Researching Corals

[fish_keeper2]

well im starting to research the corals i want.

after browsing liveaquaria.com(which is proply where i will get my corals if not localy) these are the ones i like:
LPS: torch coral - euphyllia glabrescens
long tentacle plate coral - heliofungia actinformis

SPS: purple acropora - acropora sp.

softies: red mushroom coral - actinodiscus sp.
blue/green ricordea mushroom - ricordea florida
yellow fiji leather - sacrophyton elegans
toadstool mushroom leather - sacrophyton sp.
kenya tree coral - capnella sp.
green starburst polyps - pachyclavularia sp.
super colored colony polyp - zoanthus sp.

my only questions atm is this: will this light be a good one for these corals?
also are these corals fairly easy to care for and are they compatable with each other and for my tank which is 10 gal?......see my profile for current stock(or the link in my sig).

oh and on the light i was going to get the 20 inches 2x 40 watt fixture.

 

[Aquascaper]

Not enough for the Acropora, they need halide light but the rest should be fine under that.

How deep is the tank though as that is sometimes more important than the amount of light?

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. i think my tank is like a foot tall or something. its a standered AGA ten gal tank.

 

[Navarre]

seems fine for all of them except the acropora. The acro might live in your tank but im pretty sure it will lose its colour and turn brown under these lights to maximise the algae growth within it.

 

[Aquascaper]

I personally would go for the yellow Sacrophytons as they are not as hardy as the browns and despite them being an easy beginner coral you could come unstuck with those. The rest are pretty good choices and pretty much what I have/have had/will have in my tank. I would really recommend buying a decent coral book, Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman is like a bible , as this will give you excellent advice on siting the corals and what to feed them, etc.

 

[fish_keeper2]

ok ill scrap the acropora.

more questions:
1) do i need to worry alot with spacing(ie stinging tencles.....cant remember what they are called)?
2) any special requirements?
3) how do i frag these corals?(zoos i know how to)

 

[Aquascaper]

The only stinging corals that you've mentioned are the torch coral, the long tentacle plate coral & the zoo's.
The zoo's only sting what they touch but the other two have stinging tentacles that are extended to feed, these form a perimeter in which no other coral can be placed. The torch forms a 'perimeter' around 1" more than the fully extended tentacles (when the sweeper tentacles appear) and the plate corals 'perimeter' is as big as the spread of its tentacles. The torch coral has a very powerful sting and will kill most other corals that it comes into cotact with, especially softies.

With regards to special requirements: The plate coral will need feeding but the torch will pick things out of the water. Placement is tricky with the torch as it prefers bright, indirect light (don't ask as i've never worked that one out ) and a gentle current. You'll probably have to move it a few times to find where it likes best. Both of these prefer bottom level with the plate coral having to be directly on the substrate, the torch can be planted in the substrate or wedged into the rockwork. The zoo's can go pretty much anywhere as they are tolerant of moderate to high light levels and various currents.

Fraging the torch is easy, get a pair of pliers and break off a 'head' at the branching point. As for the plate, you can't to my knowledge frag these but they reproduce by forming clone colonies which drop off and grow into exact copies of the parent coral.

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. how/what do i feed the plate coral? oh and if anyone has links to good places to get info on corals that would be great.........along with places that i can order corals besides livequaria.com(im in the US).

 

[steelhealr]

Plate corals can be 'spot fed' and will eat almost anything..mysis shrimp, baby brine, Cyclopeeze, etc. I highly recommend that you pick up Eric Borneman's Book on Aquarium Corals. You can get it at amazon.com. Marinedepot is selling corals as well. Ive been extremely happy with LA.com SH

 

[Aquascaper]

Another vote for the coral bible that is Eric's book

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. i would go to the bookstore to check out the book but its snowing right now so i think ill stay home where its nice and warm for now(i would have to walk to the bookstore). if you guys have any links to good websites that would be awsome.

 

[Navarre]

I wouldnt keep a reef system without that book ! I thought i was pretty clued up on most corals (no expert of course but generally competant) but this book takes things to a whole other league.

 

[fish_keeper2]

i will get the book. it just has to wait a bit so i can get some money. atm im barely able to get meds for 2 of my FW tanks. funny u know my 2 29 gal are going to hell and ive lost most of the fish in them yet my SW nano is going smoothly with no probs. weird aint it

 

[Navarre]

IME once a salt water tank is set up ans stable they are far less demanding than a fresgwater tank. They almost look after themselves.

 

[SkiFletch]

Thats one expensive book