Beginner corals???

[Martin]

Interested in buying the following corals: Leather, elegance, torch, bubble, colt. Can anyone supply with info regarding light and watermovement requirement on these critters.
MH are not readily available in our country, so fluorescents will be used. I have a 55gal with 5 x 40W tubes. Water parms are fine.

[SJLord]

Leather: you should be able to get away with NO flo, I dont believe that they have a high requirement for light, but then again, what kind of leather? Movement for the leather should be fairly strong, but not overwelming

Bubble Coral: PLEASE BE AWARE! THEY ARE VERY VERY AGRESSIVE! Be very careful if you get one of these, but I really would not recommend it with only NO Flo, I dont believe it would survive very long. If you do decide to get one, keep it at a distance from all of your other corals, it has sweeper tenticles that can KILL another coral. They like minimal water movement, keep them away from direct contact, mainly side currents.

Steven

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I heard it was good to do it right the first time, will I ever listen!
http://www.greatbasin.net/~eslord

[tdwyatt]

Leather, elegance, torch, bubble, colt. Can anyone supply with info regarding light and watermovement requirement on these critters.
MH are not readily available in our country, so fluorescents will be used. I have a 55gal with 5 x 40W tubes. Water parms are fine.[/b][/quote]

Hey Martin, Where do you live, and what lighting is available, and what type of arraingement are you considering as far as live rock, etc will be in the tank? What Powerheads are available? what pumps are available? It may be that having a good book to make reference to will help you more than anything! Something along the line of Eric Bornemans "Practical Guide to Corals" would be in order before you decide which corals you want, that way you could use those corals that would fit your available lighting and circulation resources, before committing to the purchace of possibly unsuitable specimens. Hope this helps you!


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Tom <"{{{{>(
(TDWyatt)
Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -Plato

[SJLord]

Good Call tom, on the book! Very good book, very good reference, it will answer all your questions and then some.

[horge]

Your 200W of fluorescent light may not be enough, depending on the height at which you position coral in the tank. Furthermore, if these are ordinary NO tubes, the spectrum of light may be far from ideal. There is more besides light..but regarding your request for some info...

Torch coral (Euphyllia glabrescens) is not hardy enough to be often considered a beginner's coral. Elegance coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei) currently has its problems there in the States. Both require plenty of room as their tissues can really expand. Both dislike strong current, and need good illumination.

Bubble coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)is often quoted as aggressive partially because it catches aquarists by surprise. Tissue expansion gives no clue to the surprising distance that specialized tentacles can reach out to sting neighboring corals. Make no mistake: they ARE aggressive, and need good illumination, and medium water movement.

Most leather corals form and then shed a film that can be loaded with stinging cells. This film can contact other animals with harmful consequences. Furthermore, they release substances into the water that can irritate other coral. They appreciate robust water movement.

There are established ways to get around the difficulties surrounding every type of coral, and learning them is key. The above (qualitative) information is but a fraction of what you need to know about these fascinating animals and their relatives.

Tom and Steven are good to caution you. Quite aside from lighting are the issues of water chemistry (including calcium requirements), water movement, and a host of others that you ought to study if you want to keep these corals healthy. It is not hard to do, if you take the time to learn how. http://www.thereeftank.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Martin]

Thanx guys. It looks like most of these corals are not realy "beginner corals". My tank has been running for +2years now. Everything seems to be fine, except for lighting and perhaps watermovemnt. I've been reading quite a lot, but there's so many contradicting opinions. I feel I'm ready for the BIG step. Just need guidance for the correct choice.

[Alice]

Martin;

Don't get discouraged! There is still much that you can do with your tank, everyone here is just looking at things from all angles. You do need to look at what types of corals will thrive under NO lighting, but there are still many choices. Mushrooms are a great choice, they come in so many colors and varieties. Lots of different types of polyps, too, will thrive under NO lighting and they will spread and give you good coverage. There are leathers that would be good choices as well as many of the "tree corals" ie Capnella sp. (Kenya Tree) or Nepthea sp. (Neon Green trees). Candycanes and Trumpets (Caulastrea furcata and echinulata, respectively) may do well if placed higher in the tank. Sun corals (Tubastrea faulkneri) and Chile corals (alycyonium sp.) don't care about light but you will need to feed them.

Arm yourself with knowledge and with some planning and patience, you'll have a gorgeous tank!

~Alice

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Reefkeeping is my life; I can't afford a hobby too!

[This message has been edited by Alice (edited 01-21-2000).]

[Martin]

Thanx Alice for the positive words. Like they say: just when you now all the answers, they change the questions...I'll defnitely take you up on your advice