Guide to adding corals?

[Mare100]

Hi

Does anybody know of...or can anybody recommend a good on-line guide that gives you a "timeline" or guidline for building a healthy reef?

I know when going to various websites....many of them list "beginner corals"....but I'd like to see some recommendations of what types to add to the tank first....and so on.

Thanks for the help.

M

[avshockey311]

I dont really know of any guide. If you are just starting the tank same goes for corals as does for fish. Let the tank cycle and after the cycle you should be ready for some softies such as mushrooms, star polyps, xenia, or maybe a leather. What type of lighting do you have?

[Mare100]

Hi and thanks for the response!

Our tank is a 120 gal. with about 145 lbs. of LR. It has gone through it's nitrogen cycle and is just coming out of it's "jungle" phase (hair algae and such) (thanks to the help of one very hard working Sea Hare!).

The lighting we have is a "Sunpaq Retrofit Kit"....which has "Dual Daylight" Lamps of 65 watts and "Dual Actinic" Lamps of 65 watts....total of 130 watts.

To be honest....since taking up this hobby....I've been doing so much reading and trying to find out so much information, my head is spinning. I"ve only scratched the surface of fish compatibility and care. I am still a total moron when it comes to lights. I've been seeing so much about T5 and Metal Halide.....and I have absolutely no clue what any of this is. Seeing all this stuff....I'm hoping that our lighting is adequate.

M

[reef2]

with ur lighting u r limited on what u can keep.mostly mushrooms and zoos.

[Mare100]

That's what I was afraid of. I thougt I remembered reading somewhere that for soft corals.......we should have at least 3-5 watts per gallon. Sounds like we are way low. OK....will have to check into this some more. Thanks!

M

[avshockey311]

You should be ready for those softies any time soon. As for the lighting you will be fine with most soft corals. But when you want to start with LPS and SPS and thats when not if you will need better lights. I told myself when I started that I would never have anything but softies. Now I am leaning more on the LPS dominated side and I just got my first SPS a few weeks ago. Good luck and keep those questions coming!

[mildew]

You've got a lot of space in a 120 to fill, and likely will be anxious to get some things to fill it with. Yes, it's good to start with the "easy stuff" but watch out for it as much of it has a tendency to spread, and if you think algae is hard to get rid of just wait until your live rock is covered with green star polyps, anthelia or xenia and some of those other "space hogs." With your lighting you'll have to stick to the easy ones, but place them so you'll be able to remove them when you decide to upgrade your lights and your corals. This is the voice of experience talking since I'm upgrading and trying not to tear the whole tank apart just to get rid of the "easy stuff."

[L and L]

Reef Tank timeline guide:

Eric Borneman article
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/eb/index.php

It's in the middle of the article.

[Craig Lambert]

A good rule of thumb is that you can add corals when coraline algae begins to appear on the glass of your tank.

[L and L]

Thread heist: Craig, I climbed Mt Pahia (that picture in your avatar).

My wife and I honeymoon'd in Bora Bora and Moorea. here's my homepage:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/l/o/loguell/Honeymoon/Honeymoon.html

From the angle of Mt. Pahia.. it looks like we stayed in the same location. Bora Bora lagoon resort. hehe