Thinking of getting some coral

Faraday's Cage · 12/07/2009, 02:05 PM

Ok, so I have a 20 gallon tank with an F15T8 bulb (15 watt fluorescent) and I was thinking of getting some corals. Since I'm a bit of a beginner coral-wise, I put together the following list of (supposedly) easy corals from Blue Zoo Aquatics:

Umbrella Leather Coral
Green Hairy Mushroom
Neon Green Spot Mushroom
Glove Polyps Green

My tank runs at about 77 F, 34 ppt salinity, and has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 10 nitrate.

I currently have a chili coral and a dwarf feather duster (and a mantis shrimp, but he's the main purpose of the tank) in my tank.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone here has had any bad experiences with these corals or has comments etc. Also, I was wondering if my current light level could support any LPS (as opposed to leathers, softies, and mushrooms), because I was thinking of getting a bubble coral.

Thanks,
FC

csueeman · 12/07/2009, 02:37 PM

no LPS at all. With that light I don't know if you will really be able to keep much of anything at all.

Faraday's Cage · 12/07/2009, 02:44 PM

Ok, then should I get a more powerful light? How powerful? I don't want to spend very much and my mantis shrimp is not very fond of high light levels.

Denbf58 · 12/07/2009, 06:24 PM

get 2 bulb t5 lamp and you have no problem keeping the leather corals

Faraday's Cage · 12/08/2009, 01:45 PM

Anything more specific than that? I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to lighting; my current fixture is 15 years old and was meant for a cichlid tank. Also, would a compact fluorescent light work, because they seem to be a lot cheaper.

Faraday's Cage · 12/08/2009, 06:09 PM

*Bump*

Sorry, I really need to know and with this forum, a thread is buried in 5 seconds.

NaClCrocodile · 12/08/2009, 06:21 PM

Current USA has a 2 bulb T5 fixture that I've got over my 10. I'm keeping Duncans, Hammer, assorted Zoas and a sun coral (although it's nonphotosynthetic, so light doesn't matter). If you do get a duncan, frogspawn or hammer, make sure to feed it regularly, every other day is good.

ChadTheSpike · 12/08/2009, 06:23 PM

t5 lighting is superior to compact flourescent. Speaking from experience here, it will be worth it to invest in a proper lighting fixture up front. Initial cost will be more, but you will save money in the long term.

NaClCrocodile · 12/08/2009, 06:24 PM

Oh, thought you had a 10, well I believe the next size up is a 4 bulb fixture, but you'll be able to keep any softies or LPS with that one. It's a little more eqpensive though...

ihavtats29 · 12/08/2009, 06:41 PM

i run a 4 bulb ho t5 on my 20you can keep anything you want with it softys , sps , lps , and clams

ihavtats29 · 12/08/2009, 06:42 PM

12/07/2009, 02:05 PM	#1
Faraday's Cage Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY Posts: 119	Thinking of getting some coral Ok, so I have a 20 gallon tank with an F15T8 bulb (15 watt fluorescent) and I was thinking of getting some corals. Since I'm a bit of a beginner coral-wise, I put together the following list of (supposedly) easy corals from Blue Zoo Aquatics: Umbrella Leather Coral Green Hairy Mushroom Neon Green Spot Mushroom Glove Polyps Green My tank runs at about 77 F, 34 ppt salinity, and has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 10 nitrate. I currently have a chili coral and a dwarf feather duster (and a mantis shrimp, but he's the main purpose of the tank) in my tank. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone here has had any bad experiences with these corals or has comments etc. Also, I was wondering if my current light level could support any LPS (as opposed to leathers, softies, and mushrooms), because I was thinking of getting a bubble coral. Thanks, FC

12/07/2009, 06:24 PM	#4
Denbf58 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: selden N.Y. Posts: 885	get 2 bulb t5 lamp and you have no problem keeping the leather corals __________________ Life is good Current Tank Info: 75gal reef ready koralia 3, 30g sump, 4b 48" t5s lighting, 29g reef with breeding pair clowns 55g reef 55g freshwater

12/08/2009, 06:23 PM	#8
ChadTheSpike Reef Engineer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts: 1,526 Blog Entries: 1	t5 lighting is superior to compact flourescent. Speaking from experience here, it will be worth it to invest in a proper lighting fixture up front. Initial cost will be more, but you will save money in the long term. __________________ ~Chad "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Current Tank Info: 195 gallons of fun

12/08/2009, 06:41 PM	#10
ihavtats29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: cordova , TN Posts: 2,882	i run a 4 bulb ho t5 on my 20you can keep anything you want with it softys , sps , lps , and clams __________________ got reef? Current Tank Info: 29 biocube HQI

12/08/2009, 06:42 PM	#11
ihavtats29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: cordova , TN Posts: 2,882	__________________ got reef? Current Tank Info: 29 biocube HQI

12/07/2009, 02:37 PM	#2
csueeman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Fort Collins Posts: 55	no LPS at all. With that light I don't know if you will really be able to keep much of anything at all.

12/07/2009, 02:44 PM	#3
Faraday's Cage Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY Posts: 119	Ok, then should I get a more powerful light? How powerful? I don't want to spend very much and my mantis shrimp is not very fond of high light levels.

12/08/2009, 01:45 PM	#5
Faraday's Cage Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY Posts: 119	Anything more specific than that? I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to lighting; my current fixture is 15 years old and was meant for a cichlid tank. Also, would a compact fluorescent light work, because they seem to be a lot cheaper.

12/08/2009, 06:09 PM	#6
Faraday's Cage Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY Posts: 119	Bump Sorry, I really need to know and with this forum, a thread is buried in 5 seconds.

12/08/2009, 06:21 PM	#7
NaClCrocodile Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 400	Current USA has a 2 bulb T5 fixture that I've got over my 10. I'm keeping Duncans, Hammer, assorted Zoas and a sun coral (although it's nonphotosynthetic, so light doesn't matter). If you do get a duncan, frogspawn or hammer, make sure to feed it regularly, every other day is good.

12/08/2009, 06:24 PM	#9
NaClCrocodile Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 400	Oh, thought you had a 10, well I believe the next size up is a 4 bulb fixture, but you'll be able to keep any softies or LPS with that one. It's a little more eqpensive though...