so you're curious about corals...[fyi]

[Sk8r]

...and want to know what it takes.

1. Corals have a few common characteristics. You can't really overload a tank with corals because---they eat light, they eat chemicals out of the water, and they grow instead of poo. So they're almost like an additional filter system, unlike a fish, who doesn't just absorb light and grow. They are of course animals, but they have plants inside their skin, which photosynthesize and give off sugars [or something like] which the coral eats.

Corals hate change. They won't curl up and die, but they come from the tropics where today and yesterday tend to be a lot alike except during hurricane season. So you want stability in every single parameter. If a coral can tell a difference, they're just snooty enough to object. That's why a sump and a potent skimmer really help, ditto other automations that keep the tank on even keel---not absolutely necessary, but timers on the lights, autotopoff for salinity, and a calcium replacement scheme are a good thing.

Corals grow faster than you think. I have a 30 head hammer that I started with in 2006 at 5 heads, and of course once EVERY SINGLE HEAD starts dividing, it grows pretty fast. Same with various corals. Softies can reproduce as fast as you'd ever believe---unless it's 'rare'. Guess why it's 'rare' and expensive. But they do grow enough you can pay for a little fishfood by trading spare bits, called 'frags.'

2. What do corals like, param wise? Ideally, salinity of about 1.025, ph of 7.9-8.3, temperature 80 plus or minus 1-2 degree, and the same-er the bett-er: stability!. Alkalinity dkh scale of 8.3-9.3; calcium 400-450, 420 being quite nice; magnesium of 1300 [3x the calcium reading]; and water changes of 10% a week to handle the trace elements which come in your salt mix---too tiny to dose but still important.

It is important NOT to have nitrates, nitrites or ammonia---the latter being downright lethal. Phosphates are not good, either: if you have a lot of algae, get rid of that before trying corals. A refugium can do that for you in about 2 months.

In order of most tolerant of water conditions: softies, lps, and least tolerant, sps.
In order of desire for light, softies, lps, and sps---sps want mh or T5 level light, really bright and in particular spectrums...hence the eternal debate among sps folk about bulb brand and type. Lps is pretty tolerant, except a few like bubble that like low light; and softies are mostly lower-light.

3. Peculiar characteristics: softies 'spit'. They exude stinky chemicals that annoy their neighbors into not building on their property line. Try to get the stinkiest next to the water-exit, and run carbon if you have a mad or wounded coral. LPS 'reach'. They have stinging tentacles---sometimes they don't even come out until after dark---and they reach out and 'touch' an encroaching neighbor. Max reach is about 6 inches, shortest about half an inch, always downcurrent. SPS---no tentacles, no spit. But they sure don't like to lose their perch and fall on each other. They often break, too, so you glue the spare to another rock and let it grow, too, for trade.

4. Can you have corals in an aquapod or nano? Sure. Your lighting is what makes the difference in what you can try---that and how stable you can make the water conditions. Try some mushrooms and zoas for starters. Low light, tolerant. Or go with some stonies, if you can find some real small ones. SPS is a bit pickier, but you might manage some montiporas, or pocilloporas, which are lower light and pretty tolerant---frag at the drop of a hat, but are easy maintenance. Get VERY small specimens. That growing thing, eh?

5. Do you have to be an expert? No. You just have to be consistent and you have to test your water and correct it carefully. A log book is your best friend if you're a newbie doing corals. And in half a year or so, when your corals are actually going [does take them a bit to get 'adjusted' and take off] you'll feel much more like an expert.

HTH.

[808-340]

thanks Sk8r... awesome informative post... this is a quick guide for those (like me) who are moving towards a reef tank from a fowlr one...

[kzickovich]

always a treat to read your posts so often I learn something keep it going please

[Sk8r]

It's not hard---once you reach the stage in which you can do a water change without forgetting the autotopoff switch that floods your tank with fresh water; once you get a calcium delivery system worked out...lol! I say this because they were my own hurdles. I was so dim about remembering my switches during a water change!---and even so, my corals lived through my mistakes and thrived. They're tougher than most people think. This is because things do happen in the unchanging ocean---currents move through; a hurricane darkens the reef for a week; some big fish whacks a coral chasing a little guy...this just happen. And corals have been coping for thousands of years. They're a lot of fun---they sit like lumps doing nothing for a few months and you wonder if they'll ever grow, then overnight---bang! From a half a teaspoon dose of calcium they're taking 2 teaspoons, literally overnight, as if they all agreed that on the third of April, they'd start eating. YOu have to wonder.

[Deb91]

As usual I loved reading your posts! I don't usually feel that I am that stupid because they are easy enough (most of the time) to understand.
. I laughed so hard when I read #3,but I really get it now. Thanks Again,and Happy Holidays!!!

[marioensf]

I know this is off the subject but I've posted several times in this or equipment forum for little help on a Knop C reactor. So far not even a reply
I just need to know of the two little hoses on the main body which is the intake from the tank and the effluent (output)
I'd like to have it up and running well before next year

Thanks !

[r341ity]

As always great write up sk8r, much appreciated.

[lhoy]

Great post for everyone. Having been in the hobby since 1990, I am upset there are not more books that communicate what you just communicated very well.

Nice post.

Lee

[styndall]

There's actually some argument about whether such careful temperature stability is necessary or beneficial. Good evidence suggests that natural reefs experience temperature swings far larger than most reefers tolerate in tanks, and this stability may in fact translate, over time, into less hardy corals.


Children who are kept inside and away from microbes and dust get allergies at much greater rate than kids who spend a bit of time exposed to these things. The principle might well be similar.

[cloak]

Going against the grain is actually good.

FWIW.

[snorvich]

Great post sk8r. Temperature on the reef varies by season more than by day night cycle. Check out, for example the average water temperature of, say, Fiji.

[Sk8r]

I wish I could help you on that Knop reactor, too---you've been to their site, right? In my kalk reactor the inflow is the tube that extends down way low in the reactor tube and the outflow is way up at the top. Ask in the Lighting and Equipment forum: SOMEONE there must know. And keep asking if you don't get an answer in a day or two.

BTW, just a small word about extra equipment that you can buy or make that will help you with coral feeding---

Corals suck up calcium bigtime once they really set in to grow. A 54g full of corals can take 3-4 teaspoons of calcium a DAY. Naturally this gets to be a PITA to dose and keep reasonably stable.

So let's talk about calcium supply in the wild: where does it come from? Rock. Ocean limestones. And all those rivers. Fresh water dissolves limestone really efficiently. Ro/di happens to dissolve limestone REALLY efficiently...and if you drop powdered lime into ro/di, by a trick of the way our planet works so neatly [and any other planet in the universe]---ro/di happens to dissolve just exactly enough lime to match natural seawater. You squirt that lime-laden ro/di into your tank, and it replaces what your corals ate.

Do this as topoff, and you're golden. The calcium level never fluxes much during the day, because topoff comes in by the teaspoon. If your evaporation rate is high, it feeds your corals very efficiently [my evap rate is a gallon a day from my 54g].

If your evap rate is low re your tank size or your corals are numerous and VERY hungry, you may need a calcium reactor to automate things: that uses an injection of CO2 to force the water to carry more calcium...naturally, it's a bit more complex than a kalk reactor, which you can build out of a bucket.

And if you're vying for Tank of the Month and have coral growth thicker than ever appears on a natural reef [so divers tell me] then you may actually need both kinds of reactor---partially to keep the ph balanced, because a calcium reactor does have a little bit of issue with that, and the harder it runs, the more issue it has.

And thanks for the input, fellow reefers: appreciated.

[Rustylugnuts]

Chaulk up another good post for Sk8r. Now if I could just get off my keister and grab a log book I could pretend I'm an expert.

[Sk8r]

Let me add, too---there are a few corals I'd stay away from as a novice.

Among softie corals and leathers---sun coral is difficult to feed: does not photosynthesize, usually dies; carnation coral---pretty, but ime, difficult to get to thrive. Gonioporas---beautiful, but near impossible, even for experts. Fiji Yellow---very 'hot' and somewhat difficult. Gorgonians [branches], tend to be expert corals.

Among zoas---read the sticky in the zoa forum about palythoa toxins.

Mushrooms: the elephant ear mushroom will kill and attempt to eat small perching fish.
Do not let mushrooms get near structural [big] rock unless you want a lot of mushrooms: they will aggressively sting other coral, and they occasionally move---yes, move---to go attack another coral. They do it slowly, but they get there.

LPS corals: elegances are beautiful, but are succumbing to brown slime disease when put in our tanks. Something is the matter, and they will not live. Research is trying to find out why.
Galaxia and torch are both 'hot' corals, and reach farthest, too. Be careful with these guys, re positioning. Bubble, too, can surprise you with a 6" reach.
Plate coral goes only on the sandbed, because it puffs up its bottom membrane and 'walks' if unhappy where it is. This can rip to ribbons on rock. Long-tentacled plate is expert-only.
Easiest lps to start with: candycane, euphyllia [either hammer or frogspawn] and bubble [bubble, alone, is shade-loving.]

SPS: hydnophora, of this class, is reachy and hot, not a good neighbor.
many others are difficult to get started. The easy ones to start with are:
Montiporas, pocilloporas. Acropora valida. Green Bali Slimer.

[Deb91]

Bump

[kware]

Sk8r can you just come over to my house and set my tank up for me? I will give you lots of beer.

[Sk8r]

Lol! Just ask along the way and you'll do great...It's just futzy. And once you see how a thing is done you can often figure a better way to do it. I just spent an hour upside down in cold water making a Rubbermaid tub into a kalk reactor---I'll tell you how this one works out. But I had to ask why I was using a 32g tub to pump water into a 2g reactor that wasn't working well, when I could do it AS the reactor. Frustration is the mother of invention---
And all my corals are so happy: you'd think they enjoyed getting starved and having their alk wander.

I tell you they're tougher than you'd think. I've shot kalk slurry onto them, I've accidentally spilled Tech M [mg] into the tank in about double the dose---I tell you klutzes are not excluded from having good corals.

At least you get a lot of frags.

[Saltwaterstart]

Great post again Sk8r. Hit the nail right on the head.

Another thing to add would be to research what you want before you buy it. Saves a lot of headaches.

[Sk8r]

Saltwaterstart, dead on---research. If they give you a warnoff as an 'expert coral,' believe them. YOu'll get there. Just let yourself and your tank age a bit.

Another point worth considering: when you set up, your live rock is likely to bring phospate with it...which is why you get that big algae bloom at first. Until you find a way to get that phosphate out, it's going to adversely impact any coral you put in: most phosphate tolerant: softies; medium, lps; least---sps. So get some phosban or a fuge going while you get something to eat [and poo the stuff into the water column] it so you can 'collect' the 'free' phosphate. Never mind getting a phosphate test: they only read 'free' phosphate, and you know about 'bound' phosphate---because if you have algae in your display, you have phosphate in your display.
Nasty, eh?
It is. Get the phosphate out as thoroughly as you can. WHile ideally if you had no phosphate you could stock your tank with corals enough to look like the tank of the month in the very first week after the cycle---the phosphate question means something else---because you know you have algae. You MUST get rid of phosphate of all sorts to have success with corals, and the less tolerant the coral, the more important it is to get it out.
Sources of phosphate: live rock, dry fish food, non ro/di water even 'conditioned, wet fish food [wash it by dissolving it in a shot glass of tank water and slosh off the excess water before feeding it.]
Ways of getting rid of phosphate: get something to eat it---THEN run phosban to remove it while it's poo'ed into the tank; or run a fuge lit 24/7...and sell or trade the excess cheatomorpha that grows in your fuge.

Here's where I'm going to get a little controversial: people keep getting fish that eat a lot of algae, and they dump algae-based food into the tank, or grow stuff and put it into to be eaten: and all of it contains phosphate. I've never read anything abou this problem, but I think we should think about big algae eaters as a potential difficulty with phosphate management. My big rabbit really laced my tank with it---when he ate all the caulerpa I had, then forced me to BUY two loads of caulerpa to feed him so he wouldn't take after my frogspawn before I could catch him [I was out of town for two weeks.] WHen all was said and done, I next had a BIG bubble algae bloom, and it took me a while to get the phosphates under control. So algae eaters unless you can get the phosphate out are not necessary a solution. Phosban---or a big fuge.

[bearpeidog]

Interesting thoughts on the phosphate. I have never been able to keep a birds nest (tried 3 times). All water parameters are perfect, only thing I never test for is phosphate. I do have a couple algea eaters but not because of algae problems, just cause I like them. (Foxface and Lawnmower blenny). Anyway, I do feed algea food to them daily. Again, I don't have algea problems, but I wonder if I have phosphate? I've just read you can't test it as you only test "free" phosphate? However, would a test be worth it if no algea? I only use RO water.

I also have a sump that I could light up and put Chateo in.... I think I'll try that - can't hurt!

[ksouers]

Originally posted by Sk8r
Phosban---or a big fuge.

Make that Phosban AND a big fuge .

I agree with keeping a log, Sk8tr, you can't reinforce that enough. I'm old and can't remember what I had for breakfast, much less what my Ca reading was last week. For us newbies, if you RELIGIOUSLY keep a log you will eventually get to know your tank. You can see some problems coming before they become a problem. Eventually you'll be making some water changes or adjusting your dosing based on the needs of the tank, not just because it's Saturday and you are supposed to. That water change may be needed twice this week, not just once. Maybe it needs an extra shot of Mg. Your log will eventually help you predict when that "extra" water change or Ca or Mg dose is needed.

[Tonblogna]

Appreciate the very easy to follow initial post. Although, I still feel intimidated anytime the talk turns to reactors and the sort, well...because I know nothing about them. At this point I am still doing my top off daily out of a gallon jug and dose Carbonate and Purple Up (for calcium mainly) by the capful on a alternating daily basis. The automated stuff seems overwhelming and problematic to me, but if I follow through with my plans for a bigger tank in the future, I'm guessing it may be a necessary evil if I ever want to leave the house.

[MrSquid]

Once again Sk8r - you rule. If you set up tanks for beer, I'd buy you the best, most expensive beer you care to drink.

[Sk8r]

Grin. I'll try to follow up with something about reactors. Basically they're a tube where your topoff ro/di meets a chemical before it gets into your tank...pushed by your topoff pump.

But I'll have more on that later.

I think, re phosphate, it is one of the sneakiest enemies we battle, precisely because the common tests for it don't really show us the real picture. I say again---if you've got algae [or maybe if you're feeding algae eaters] there's phosphate in the system that needs to be managed somehow.