Want Some Hard Corals.

[1234-fishy-freind]

I have managed to keep lots of soft corals, mushroom corals, polpys and 1 hard coral (hammer) alive really well.
I have good water quality and all params are suitable for hard corals.

I would like you guys to reccomend me some really nice and not too difficult to care for hard corals.
I really like plate corals and stuff like frogspawn and hammer too. How hardy are these types of coral?


thanks

 

[Colin_T]

how much light do you have on the tank and how long are the lights on for?
how much water movement do you have?
what fish are in the tank? Some angels will pick on some corals.

torch & hammer/anchor corals (Euphillia), Elegance (Cataphillia), Blastomussa, rose brain corals (Trachiphillia I think they are), Heliofungia & Fungia, are all pretty tough.

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

I have 3 150watt halide lights on for about 14hours and 2 other bulbs which im not sure of on for about 4. They are a dim light so im guessing they are some type of moon light.

I have a marron clown, yellow tangs, velvet wrasse, 6line wrasse, coral beauty angel, foxface, green mandarin, emperor cardinals.

 

[chrissaysyes]

lobophyllia perhaps?

 

[Colin_T]

There is plenty of light for most tanks so that will help. If the tank is longer than 6ft you might want another halide. Not sure what a velvet wrasse is but if it is a small species it should be fine.

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

The tank isn't longer than 6ft so I guess thats good.

My velvet wrasse is sometimes called a velvet multicolour wrasse or yellow streak wrasse, I just call it a velvet because its quiker. Its scientific name is Cirrhilabrus luteovittatus. It is a small reef safe one.

 

[SkiFletch]

The Velvet wrasse is of the Cirhillabrus genus, so it'll be fine with corals. It's the coral beauty angel which you'll have to watch out for. Not all of them nip corals, but when they do, commonly they like open brains and "furry" sps (pocillipora, stylophora, millepora) which unfortunately happen to be the easier SPS.

My suggestions would be more Euphyllia, Long tentacled plates, Favia genus brains (ones with smaller polyps), Elegance corals, Acanthastrea, Blastomussa, and don't forget bubble corals. If you have a point on your rock stack that is very high up (10" or less from the surface) and centered under one of your halides, you could also try a Tridacna Crocea clam

Remember when you're going into hard corals, calcim, alkalinity, and magnesium demand will eventually rise, so you'll have to choose a good method to suppliment these over time