Newbe to Corals

[asamulewicz]

Hey, ive got a few questions

Ive just started a new salt water tank and have clowns and some live rock. I want to get into some corals. I want some hard but mostly soft. What would be some easy starter corals and how long do i have to wait to put them in. Another question. How fast do they typically grow.

 

[SeattleDarko]

It will depend on what lights you have but my first coral was a mushroom and toadstool leather and I still have them both (with a tank move/upgrade) The leather is HUGE and the mushrooms have multiplied like crazy. In my first tank I just had PC's on.

 

[parrotchute]

How long has your tank been set up? What kind of lights?

Zoanthids, Palythoas, Mushroom corals, Toadstools, leather corals, green star polyp, are all easy soft corals.

Monitpora & chalice corals can be easier hard corals, but will grow a lot slower and are still a lot harder than the soft varieties.

 

[asamulewicz]

Right now I have a t-5 light setup in a 75 gallon tank. I've only had my atnk set up for about 3 weeks now. Know I don't want to jump into things to quickly.

 

[reeffreak]

LIke Parrotchute said,we need more info.How mature and what lights do you have?

 

[reeffreak]

Do you know the wattage and number of bulbs?

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...you say that you have a 75 gal with t5 lights, but what kind of light is it(make, wattage, size)...also, your tank has only been running for 3 weeks and you already have fish in there, did it already go through a cycle? If so, then you're ok, if not, take the fish back until it cycles. In general, with the t5 lights, and without knowing which one you have, I would suggest soft corals(mushrooms, polyps, leathers, buttons, xenia, etc), but only if the tank has cycled. Give us a few details of your setup and pics and we'll be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[asamulewicz]

Sorry. Right now I have 4 light bulbs and they are 65watts each. It is the aquatic life Compact fluorescent lighting System. I have 40 pounds of live rock to put them on in a 75 gallon tank. My tank is also 21 inches high. It has been set up for 3 weeks now. I have 2 clown fish, 1 dotty back and some chromis. Literally just put the fish in. My sump is the Eshopps Deluxe series set for 125 gallon tanks. Yes it has cycled. I havent really done much research on coral.

 

[yote]

First off.Welcome to the site.
Now.
#1 You've got to many fish for such a new system.If you used fully cured live rock,then you MAY not see a cycle,but that many fish that quick is system over load in a 3 week old tank.Dont matter if its a 75 gallon or 375 gallons.Gotta let the bio-filter build up to handle the load.

#2 You need more rock.You really need 1 to 2 pounds of rock per gallon.
#3 I hate to say it,but I dont think you have enough light.If your burning T-5s,then you need at least 6X 54 watts tubes with individual reflectors.

 

[Bifferwine]

In a new tank, you shouldn't add more than 1 new fish every 3 weeks. Any faster, and you risk a tank crash.

Your lights are PCs, which are on the low end of reef tank lighting. You can keep softies like mushrooms, zoanthids and leathers, but anything more than that and you should look into upgrading your lights.

And welcome to the site!

 

[sen5241b]

You might get thru a cycle without losing any fish. Test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates everyday and use filtering media to try to mop up these natural chemicals which are harmful to and can kill your fish. If ammonia or nitrites get really high reduce them with a water change. I'm assuming you do not have another tank to park your fish in.

Also read this!!! ---> https://www.livingreefs.com/marine-aquarium-disasters-and-prevent-them-t20514.html

 

[reeffreak]

Sorry. Right now I have 4 light bulbs and they are 65watts each. It is the aquatic life Compact fluorescent lighting System. I have 40 pounds of live rock to put them on in a 75 gallon tank. My tank is also 21 inches high. It has been set up for 3 weeks now. I have 2 clown fish, 1 dotty back and some chromis. Literally just put the fish in. My sump is the Eshopps Deluxe series set for 125 gallon tanks. Yes it has cycled. I havent really done much research on coral.

For right now,I would wait another one or two months before adding corals.Although it has cycled,time will give the corals a more stable environment.Personally from my own experience running 65w x 4 on a 72g. many moons ago.That lighting is enough for soft corals and LPS corals.Softies bottom half/LPS top half in most cases.Like Yote and others have suggested,I would get up to at least 1lb per gallon or in your case 75lbs or more of live rock.

Good luck!

 

[beano]

dude- this is all good advice. be patient, test your water, save your money.

 

[asamulewicz]

Thanks guys.