First corals, what not to buy?

[MrNoahCount]

I have been doing searches about beginner corals and the more I research to more confusing it seems to get. There are so many choices and also the question of hard vs. soft corals. Is it ok to mix them or not? I see varying opinions on this. I brought up this link from one of the nano-reef sponsors http://www.coraldynamics.com/nano_reef_package.htm and I was wondering if, rather than suggestions on what to buy, someone could look at the package choices and tell us newbies "what not to buy" I know a lot is dependent on lighting so my setup consist of a Coralife Aqua lights 2x65 CF hood with 50/50 daylight/actnic bulbs over a 29 gallon tank with a distance of about 18 inches between the light and the sandbed. I could use some advice.

Thanks,

Michael

[surfy]

Anemone's, sps corals and clams are something you don't want to buy if you are a new-b. The list could keep going on and on so I will tell you a few hardier corals you should try first.

Always research about the corals you want to keep before you buy them, each one has different requirements- lighting, feeding, supplements, placement ect.

From easy to harder, IMO

 

1. Polyps are the hardiest corals- Zooanthid, yellow polyps, green star ect.

2. mushrooms

3. colt coral

4. LPS such as- bubble coral, torch, frogspawn, hammer

5. brain corals

6. xenia

I have kept all of these when I was just begining with little to no problems.

Hope this helps any.

[Reefy]

Flowerpot corals=bad

[Acoustic]

DO NOT BUY XENIA! Mine has quickly become the pain in my nano arse! It grows so fast that it soon shadows every coral in your tank.

[SteveC]

Originally posted by Acoustic

DO NOT BUY XENIA! Mine has quickly become the pain in my nano arse! It grows so fast that it soon shadows every coral in your tank.

 

Sounds like someone's offering free Xenia frags to everyone on the Beginner's Forum! :woot:

[westkyracer]

Softies are the newbies friend!!!

Mushrooms, Zooanthids, Richordia, Capnella {Kenya Tree Coral} and Gorgonians are very good for Newbees and oldbees too.

 

I say this because of them being easy to care for the water params do not have to be perfect. They do very well under low light and current.

 

I added the Green line shrooms first.

Then I added the Flo Green Kenya Tree

Then I added some Hunter Green zoo's

And this week added some Chartreus Green Zoo's (Chris Aggie's) look in the Classified section.

 

Don't get into a big hurry about adding a bunch right off the bat.

 

Here is a senario a friend and I set up our tanks within a week of each other.

 

He had more money than I did he is single and I am married LOL

anyway he got a nano pack with 9 items. Looked great for about a month.

 

I got a rock with Green line shrooms on it and a couple of browns mixed in. Now after a year he got frustrated back in the fall and quit cause mine cost half of what his did and mine has grown by leaps and bounds and still looks awsome.

 

I buy stuff for occasions like my keya was bought on vacation last summer. My zoo's were bought for the 1 year anniversary of my tank. Just silly stuff like that.

 

Then as you meat people on here and trade things you have memories of that stuff too.

 

I hope this Helps!!!

[HawaiianNano]

westkyracer im new to this hobbie and just set up a 5.5 gallon. My tank just cycled and in need of getting some coral or frags. I have some stuff growing on the rock that i dont know what they are. I will use your advice when buying corals. But maybe you can answer a few of my questions.

 

do you add any calicium or any type of additives or you just do water changes oncea week/

 

Now that the tank has cycled there is lots of brown algee growing all over is that normal?

 

Do you have any pics of your tank?

 

My set up includes a

CSL 32 watt retrofit with DIY hood

HOB no media and mini jet 404

8 lbs kealini rock and 3 lbs live sand

 

 

pics of my tank click here

[Jon-Paul]

I would say that Mushrooms, Green Star Polyps, Zoo's, and Colts are all good started corals. As mentioned they do well under not perfect water params, low light and low current. i personally wwould stay away from corals with sweeping tentacles like bubble as they can irritate your corals and cause them to not extend fully.

 

Bad Corals in ym oppinion are Clams, SPS, LPS and Brains for begginers. The only coral I have in my 37 is a GSP (I live extemely far away from LFS) and my first inhabitant other than crabs/snails I bought was a sebae anenome. Oooo I also suggest not getting an anenome unless it's a hardy one (hard to find one). Luckily my sebae is still around (7 months old). I seem to have gone off topic . LoL

 

Jon-Paul

[westkyracer]

I don't have any pics my scanner is not working right now. I put in about 10 drops of Strontium and 10 drops of Calcium every other day and I put in a teaspoon of iodine on Saturdays. I feed my clown on the days I am not dosing. I am planning on getting the blocks that have the calcium, strontium and other trace elements that disolve as the tank need them.

 

Living in Hawaii must alow you to get some really cool corals.