Coral Options

[jimmy44]

I am new to salt water and so far I have a 10gallon with one blue damsel, 9lbs of fiji LR, A "pepermint"(i think its really camel back) shrimp and a little orange crab that came with the rock.(the shrimp came with it too:) ) The tanks been going for 2 weeks now, and the LFS says that ammonia + nitrates are low so in a couple weeks I want to get some coral from the LFS so i wrote down what they all have for sale (1)Yellow polyp rock $50 (2)Cabbage leather $50

(3)Purple Mushroom rock $50 (4)Green Mushroom rock$40

(5)Green torch $50 (6)red Mushroom rock $35

(7)zooanthid polyps $35 (8)single cabbage rock $30 (9) Sm. Leather finger$40. My tank has 2x 15w flourescent tubes 1 is attinic. Wich of these corals would be best for me to start with??

[Satchmo]

If the shrimp is a camelback, he's gotta go before adding corals. Where do you live? Those prices are a little nuts.

[Metznreef]

i would say go with the yellow polyps but that is a fricken rip off. they are only 18.99 here and i live on the east cost!. go with the red shrooms. they are real nice.

[sjpresley]

Those prices are horrid, it the store in the mall?

 

Find another LFS and see if you can get some small frags for cheap, one LFS here regularly gives me stray mushrooms and other soft corals for FREE, or less than $1 each.

 

Sorry to say all of this but...

 

The crab is probably trouble catch him now and take him to the store. No questions asked, it is orange, it is a crab, probably not good, especially in a 10G.

 

You will probably want to return the damsel as well, just trust me on this, there are a lot of really cool small fish, and damsels are not one of them, they are just cheap. Once you put in corals you will not be able to take out enough LR to catch him, get rid of it now. Or don't.

 

If the shrimp is a camel back you definitely want to get rid of it, if it is a peppermint (Lymata wurdemani) you may want to anyway, they are indiscriminant predators and may also bother corals and eat any new growth from zooanthid colonies.

[jimmy44]

well i live in wisconsin and there are few options for fish stores, that lfs is just a little shop, but i went to a huge fish store the other weekend and their prices were much higher than those. I did plan on getting rid of the damsel once the tank is cycled. I guess ill get rid of the shrimp, and when i can get my bro to take a picture of the crab, ill try and get him ided. thx for the input

[sjpresley]

You can probably get much better deals on-line. In many cases, you won't be able to see the coral you are purchasing ahead of time, but it will either be cheaper with free shipping or almost free with expensive shipping. Check out the corals for sale on e-bay, many go for a few $$ because of expensive shipping, but I bet you can get nice corals instead of the crap your LFS is offering for much cheaper.

 

Just shop around.

[Dave ESPI]

Originally posted by jimmy44

I am new to salt water and so far I have a 10gallon with ......

I want to get some coral from the LFS so i wrote down what they all have for sale    (1)Yellow polyp rock $50  (2)Cabbage leather $50

(3)Purple Mushroom rock $50  (4)Green Mushroom rock$40  

(5)Green torch $50 (6)red Mushroom rock $35

(7)zooanthid polyps $35 (8)single cabbage rock $30 (9) Sm. Leather finger$40.      My tank has 2x 15w flourescent tubes 1 is attinic.   Wich of these corals would be best for me to start with??

 

derrrrrrr. good luck d00d.

Start with forgetting about all them and buying better lighting.

then do it.

The Shrimp if it is a camel, isnt a serious threat, but should NOT be kept with polyps... LUNCH TIME !