in a new system to ensure that all levels of the ecosystem are filled.

Bacteria -> Pods -> CUC -> Coral -> fish. Or something like that.

My current system started with 10 lbs of real ocean rock and 65 pounds of dead rock that I bleached cured. The only area where I got any diatoms was the sand. Those went away and were replaced by GHA. The addition of a dozen snails took care of all of that algae. Now the rock is left bare to be encrusted by the coralline from the ocean rock as well as the new corals.

IMO, most marco and manmade rock has phosphates that leach out early on and cause a lot of uglies. This is why most of my rock was dead rock from a tank breakdown on FB marketplace. I think that all the phosphates leached out over the ~2 years that the rocks were in the system. Then dried out, then bleached to create a true inert reef dry rock ready to be colonized.

I will not put any 'dry' rock in a tank...I just cannot bring myself to do it Though, I suspect a good established biofilm will cut down on leeching, I just do not want to fight the 'uglies' to that degree

 

[rja]

Skill level and experience is key factor. Very experienced reefers can do corals from day one but most of us are novice level and learn through trial and error. Pretty sure we have all lost corals early on with our tanks. You mention adding live ocean rock which is an excellent way to kick start your biodiversity. I just this for the majority of us going slow and learning how to maintain tank parameters first will greatly help your success as you start to add corals so your not throwing money away. Patience is the key in this hobby as we all know.

Absolutely. If I had to do my first tank all over, I would have waited six months to add anything other than fish and inverts. The real maintenance like water changes only occur because of fish and food anyway. So you get to learn how to mix saltwater right and see where your tank sits nutrients wise right off the bat. Coral should always be the final thing for a newer reefer. For me, I have multiple tanks. So if I have an issue in a new tank, to the other tank the coral goes. Not all have that luxury. Also, not all have the luxury of reef-focused local fish stores.