virgin coral keeper... help!

kware · 02/03/2008, 03:48 PM

what should my first coral be? I'm thinkin zoas or mushrooms what do you guys think?
Ohh yeah my lighting is a coralife pc with 2 65 watt actinic and 2 65 watt 10 k . I also have a regular flouresent fixture with 2 20 watt 20 k bulbs. Do you think this is enough and should I place my new zoas high tin the tank. The tank is a standard 90 gallon around 20 inches deep.
Also my calcium is 380-400 ppm and my magnesium is around 1180 ppm do you think these are too low? and will zoas be okay?
I would appreciate any suggestions.

Hobby Experience: 6 year old fowlr tank w/ a sebae anemone and a pencil urchen

kau_cinta_ku · 02/03/2008, 03:56 PM

zoas or shrooms will do fine with that lighting and nither of them use cal. or mag. or atleast enough that regular waterchanges wouldn't cover.

rbursek · 02/03/2008, 03:58 PM

Mg could 100-150 higher to help the Ca out, shrooms are nice, you may have start thinking about a lighting up grade depending on what you want to add. Getting a MH I mean.
Bob

kware · 02/03/2008, 04:12 PM

I know I really need more light and a sump but I just don't want to spend the money. ( again I know this hobby is about spending money) I like the idea of keeping it simple. I've had a succesful FOWLR tank for around six years . Now I want to upgrade, as cheeply as possible.

Larah · 02/03/2008, 04:24 PM

Don't forget that Zoanthids are posionious to humans.. Not to dissuade you.. Just to educate..
Don't handle them with bare hands and try not handle them much at all..

kware · 02/03/2008, 09:43 PM

thanks guys

Macimage · 02/03/2008, 10:36 PM

Both of those would do fine in your tank.

Have fun!
Joyce

SteveNMegz · 02/04/2008, 11:45 AM

we put 9 colonies of zoa's in our tank a month after start-up, at the time we only had 2 20W NO T5's and they did fine, now we have 4x54 T5s and they sit on the sand bed and are doing good

Sk8r · 02/04/2008, 11:49 AM

Test your alkalinity weekly: keep it up. If your zoas close up, run a little carbon AND test the alkalinity. Keep your ph between 7.8-and 8.3, and your salinity at 1.025, temp about 80, and...

...read about dipping and inspecting your zoas. go to the zoa forum and read absolutely all the 'trouble' and 'solution' posts. [That'll take a bit.] They are particularly bad about hosting pests, because they are so tightly packed together and hard to spot, among other things. Remember: hitchhikers travel on what they eat.

Aquarist007 · 02/04/2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Larah
Don't forget that Zoanthids are posionious to humans.. Not to dissuade you.. Just to educate..
Don't handle them with bare hands and try not handle them much at all..

Just this Saturday I was trying to glue some zoos down on a ledge and I sqeezed a little to hard. Forgot about it until I went to clean off some algae on the overflow--deep gash on my finger from the sharp plastic I guess.
I immediately washed off the wound and bled it more ---I mean the smell of the zoas was still on my hand and it stung like heck

Two hours later I was talking to company and felt sick like the flue--everybody said I insantly went white as a sheet. lasted for two hours and then it went away.

from the zoos--you never know---do as i say and not as I do

wear good gloves when handling zoos

02/03/2008, 03:48 PM	#1
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	virgin coral keeper... help! what should my first coral be? I'm thinkin zoas or mushrooms what do you guys think? Ohh yeah my lighting is a coralife pc with 2 65 watt actinic and 2 65 watt 10 k . I also have a regular flouresent fixture with 2 20 watt 20 k bulbs. Do you think this is enough and should I place my new zoas high tin the tank. The tank is a standard 90 gallon around 20 inches deep. Also my calcium is 380-400 ppm and my magnesium is around 1180 ppm do you think these are too low? and will zoas be okay? I would appreciate any suggestions. Hobby Experience: 6 year old fowlr tank w/ a sebae anemone and a pencil urchen

02/04/2008, 11:45 AM	#8
SteveNMegz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Port Colborne Posts: 1,140	we put 9 colonies of zoa's in our tank a month after start-up, at the time we only had 2 20W NO T5's and they did fine, now we have 4x54 T5s and they sit on the sand bed and are doing good __________________ Steve and Megz Current Tank Info: 55G Shallow Reef (30x30x14) - Equip: Ecotech Radion XR30 G3 Pro, 2 Tunze 6055, Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer, Ecotech Vectra M1 return, Vertex Rx1.5 Zeovit Reactor

02/04/2008, 11:49 AM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Test your alkalinity weekly: keep it up. If your zoas close up, run a little carbon AND test the alkalinity. Keep your ph between 7.8-and 8.3, and your salinity at 1.025, temp about 80, and... ...read about dipping and inspecting your zoas. go to the zoa forum and read absolutely all the 'trouble' and 'solution' posts. [That'll take a bit.] They are particularly bad about hosting pests, because they are so tightly packed together and hard to spot, among other things. Remember: hitchhikers travel on what they eat. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/03/2008, 03:56 PM	#2
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	zoas or shrooms will do fine with that lighting and nither of them use cal. or mag. or atleast enough that regular waterchanges wouldn't cover.

02/03/2008, 03:58 PM	#3
rbursek Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: germantown,wi Posts: 2,339	Mg could 100-150 higher to help the Ca out, shrooms are nice, you may have start thinking about a lighting up grade depending on what you want to add. Getting a MH I mean. Bob

02/03/2008, 04:12 PM	#4
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	I know I really need more light and a sump but I just don't want to spend the money. ( again I know this hobby is about spending money) I like the idea of keeping it simple. I've had a succesful FOWLR tank for around six years . Now I want to upgrade, as cheeply as possible.

02/03/2008, 04:24 PM	#5
Larah Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 1,932	Don't forget that Zoanthids are posionious to humans.. Not to dissuade you.. Just to educate.. Don't handle them with bare hands and try not handle them much at all..

02/03/2008, 09:43 PM	#6
kware Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 645	thanks guys

02/03/2008, 10:36 PM	#7
Macimage Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Quartz Hill Posts: 4,078	Both of those would do fine in your tank. Have fun! Joyce