Question about coral stocking

[Djm9288]

Good Afternoon,

  I know you can only have a certain number of fish in a tank, but is there any sort of stocking limit? I am getting 2 ocellaris clowns for my 10, but about how many other corals would you say I could add?

                         Daniel

[Fant]

There really isnt a straight answer for that question. Too many possible variables. When stocking your tank with corals you need to consider its requirements, light, water quality, food, current, growth pattern, and growth rate. You will also want to be aware of its aggressiveness. Corals have defense mechanisms that can injur, harm, or kill neighboring corals. So you need to be aware of each coral and how it defends its space. You will also want to choose growth patterns that will fit nicely into your system. Another thing to consider is the fragability of a coral. If your keeping a tank with a variety of soft corals you can just easily frag the corals when it becomes crowded. If you want to keep corals that form solid masses you will need to be aware that you cannot easily frag these types of corals. Such as some forms of hammer coral, favia, most brain corals. So basically you need to decide what you would like to keep, and then do some research on the individual corals and narrow down your choice to what will work.  And remember to stock your tank slowly.

[Djm9288]

Well as for hard corals I was thinking about an open brain, a candycane and a hammer coral. Then some other softies. I have 26 watts of PC bulbs that are 1/2 10k daylight and 1/2 actinic

                Daniel

[Fant]

The candy cane and the open brain sound good (red morph of Trachaphyllia Geoffroyi would do best they prefer lower light) The hammer is questionable, If you decide to get one, make sure its a branching morph as those are easier to frag and then you could just keep a small colony of it.

[Guest AbSoluTc]

26w over a 10 is somewhat under par.  You might want to double that number.  JMO