Introducing New Corals?

[Gehrisch]

I have a whole bunch of coral questions:

 

When you guys get new corals do you isolate them for a few weeks like fish? Do you do anything in particular to ward off parasites? Do they increase the bioload of the tank or cause any nitrogen spikes?  If they're attached to small rubble rocks do you find that they create significant spikes?  After you put one in how long should you wait before putting in another?

 

I'm sorry to ask so many questions that should be simple enough, but I'm in the early stages of research and all the information I've seen so far is on species compatability and food, lighting, and current requirements. Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me!

[NanoReefer53]

If your're concerned with coral diseases, you can try those Kent Marine Tech-D .

[Signmom99]

Can someone please answer Gehrisch's questions.  I am curious also.  There is not information that tells how fast to add, the bio-load factor, how fast they grow and/or spread, etc.  Inquiring minds want to know....please!

[djlanius]

I'll try... I'm not an expert by any means, so don't hold me to it, but I believe this to be good information.

Corals don't seem to be nearly as much bioload as a similar-sized fish, but they are some. If you feed them they produce more waste (plus you nearly always pollute the tank somewhat in the process of feeding), so keep that in mind.

I'd recommend only getting one or two when you first get them. See how it goes. They may produce a slight ammonia spike but it should be very small, hopefully not even noticeable (unless you're testing several times a day!) The pieces of rock shouldn't be any more of a problem, most corals come attached to rocks. I've gotten some cool hitchhikers that way - tiny brittle stars, pods, stuff like that. Just look it over for sponges and try to minimize air exposure like you'd always do for sponges. If you find a dying sponge scrape it off (just like you'd do with live rock). Later, as you have more experience and a more mature & stable tank you can get away with more, but it's still probably a good idea to always go slow. Of course, someday an opportunity will come along to get a bunch at once, maybe someone's dismantling their tank, maybe you just can't pass up that great internet 9 for 99 frag offer, and it's occasionally ok to do that, but I wouldn't recommend it as your first coral addition. (Though I believe that's what Carrie did recently - check her posts on the main forum - and it seems to be working for her)

Different species are wildly different in their growth rates, feeding habits, as well as current & lighting preferences. I can't even begin to address that question in a general sense.

I've never quarantined my corals but I'm beginning to think it's a good idea. I've had a run of bad luck with brown jelly (I think) on my frogspawn, hammer, and elegance corals. I do still have a torch (related to frogspawn & hammer) and one frogspawn left that are healthy but every time I introduce a new one, somebody gets sick, so my new plan is to quarantine any new ones in that family to the mushroom tank (which has no other corals and shrooms shouldn't be so prone to the brown jelly). Honestly I've never heard of anyone quarantining corals. I think usually the goal is to acclimate them to the spot they're going to stay and then not move them. They don't like changes in lighting or current (well some like irregular current, but the same irregular current daily, if you know what I mean). So I don't know, I can see both sides of that one. I'd say if you bring one home that's definitely infected with something (not just shrunk from moving stress) - well actually I'd say don't do that, it's probably a goner anyway and hopefully you didn't have to spend any money on it! But really, if you spot something that looks remotely infectious (and with experience you'll start to be able to tell) I'd try to avoid putting it with others.

 

So I apologize that this is so long and wordy (I seem to be incapable of concise posts!), but I hope it helps a little!

[Signmom99]

It helps alot and I thank you.  When a coral is purchased and comes on a "rock" that is a little larger than you would like to put in your tank, is it possible to remove the coral from the "rock" and get it to grow perhaps on one of your base rocks already in the tank or even to split it amongst several locations?  I am very new to corals so an example would be the button polyp I purchased.  This is about the size of a very large man's fist.  I would like to be able to divide that coral into maybe 3 sections (of different proportions) and place throughout the tank.  The same with a couple other things I have.  Where would I go  to learn how to do that?

 

Thanks for your help kjlanius.  

[Delph]

(Edited by Delph at 8:05 am on June 3, 2002)

[djlanius]

A good place to look for general information on fragging and attaching is www.garf.org . It's a terribly difficult website to navigate, but they do have some good information once you find it. Also, the Sprung & Delbeek books (The Reef Aquarium, vols 1 & 2, very expensive, $60 or 70 each) have sections on propagation as well as info on particular species. Some of the info is a little out of date, but there's a whole lot of good stuff there. If you can afford it I recommend it. Vol 1 is more general info, and specifics on clams & stony corals, Vol 2 is mostly about softies, zoanthids, mushrooms & anemones, but has some updates to the general info. Lots of general coral biology in both. They also both have chapters on hitchhikers, pests, diseases, etc.

 

If you get a relatively small coral attached to a huge rock you may be able to break off part of the rock just to get the size down without disturbing the coral. Try a hammer, a rock hammer or a sturdy chisel (not the wood chisels! you and/or your mate will regret that forever! or at least as long as it takes to resharpen it...) I've been surprised how soft some of the rock is. I guess a lot of it is coral skeletons, which come in a variety of densities, some are fairly porous and break pretty easily if you hit them right. I've even cut off a piece of dead stony coral skeleton with pruning shears (they weren't sharp anyway, and they were plenty strong to break the rock).

Good luck!