My LFS says wait and see on coral

[drsmallwood]

I've been keeping freeshwater fish for awhile and have just started a nano-reef tank. My traditional and I would like to add stellar LFS is not as good when it comes to NR. Im guessing they are more into large reef tanks.

 

They dont seem interested in helping me buy coral. Everything they have is attached to large LR or will grow too big for my tank.

 

I ask them for a particular coral and they hem and haw and eventually say,"we'll see what we get on Wednesday."

 

Is this common for LFS? or should I just use the net stores? Other FS in my area are much worse, I will no longer shop at them.

 

David Smallwood

[tinyreef]

it might be that they know how long since you've entered the hobby (if fairly recent) and merely want you make sure your tank is settled in, stable, and mature enough for handling corals. corals are typically more sensitive to water conditions than fish.

 

make sure your nitrogenous readings are all zero or minimal (nitrate <15ppm, others zero). you should have some carbon handy imo but not necessary.

 

try an soft coral frag like a toadstool or colt-type. they should be cheap and easy ( punchline deleted ). X)

 

you do have sufficient lighting, i assume? ???

 

i wouldn't advise starting out with non-photosynthetic corals. (too difficult imo)

[drsmallwood]

Thanks for the reply. It is a fairly new tank (5 weeks) and the load is minimal. For now I have them check the water weekly and at this time there isn't a sufficient reading of nitrate to register.

 

Today I saw my first pods. Very excited. Im hoping to add a goby soon.

 

Thanks again,

David Smallwood

[Crakeur]

if the tank is only 5 weeks old, and all cycle readings are down (ammonia, trates, trites), I would suggest getting your clean up crew in place and perhaps trying an inexpensive, easy to keep coral such as some mushrooms, star polyps, a toadstool leather, capnella or a colt coral. Get one of these and see how it does. Prior to getting it, read up on the care needed so that you have the proper knowledge of the animal. These are all relatively inexpensive and you can, probably, find some of these via these boards and a trade or a freebie. Star polyps grow like weeds and people are always pruning them so ask around and maybe someone can send you (or meet you if local) a small frag. The same goes for leathers, capnella and colt corals.

 

In any event, don't rush to put corals in the tank before you and the tank are ready.

[SaltyDawg]

It could be that they just dont want to mess with small corals ( oder frags I mean.) and that they wont frag anything for you from their tanks. I have came across a few shops like that. They dont want to mess with the smaller sales in the coral department via frags and dont want to mess with fraging, and making places for the frags. But they will never tell you that. places like that are just like puppy mills only in reverse killing the source instead of propogating it. ( not your LFS per' say but one's like i described.)

[drsmallwood]

Thanks SaltyDawg. I am inclined to agree with you. I guess I'll just have to use the internet services.

 

David

[Dazureus]

Remember too that many LFS trans-ship their corals from collection stations on the islands of their origin. They have a list of corals to choose from, and it's up to the packers to try to fit the order. Many times items on the list are not present in the box.