whats a good newbie reef to start out with

DirtyDeeds · 02/07/2010, 01:45 PM

Hey Guys and Gals!!! I Have my tank about 3 months up and running, dont know to much about coral/reefs,. I got a yellow polly and a brown forgot the name of it brokley looking thing about 4 days ago, and there doing goood so far.

what do you think would be some good, easy to care for soft coral to start out with, give me some suggestion plz that i should look into.

also do i need to buy any special suppliments when i have coral. i know i have to feed my yelow polly plakton. is there anything else i should know about.

help this nub out plz

i want some advice from the experts

jsharp1 · 02/07/2010, 02:04 PM

what about some zoanthids?

fstar25 · 02/07/2010, 02:17 PM

I'm also new to hobby and I love zoanthids...however, as I have learned, if you are going to get zoanthids you need to look on this forum for threads on zoanthid/coral dips. If you bring nudibranches into your tank as a hitchhiker on your zoa's, you will not be happy.

I would suggest something like a kenya tree (they are very hardy)

Or a green star polyp (again, extremely hardy)

Good luck!!!

Ohiomom · 02/07/2010, 02:24 PM

tell us a little more about your tank..ie size, lights..paramaters you have been able to keep. You don't necessarily need to start out with softies depending on the answers to some of the above. There are some LPS that are very easy to care for also..

brycerb · 02/07/2010, 02:29 PM

X2 on the green star polyp. Once they get situated they take off like wildfire. I got a nice piece of live rock with some on it for $5. Its a small rock and only a few green stars on it. Also with anything you buy go slow. Your show tank will take a while to grow.

shred5 · 02/07/2010, 02:36 PM

Mushroom corals (Corallimorpharians) are by far the easiest for a beginner and almost impossible to kill..

Dave Polzin.

DirtyDeeds · 02/07/2010, 02:46 PM

28gal , t5 ho bulbs( the blue and white one 10000k 5600k) salt level .023 .024 ph ammnio nirtate nitrite all perfect( do i need buy a diffrent test kit for reefs?) bez those are the one i test for that were in my kit. should i dip all my reefs before i put in tank?

and ty for the suggestion guys

DirtyDeeds · 02/07/2010, 02:49 PM

also what does sps and lps stand for agian, and any other short term reef letter i should know about

Ohiomom · 02/07/2010, 02:52 PM

Many of the softies have a way of growing very quickly and can become invasive so keep that in mind..many of the ones mentioned above are in that category..not making them bad in any way just something to think about. I usually keep the corals I have like that on their own islands so they don't spread as fast. With t5s you could pretty easily keep candy canes and acans also maybe even some favias...frogspawn and torch corals are also pretty easy IMO..hth..

moonyrat · 02/07/2010, 02:59 PM

My 29gal first started with marshrooms

02/07/2010, 01:45 PM	#1
DirtyDeeds Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Canada,Ontario,Hamilton Posts: 94	whats a good newbie reef to start out with Hey Guys and Gals!!! I Have my tank about 3 months up and running, dont know to much about coral/reefs,. I got a yellow polly and a brown forgot the name of it brokley looking thing about 4 days ago, and there doing goood so far. what do you think would be some good, easy to care for soft coral to start out with, give me some suggestion plz that i should look into. also do i need to buy any special suppliments when i have coral. i know i have to feed my yelow polly plakton. is there anything else i should know about. help this nub out plz i want some advice from the experts

02/07/2010, 02:17 PM	#3
fstar25 Getting there Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Friendswood, Tx Posts: 884	I'm also new to hobby and I love zoanthids...however, as I have learned, if you are going to get zoanthids you need to look on this forum for threads on zoanthid/coral dips. If you bring nudibranches into your tank as a hitchhiker on your zoa's, you will not be happy. I would suggest something like a kenya tree (they are very hardy) Or a green star polyp (again, extremely hardy) Good luck!!! __________________ The only thing I know for sure is nothing! Carrie, why do you want someone in need to die? -iCam Current Tank Info: 29G BioCube with LED lighting, media basket, fuge (chamber 2), MJ1200 return pump, K nano & K 1 power heads, 32# LR, ~2" SB

02/07/2010, 02:24 PM	#4
Ohiomom Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,586	tell us a little more about your tank..ie size, lights..paramaters you have been able to keep. You don't necessarily need to start out with softies depending on the answers to some of the above. There are some LPS that are very easy to care for also.. __________________ .....Sandra “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Current Tank Info: 75 galllon reef, T5HO love em!

02/07/2010, 02:29 PM	#5
brycerb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Isle of wight, VA Posts: 541	X2 on the green star polyp. Once they get situated they take off like wildfire. I got a nice piece of live rock with some on it for $5. Its a small rock and only a few green stars on it. Also with anything you buy go slow. Your show tank will take a while to grow. __________________ -Luckily, my wife is reef safe so I can use my normal income for this hobby. -My cichlids love RO waste! Current Tank Info: 7.5 gallon box with water in it.

02/07/2010, 02:52 PM	#9
Ohiomom Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,586	Many of the softies have a way of growing very quickly and can become invasive so keep that in mind..many of the ones mentioned above are in that category..not making them bad in any way just something to think about. I usually keep the corals I have like that on their own islands so they don't spread as fast. With t5s you could pretty easily keep candy canes and acans also maybe even some favias...frogspawn and torch corals are also pretty easy IMO..hth.. __________________ .....Sandra “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Current Tank Info: 75 galllon reef, T5HO love em!

02/07/2010, 02:04 PM	#2
jsharp1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 162	what about some zoanthids?

02/07/2010, 02:36 PM	#6
shred5 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Waukesha , WI Posts: 4,998	Mushroom corals (Corallimorpharians) are by far the easiest for a beginner and almost impossible to kill.. Dave Polzin.

02/07/2010, 02:46 PM	#7
DirtyDeeds Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Canada,Ontario,Hamilton Posts: 94	28gal , t5 ho bulbs( the blue and white one 10000k 5600k) salt level .023 .024 ph ammnio nirtate nitrite all perfect( do i need buy a diffrent test kit for reefs?) bez those are the one i test for that were in my kit. should i dip all my reefs before i put in tank? and ty for the suggestion guys

02/07/2010, 02:49 PM	#8
DirtyDeeds Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Canada,Ontario,Hamilton Posts: 94	also what does sps and lps stand for agian, and any other short term reef letter i should know about

02/07/2010, 02:59 PM	#10
moonyrat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 180	My 29gal first started with marshrooms