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RE: Coral Needs

tmac1rebok — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:12:52 GMT

OMG I'm tired. props to KDodds

Lighting: MH or Overdrive HO/VHO T5s (depth dependant)

Chems.: Calcium and Kelkwasser (use Mrs Wages pickling lime); with these use a DIY drip system or reactor, w/e you feel like.

You can also do small water changes for trace elements.

Protein skimmer b/c they produce large amounts of mucus

Current, water flow, 10x tank volume per hr (not including protein skimmer)

-btw-Water current is a huge part in both types of corals, some just like it more than others and that depends on the indivual coral.

Feed large corals and best to have refugium for feeding.

Above... Amazing water quality, Don't mess up, leave it go, then think everything is goin to be alright.

P.S. add to this b/c I'm pretty sure I missed stuff, especial with the stonies

RE: Coral Needs

tmac1rebok — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:02:18 GMT

Damn this has gotten some hits. Since my last post I've learned quite a few. I rarely use this site though. Lets just point out that there's different needs for different corals but they can be placed in a two gerenal catergories: softies and stonies. Its best not to mix these to types in a tank although some LSP (opposed to SPS) can be put in with softies such as brain and plate coral.

Starting with Softies: they wage chemical warfare on each other to compete for space. Protein skimmer is a must. Secondly, dependant upon depth, use PC or T5s, MC are not nessasary. Keep light all ur tank's light (not lunar) on for 12hrs unless you have a good reason not to. Addivities...not much. Use idodine once in a which but never overdose(which is hard to measrue accurately). Idodine is more important to softies then stonies and has to do with ridding their waste. Idodine can also help other inverberts in ur tank and suppositly brings out LR color(w/e). In smaller tanks (under 45) the best method to replace trace elements in through small 10% water changes at least once a week. Usually best not to dose (leads to easy overdose) in smaller tanks but is need in 55G and up. Softies don't calcium up as fast as stonies but keep an eye out. Always have a test kit and test regularly. Keep Ca+ around 400ppm. Softies tend to be easier to care for a grow faster, good for beginners. BTW I excluded the fact of have to hand feed some larger specimens. Feeding not nessasary if the tank is aged (best to have refugium for phytoplankyon)

[f I'm missing anything (theses are the basics) let me know]

Stonies...

RE: Coral Needs

Nep2Ns PlumR — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:28:35 GMT

Hey folks,

I use a simplified method to keep trace elements at proportionate levels that doesn't require massive testing (most hobby level test kits aren't real accurate to start with). Frequent water changes. Instead of a 20% change monthly, I change a small amount weekly which adds up to about a 30% change monthly. Since our salt mixes are supposed to be balanced with all necessary major and trace minerals, a water change replenishes elements without need to worry about overdosing or whether all elements were covered. (I do dose with kalkwasser daily to replace evaporated water and calcium to be honest, but no expensive bottled elixers.)

RE: Coral Needs

ILuvMyGoldBarb — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:02:30 GMT

I don't actually feed my corals anything. All my corals get what they need from the zooxanthlae producing nutrients. Adding things like phytoplankton and others only seems to increase algae. My corals are thriving. They are doing extremely well in the tank. At each water change I do add Iodine, Calcium and Strontium & Molybendium.

RE: Coral Needs

hobbes — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:49:26 GMT

Hello again..as far as additives I do add...weekly, Iodine,Zoe,garlic and coral vit..

RE: Coral Needs

hobbes — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:46:56 GMT

Hello to all.Have been reading you comments and would like to put in my 2 cents.I feed my corals DT's and Marine snow a couple times a week.I do other feeding by hand for the brain corals(4) pearl corals(2) and duncan coral.All corals will feed either by photo,absorbtion,filter or direct feeding.Most soft corals are easier to take care of for feeding and lighting..Thanks for the time and interesting reading by all.

RE: Coral Needs

tmac1rebok — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:16:00 GMT

But adding Iodine to a small reef tank could be problematic. Its hard to test for that chemical since it comes in different forms and test kits for it arent that accurate. Although it is essential for soft coral, it can be deadly if over dosed.

Did you know that this article was in one of those FshChannel e-mails. When I went to open it up I was like, "I wonder what this idoit has to say about soft corals." And then it turns out to be my topic and I was so excited. I don't know why but it was cool. I ran around the house yelling(fortunitly no one was home). The excitement might have something to do with no one in my area likes fish that much and none of my friends understand my passion. Sounds corny but so what...

RE: Coral Needs

ReefMaster — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:52:56 GMT

tmac1rebok (9/17/2007)

What are the needs for soft corals as far as water additives go. I have the whole saterwater thing setup and running amazingly smooth. Now I need to know what chemicals soft corals need to grow(none of the stoneys). Here what I think is needed...

Iodine; Calcium; Strontium and Molybdenum

Is there anything else I need or anything on the list unnecessary. This is all being added to sater w/ salinity at 35ppt, 8.2Ph, and temp. at 81 degress. The water was also tested multiple times and is has low nutrient levels. Feel free to check out my profile on fishchannel, simply search for tmac1rebok.

iodine- good for xenias, soft corals and can be used as a coral dip .

calcium is needed in your tank espesially if you are going to have "SPS" corals. need to keep it around 450 to 500 ppms.

STRONTIUM and MOLYBDENUM is basically a mineral which you can find in an essintial element or with weekly water changes. 10%

RE: Coral Needs

ReefMaster — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:45:29 GMT

Genaporias - like semi dirty water. or reef tanks need pristine water peramiters, not an ideal home for GONEOPORAS

RE: Coral Needs

MistressAlphaFemale — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:58:24 GMT

now for my input lol.

I only "Dose" once a month BUT use "Snow's" mirco feed 2 times a week and water change (20 - 30 %) once a week. I been "frag" my corals for a couple months now. Softies grow nicly and have to be watched (some will take over). Stay away from the Genaporias they LOOK awsome but die off extreamly fast unless you have the right light water current and cems.

I only dose w/ Kents A and B and I do add vitmaim C and Garlic to my tank.

RE: Coral Needs

Hailey — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:59:43 GMT

Sorry about all the questions. We just see so many people come here headed for certain disaster because they are not prepared, and have done almost no real research. It is generally our policy to head that off at the pass, at the risk of asking "beginner" questions of people with experience.

As for the trace elements, for every person who says you need them, there is another, equally respectable person saying you don't. I guess the best way to make your decision is through regular testing for each need, to see if your water changes are replenishing them enough. It is really going to depend on how often you do water changes, how much you change, how many corals you have, etc. People who keep huge tanks that get only small water changes monthly usually dose, but in a small tank, water changes are done a lot more. I do 25% a week, I don't dose, and my corals and anemones seem to be doing quite well. But then, my tank has only been in my care for six months, so take that with a grain of salt.

RE: Coral Needs

tmac1rebok — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:50:31 GMT

Ok, if it seemed like I wasn't specific it was because I wanted to make this forum more opened ended for other beginners interested. I will however let you know exactly whats goin on in my tank(thanks for the effort in answering this). My specific gravity is always between 1.024-1.026. I would like to keep between 1.025-1.026 because this is full S.G. in the ocean. And with the other stuff...

Nitrates: 0.0ppm

Nitrites: under 10ppm

Ammonia: 0.0ppm

Phosphate: 0.0 ppm

Ph: 8.2-8.4

Carbonate hardness: 10-12KH

Temperature: 79-81degress F

I have only a compact fluorescent aqua lunar light w/ two 65wt fixtures, 10k and actinic blue. Let me also get out there that I work in a Pet store in the fish section. I know the basics but I'm only 17 and want to know if I'm truely right and I hoping to gain more useful info on corals. Right now I can only have soft corals cause I would need more lighting for stoneys. I also don't currently own a test kit but I do my own testing in the store. I'll get two of them, one saltwater, one reef(it has tests for calcium) from API, but right now I have spent over $400 in the last month so I need to hold back a little. I have had my tank since the beginning of september and I wasn't planning on introducing the coral right away because I know it needs to stablize and cycle more. I was thinking after jan. on stocking corals. Plus there are tests out there for the chemicals I have named earlier. I have no experience in reef care to know the effects of the products. I guess I'm asking, do I need those chemicals or any other chemicals that Seachem or other companies make like Silicate, Magnesium, Iron, Iodide, Boron, etc.(all which I would have tests for). Just because I spend too much money as is and don't want to run the risk of messing up dosages of any of the chems. If you have anymore questions reguarding my tank specs, simply check out my profile.

P.s. so far my live sand and live rock is clear of heavy algae and bacteria ever since the insert of snails and a hermit crab into my tank.

RE: Coral Needs

Hailey — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:18:40 GMT

What exactly does "low nutrient levels" mean? The only acceptable readings for this are 0ppm ammonia and nitrite at all times, and under 10ppm nitrate (but the closer to 0ppm the better). These, and a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025 are the key needs. The other things are generally considered unnecessary by most experts (of which I am not, BTW...I am going by what I was told or read was said by the most respected reefkeepers I know of). The thing I have heard over and over again is "don't dose anything you don't test for"...overdosing these elements seems to be a serious and widespread problem. Water changes, if done often enough (i.e., weekly to biweekly), are generally plenty to replenish the trace elements. Calcium is not as easily replaced by water changes, but softies don't use calcium the way stonies will, so it's nothing you need to worry about.

How long have you had this tank set up though? The way you are wording things makes it sound like it is relatively new. I would not attempt corals at all if you have not been keeping saltwater tanks for at least a year. It takes time to learn to keep the tank truly stable, and there is a series of algae blooms that occurs in a new tank that would choke out the corals. It usually takes a few months to a year to get the tank over the algae blooms (I'm six months into my saltwater experience and fighting the fourth bloom, filamentous cyanobacteria...I went through diatoms, green hair algae, and red slime first, and should be near the end of my battle). I made the mistake of adding corals after only a couple months, and now I have a daily battle to keep the cyano off the corals so they don't die, and believe me, it is no fun to have to take a toothbrush to the rocks around the corals every day or two.

Also, you made it sound like you are having the water tested by someone else, not with your own kits. If this is true, don't continue this practice with corals. You need to be on top of everything that happens in your tank, and that means frequent testing at the beginning (I'd say at least weekly for the first year or so), and immediate testing at the first sign of any trouble. There isn't always a pet store open when you discover a dead fish or shrinking coral, and you need to be ready.

Finally, have you thought about how you are going to feed them? Are you aware of the varying needs of the soft corals you want? Some have to be fed meaty bits (mysis, krill, shrimp, silversides, etc) every few days, some are filter feeders (some of which require very specific sized microfood), and some are photosynthetic (partially or entirely). The latter especially require very specialized lighting, and all of them will require something better than the standard tank light. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you do it...please don't repeat my mistakes (I've lost nearly half the corals I had through inexperience, algae blooms, starvation because I couldn't figure out what they needed, salinity fluctuations, etc).

Coral Needs

tmac1rebok — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:25:09 GMT

Iodine; Calcium; Strontium and Molybdenum