Suggestions on Coral Phasing Post Tank Cycle

Danshoe42 · 07/16/2016, 12:36 PM

Hello All,

My rock is cured with no ammonia or nitrite for a while now. I am going to move them into the tank next week and fill it up.

Aside from SPS, which I don't plan on for at least a year, what is the recommended types of corals to start with and what phases of types and timing should I adhere to?

Sk8r · 07/16/2016, 12:48 PM

Since you're going stony, you will need to arrange at least kalk supplementation or 2-part, and I'd advise starting with an easy variety of sps, a small frag of montipora. If you can make that happy, you can get varied types, and then inch your way toward the fussy ones.

Danshoe42 · 07/16/2016, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Since you're going stony, you will need to arrange at least kalk supplementation or 2-part, and I'd advise starting with an easy variety of sps, a small frag of montipora. If you can make that happy, you can get varied types, and then inch your way toward the fussy ones.

My LSF said to do zoas, palys, mushrooms only to start. No hammers, frogspans. I like rock nems however was told that was a no no too. Not sure if they know what they are talking about or not. Thoughts?

dkeller_nc · 07/16/2016, 03:57 PM

They probably do. What they're advising that you keep are "soft corals" that don't generally require close monitoring of water chemistry - specifically, the calcium and alkalinity of the water.

If this is your first tank period, then I'd highly recommend that you follow their advise. And patronize the store frequently - that's a good one. Many LFS aren't so good.

If this isn't your first aquarium, but is your first reef tank, then you can be a little more aggressive about what you attempt to tackle first. However, don't do that unless you've read a good deal about calcium and alkalinity in the reef tank, how to maintain their concentrations, and have the necessary test kits and a device called an "automatic top off unit" (abbreviated ATO on Reef Central). You will also either need to get a good RODI unit to make your own purified water, or purchase it from your LFS.

This is a good general article on reef tank water chemistry.

This is a good article explaining the relationship between calcium and alkalinity.

07/16/2016, 12:36 PM	#1
Danshoe42 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 29	Suggestions on Coral Phasing Post Tank Cycle Hello All, My rock is cured with no ammonia or nitrite for a while now. I am going to move them into the tank next week and fill it up. Aside from SPS, which I don't plan on for at least a year, what is the recommended types of corals to start with and what phases of types and timing should I adhere to? __________________ Current Tank: Red Sea Reefer 450 Lighting: 2 Kessil AP700s Rock: 120 lbs Fiji & Pukani Reactor: BRS Carbon Skimmer: Skimz Monzter SM163 DC. Return: Syncra Silent 5.0

07/16/2016, 12:48 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Since you're going stony, you will need to arrange at least kalk supplementation or 2-part, and I'd advise starting with an easy variety of sps, a small frag of montipora. If you can make that happy, you can get varied types, and then inch your way toward the fussy ones. __________________ 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%.

07/16/2016, 03:57 PM	#4
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	They probably do. What they're advising that you keep are "soft corals" that don't generally require close monitoring of water chemistry - specifically, the calcium and alkalinity of the water. If this is your first tank period, then I'd highly recommend that you follow their advise. And patronize the store frequently - that's a good one. Many LFS aren't so good. If this isn't your first aquarium, but is your first reef tank, then you can be a little more aggressive about what you attempt to tackle first. However, don't do that unless you've read a good deal about calcium and alkalinity in the reef tank, how to maintain their concentrations, and have the necessary test kits and a device called an "automatic top off unit" (abbreviated ATO on Reef Central). You will also either need to get a good RODI unit to make your own purified water, or purchase it from your LFS. This is a good general article on reef tank water chemistry. This is a good article explaining the relationship between calcium and alkalinity.