Coral mixes lps+sps+soft?

[Namor]

Hi, I've been doing some looking into the types of corals that I want for my tank since it's just about time to add corals to my 40 gallon. I was posting on a forum for clams about my plans, since that's my main intention for this tank, and was told not to try to add lps, sps, soft corals and polyps (like green star and such). They basically pointed out that it would be difficult to meet parameters for them all and to stick to sps (which are mostly found near clams) and a few lps and leave soft corals and the polyps alone. What do you guys think? Also, for a light stocking load to make room for several clams and an anenome, do you think 5-6 sps frags and 1-2 lps sounds good for a 40 breeder style tank?

 

[Bifferwine]

I have a mixed reef. I have clams... Okay, HAD. Now I only have one anymore. And I have SPS, LPS, softies, zoas and shrooms. It's possible to have a really nice mixed reef. It's not an issue of meeeting the needs of all of them, it's more of an issue that softies release toxins into the water that will stunt the growth (or even kill) SPS. You can combat this by not placing SPS down flow of softies and by running carbon to try and remove these chemicals.

The only problem that I see is with the anemone, which are hardly ever put in reef tanks, because they move around a lot and kill anything they touch. If you add an anemone to your reef tank, I guarantee it will kill a lot of your corals.

5 to 6 SPS depends on the size. If you're thinking frags (like an inch or two in size) that sounds perfect, as they take a looooong time to grow. If you're thinking whole colonies, that's probably too much. 1 to 2 LPS sounds good, but again, it depends on the size. You can have a hammer the size of a basketball (like Dr. Marcos) and that would pretty much fill up 1/4 of your tank. Or you could have one head of hammer that would take up hardly any space.

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[Namor]

Yeah, honestly I was thinking frags, both for cost and size considerations, as for the lps, pretty small ones as well. Sigh, I may have to rethink the anenome, it's just a thing I've always wanted. Once they find a place to stay put don't they stay there?

 

[Bifferwine]

Not always. Your best bet is to add the anemone first, then let it move around until it finds its place, then add all your corals afterwards. But even then, there's no guarantee that it will stay put forever. But there's a much better chance that way than if you already have a tank full of corals.

 

[Namor]

Cool, but I've been told (on these forums lol) to add corals before anenomes, I'm so confused! And will the anenome kill clams?


And Bif, do you live here on these forums?

 

[Doc]

ok, here is the deal. I have all of what you want in a tank. It is totally possible and I say go for it. Now, for clarification, my Goniapora is the size of a basketball, but my wall hammer and branch hammers are about the size of grapefruit.

Now then, this is what I would do. Plan for your amenone - realizing that they can get quite large. plan space for it in your tank. Also start planning the corals you want. Make a list of them and start looking for them. Add them only when you find the specimen you really want. Don't settle for crap when you can find what you want if you wait about two more weeks. wait to add the biggest and best for after you get your nem. It will move around for about a week after you put it in, and provided your tank is ready for it, it will stop moving and you can place your corals where you like. Once they are happy, they stop moving. Here is a trick to keep it where you want it. Make sure it has plenty of light and then start dropping food in its mouth three once a day for about a week and it will stay put. They instinctively remember that food happens where it sits and they stay put. dont drop in more than a piece of krill tho, they can overeat themselves to death if you are not careful

-Doc

 

[Doc]

oh, I almost forgot, your coral do not instantly die when touched by a BTA (that is the only nems I have experience with). They retract but don't die off altogether. If it does touch a coral, move it ASAP. I have found that my BTA moves around the corals as many LPS corals have a sting to them as well

-Doc

 

[Namor]

Sweet, thanks for the advice Doc.

Also, to be honest, my local area has crap for lfs with good corals, I will be ordering online, probably liveaquaria.com for my coral pieces (really want to get aquacultured to not remove from the wild), I am about 6 months out on my tank, should I wait longer on the anem? I can be patient, should I give it 3 more months? I was told to wait a year for clams. Right now I have cleaner crew, a false percula and a six line wrasse

And as for the softs and stuff, my original ideas were 2-3 softs, 2-3 sps,1-2 lps, and some mushrooms, sea buttons, and green sea stars. 3-4 clams, too much?

 

[Bifferwine]

Clams are easier than anemones, IMO. I don't know why you'd have to wait a year to add a clam. Some people add them after a month.

The thing about which to add first: anemones or corals. Anemones are much easier to keep than corals, and require a much more mature tank. In that respect, it's much better to add the anemone last. BUT, as has been said, if they move around, they will sting and can kill your corals, so in that respect, it's good to add them before corals. So you can go either way.

 

[reeffreak]

And Bif, do you live here on these forums?

Why,yes she does.

I would skip the anemone all together.A 40 breeder isn/t all that big,I believe its to much a hassle and risky.Yes,corals usually come first before anemones,so I'm a bit confused by Biff's comment too.You can have a mix reef,run carbon and avoid softies like leathers unless it was a much larger system.You can still have zoos and mushrooms with sps and lps corals.

 

[Bifferwine]

ACK! Why is it confusing! You add corals first because they're easier than anemones, by far. But, if you add the anemone first, you can wait until it finds where it wants to stay, then you can place the corals around it so that you don't risk it moving around and stinging your corals. Neither of these are great options, which is why you usually don't find BTAs in reef tanks.

 

[Namor]

Well, this is what I was thinking of stocking with
Pink Birdsnest, Blue Acropora, Green Montipora for my sps

Branched Cup Coral (Blastomussa sp) and Brain Coral (Favites sp) for my lps

If I go softs then Pipe organ and a yellow fiji leather

and a couple variety of mushroom, green star polyps, green button polyps, and maybe some yellow polyps

all 2-3 inch frags

I may avoid the anenome and the softs, and add about another 1-2 sps frags, 1 more lps (candy cane coral probably) and put a total of about 6 clams in, is that too much? I'm set on the mushrooms though, really love the look of those guys

 

[Namor]

Also, can I add all these at once? or should I space it out?

 

[reeffreak]

ACK! Why is it confusing! You add corals first because they're easier than anemones, by far. But, if you add the anemone first, you can wait until it finds where it wants to stay, then you can place the corals around it so that you don't risk it moving around and stinging your corals. Neither of these are great options, which is why you usually don't find BTAs in reef tanks.

Me still confused,explain it again:confused:

I would skip the fiji leather,but thats just me.I do believe you can still have it and the sps do well.

 

[Doc]

yellow fiji leathers take A LOT of light to survive, more than any other soft coral. As for your selection, it sounds good, but be aware that SPS corals need really good and consistent water quality before they will thrive.

Green star polyps and yellow start polyps spread SUPER fast. I would avoid those frags, since they will suffocate other, more desireable corals.

I would wait 3 months before adding a clam and 6 months before adding a nem, if you choose to get one.

-Doc

 

[reeffreak]

Add the softies first,then LPS,then SPS.

This is the general guide-once the cycle is complete wait 1-2 months longer for soft,2-4 for lps,6 months for sps.

 

[Namor]

Well, I think I am sold on cutting out the softs, I will be keeping the mushrooms and other polyps though. So am I ok with 5-6 sps frags and 3 lps frags?
As for the green star polyps, really love those guys, I have heard you can trim them as they encroach on other corals, and if you isolate them on their own little island then they do well, my tank kinda looks like this


(its not gonna let me do my little drawing graphic, basically it's a large inverted L on the far left, a half moon with the points towards the front in the center, and a medium sized "mound" on the far right side)



That's the general layout of the rocks, the smaller one on the far right was the intended one for the green sea stars and the hope that they would colonize the back wall

 

[Doc]

hmmm. The "x" were difficult to follow for me, but I can imagine how pretty it looks. Pictures seem to work better. I would still not put in the GPS. They really do move fast.

-Doc

 

[Namor]

Yeah, the picture I was trying didn't work, I've edited it
I'll think about the gsp for now, what about my other stocking levels? 5-6 sps, 3 lps, mushrooms, 5-6 clams, sound good? No anenome 2-3 fish, lots of inverts, shrimp and crabs

 

[Doc]

that is a lot of clams. try three. It also depends on which ones you choose. Gigas are so pretty as youngin's but will outgrow your tank in about a year and end up being about the size of your kitchen table

-Doc