New coral, no clue what to do with it

wardda · 03/12/2010, 08:44 AM

Hello,

I have a 55 gallon tank with 20gallon sump/fuge. I have just gotten to the point that I started adding livestock (Yellow watchman goby, Strawberry Purple dotty, and some red legged hermit crabs, and snails). Well when my order for crabs and snails came in and the vendor was kind enough to include 4 corals free of charge.

I was planning on keeping corals, eventually, but it seems that eventually has become now. I'm open for any advice on how to put them in my tank. They came on what i'm assuming are the standard plugs. They look like little cement solid flower pots. As I am a complete newbie on this, do I keep them on the little pots, or do they need to be removed and mounted some other way..... Like I said, I have no idea what I'm doing here. They are not hard corals, if it would help i would be glad to post pics ...

Thanks,
Dan

lordofthereef · 03/12/2010, 09:16 AM

You can acclimate them much like you did your fish (I assume you did acclimate the fish). I tend to just take the baggie they are in, dump half the water out, refill it to the point it was previously with tank water, float the bag for 10-ish minutes, and then just place the corals. Recently I have essentially omitted the acclimation process entirely and have had great success. If you want to play it safe, I would give them some acclimation. It won't hurt, at the very least.

Another thing to consider is, do you have the lighting to support corals?

Vin7250 · 03/12/2010, 09:42 AM

what vendor sent you free corals, i have never heard of such a thing!!! let me know so i can purchase from them

wardda · 03/12/2010, 09:56 AM

GARF - garf.org. I had placed a pretty good sized order and I don't know if the free corals are a standard practice or not. But most months I see some sort of freebie listed on their site, usually some type of grunge.

wardda · 03/12/2010, 10:16 AM

So do you just leave them on the stone plugs? Seems rather ugly ....

Vin7250 · 03/12/2010, 10:26 AM

ive seen people leave them on the stone plugs, in fact my buddy just put some frags in his DT and they are on them. I would assume as they grow they will eventually colonize the rocks, or you could frag them off of the plugs when they are larger and put them onto rocks yourself. Do you have teh lighting to handle the corals?

travis32 · 03/12/2010, 10:33 AM

Depends on the type of corals. I believe leathers and other softies will just grow over the plug and attach themselves to the rock or sand bed. I believe most of the softies can move them selves too if they don't like where they are.. 4 free corals though. Wow.

Must have been a sizable order. I just bought 3 nano corals (meaning really small) for $15 to $20 a piece or $60 worth. If those are full size corals you got, they could be around $150 + worth of corals. Unless you got xenias... Then you may want a lawnmower or weedeater.

sfilipowski · 03/12/2010, 10:37 AM

I would leave them on the plugs for awhile and wait for a little growth as you may have to move them around some depending on flow and light situation. once they seem to be doing well then its up to u. +1 on vin some will simply overgrow the plugs or you can frag. its easier to glue a bigger coral. just my 2cents

Crustman · 03/12/2010, 02:06 PM

Looks like you got some Xenia, Cabbage coral and zoas. Hard to tell from the pic. Good luck.

03/12/2010, 09:16 AM	#2
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	You can acclimate them much like you did your fish (I assume you did acclimate the fish). I tend to just take the baggie they are in, dump half the water out, refill it to the point it was previously with tank water, float the bag for 10-ish minutes, and then just place the corals. Recently I have essentially omitted the acclimation process entirely and have had great success. If you want to play it safe, I would give them some acclimation. It won't hurt, at the very least. Another thing to consider is, do you have the lighting to support corals? __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

03/12/2010, 02:06 PM	#9
Crustman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 941	Looks like you got some Xenia, Cabbage coral and zoas. Hard to tell from the pic. Good luck. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: 65 gallon reef with 8 T-5's, ATI Blue Plus, Blue Special, KZ Fiji Purple, Vertex IN 100, phosphate and carbon reactor Coralife Turbo Sea Pump

03/12/2010, 09:42 AM	#3
Vin7250 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Connecticut "The Big East" Posts: 1,144	what vendor sent you free corals, i have never heard of such a thing!!! let me know so i can purchase from them

03/12/2010, 09:56 AM	#4
wardda Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 153	GARF - garf.org. I had placed a pretty good sized order and I don't know if the free corals are a standard practice or not. But most months I see some sort of freebie listed on their site, usually some type of grunge.

03/12/2010, 10:16 AM	#5
wardda Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 153	So do you just leave them on the stone plugs? Seems rather ugly ....

03/12/2010, 10:26 AM	#6
Vin7250 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Connecticut "The Big East" Posts: 1,144	ive seen people leave them on the stone plugs, in fact my buddy just put some frags in his DT and they are on them. I would assume as they grow they will eventually colonize the rocks, or you could frag them off of the plugs when they are larger and put them onto rocks yourself. Do you have teh lighting to handle the corals?

03/12/2010, 10:33 AM	#7
travis32 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Fargo, ND Posts: 2,161	Depends on the type of corals. I believe leathers and other softies will just grow over the plug and attach themselves to the rock or sand bed. I believe most of the softies can move them selves too if they don't like where they are.. 4 free corals though. Wow. Must have been a sizable order. I just bought 3 nano corals (meaning really small) for $15 to $20 a piece or $60 worth. If those are full size corals you got, they could be around $150 + worth of corals. Unless you got xenias... Then you may want a lawnmower or weedeater.

03/12/2010, 10:37 AM	#8
sfilipowski Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: alabama Posts: 174	I would leave them on the plugs for awhile and wait for a little growth as you may have to move them around some depending on flow and light situation. once they seem to be doing well then its up to u. +1 on vin some will simply overgrow the plugs or you can frag. its easier to glue a bigger coral. just my 2cents