help..pls dont laugh but im trying to learn

[neupane00]

hey guys pls dont laugh cuz im just trying to learn this. Okay.. i know freshwater fish keeping. And im planning my first reef aquarium. questions i have are.
1) are all soft corals compatible with each other?
2) what about anemones? all compatible with each other ?
3) what about soft corals and anemones. can i keep them together. if some are not compatible. is there any compatibility chart to put in same 40 gallon aquarium?
4) do i need to worry about corals/anemones compatibility with fish ?
5) what do corals eat? are there flake/crisps food etc for corals too? or do they NEED live food?
thanks for answering my questions.

[speedo2wet]

Do a few searches on here, all information is there. You might have to look in the archives too. Corals you need some room between them. Fish and corals you might want to look towards "reef safe" fish and anemones well. I have not had the best luck but will move about the tank until they find a spot they like. Mine have always ended back up in a pump. You can use reef snow or reef bugs for food or other stuff in the water column. Although there are some corals that you need to hand feed with a squirter. I'd suggest picking a size tank you want to start with then make a list of the fish and corals you want to keep and well help you from there. It is a major learning curve and everyone is on here to help. Just do some research and searching on here cause I can tell you those questions have been answered somewhere. I have asked my self the same ones when I got into the hobby and am still learing. Also go to your LFS and spend some time with the guys and ask questions. A good fish store will ask you what you have in your tank and may not sell you just what you want cause they know their not compatable. Thats the fish store you want to go to. Let us know what you come up with. Oh get the tank up and cycling while you figure out what you want to put in there.

[cwbhawk]

1) Yes, for the most part some are more aggressive than others and most have some kind of defence like toxic chemicals or stinging cells. But you can keep most of em together if you make keep them in different parts of the tank.
2) Anemones are not compatible with each other, simply because they can move around and sting each other, if you have 1 that has stayed stationary for a long time you should be able to keep multiples.
3)You can keep softys and anemones together, but it is possible that the anemone will run into the coral and sting it, but this doesn't usually happen.
4)Most corals have algea inside of them, and they eat light like plants do.Some corals eat by catching things with their tentacles. They do sell small liquid foods, and some other foods such as phytoplankton and other types of plankton foods specificly for corals to eat, and some corals can eat small foods meant for fish.

[abulgin]

Seriously, buy some good books and read

[oddski12]

Hi there, I'll try and answer each question in turn :

1) are all soft corals compatible with each other?

Most corals can sting each other if they come into contact. This causes varying degrees of damage to either party depending upon the species, some are more harmfull than others. They also release their stinging cells into the water column. Some even have long stings that trail out a few cm or more. Leave a good space between your corals, and run carbon to remove the stinging cells from the water column.

2) what about anemones? all compatible with each other ?

As above, only they sting much worse than most corals.
You need a very stable tank before you undertake anemones, they are very delicate. They can also destroy your prized corals if they decide to go for a wander (which they often do) and can wipe a small tank out if they die and decompose or get trapped in a powerhead. Many experienced aquarist won't touch them with a bargepole!

3) what about soft corals and anemones. can i keep them together. if some are not compatible. is there any compatibility chart to put in same 40 gallon aquarium?

Anemones are probably not the best idea in a 40 gallon, at least not until your a bit more experienced

4) do i need to worry about corals/anemones compatibility with fish ?

Yes, some fish eat corals, some anemones eat fish. Always research specific species BEFORE buying! It saves a lot of heartache (and money!).

5) what do corals eat? are there flake/crisps food etc for corals too? or do they NEED live food?

Most corals get on fine with just light, natural nutrients and microorganisms in the water and fish poo for food. Some such as sun corals need more direct feeding, and again are best left to more advanced keepers.

And lastly, welcome to a hobby that will change your life, and drain your wallet.

Hope that helps, any more questions just ask away. Lol.

Oddski

[jbax]

i don't know much on anenomes but i do know you have to wait like a while before getting one in a new tank. i think you said in a diff post your wanting a clown/reef aquarium. most clowns are captive bred and won't go to host anenome right away or at all sometimes. my 2 clowns didn't do anything for 6months or so and then they started with my xenia forest as a sub host then moved to my elagence coral. although my elegance is not really suited for a clown host.

look through this site the information is here for 95% of your ?'s

theres a clown and anenome section too.

oddski looks like a good person to listen too.

[WaterKeeper]

Thank you Oddski that was a good answer. Right now Neupane, look at getting the tank set up. With proper circulation and lighting we can envision all sorts or coral and anemones. The thing right now is to get a tank environment where they can survive. Take it slow.

[jbax]

+1 on the take it slow,lol.