Ok, probably cant handle anemones but how bout some corals

[Cookie_Monster]

Ok, so heres the deal. My tanks been up a little while and is going strong, pods, algae cycles, etc. Its a 20 high 24x12x16. It has about 20lbs of live rock and about an inch an a half of crushed coral for base. Currently I have 1 hang-on millenium 2k filter, 1 prizm deluxe skimmer, 1 heater for tanks up to 30 gallons, 1 ph, and an old custom hood that handles 4 18inch bulbs. (Currently 2 Corallife 10k's, 2 super actinics) As far as inhabitants go I have 2 tank raised false clowns, one clam/scallop looking guy that came in on the live rock, 2 margarita snails, 4 red skirt snails, 1 small hermit crab, some worms, 1 little brittle star that also came in on the rock and 3 unknown crabs (will post pics when I can). Temps fluxes from a low of 76 to a high of 82 but is generally in the 78-80 range. Also water stays stable, well withing limits. I use distilled and ro water mainly, depending on which I can get hold of.

So any how I want to add a little more variety to the tank and give my clowns something to host with but I know lighting is a problem. I cant afford anymore upgrades and want to get some softies that will not take over the tank and are hardy enough to do well with the lighting/temp fluxes I have. So suggestions would be great.

[EdgeKrusher]

Zoos, shrooms, are good low light starters. Frogspawn, and Xenia, would do well under those lights. What is the total wattage of light?

[Ray1214]

Xenia would be excellant. I have a colt that seems to do well with either. shrooms of course and I have had clarkiis host in Condys. Which will do well in a low light tank but typically don't last as well you would like. (use screens to cover up your intakes)

Ray

[Cookie_Monster]

Ok, the two 10ks are 15Ws each and the two super actinics I believe are either 15W or 30W. See post here:

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...=lighting+help

[Cookie_Monster]

My prizm deluxe has a cup that keeps most stuff out of it so it only skims top 1 inch of surface. What could I use on my powerhead and hang on filter to keep them safer?

[EdgeKrusher]

Some sort of filter. But if you don't make them angry then they aren't going to move around the tank and get sucked into a powerhead. Just make sure you put the Anemone in the right place. Som attach to rocks, others attach to crevices, others need to be buried in the substrate. If that condition is not met buy you, then the anemone will move around your tank. Also make sure it's not close to any corals. It'll attack them if they get too close.

HTH

Peace

Edge

[yardboy]

I have a spaghetti-tentacled mushroom leather coral which is probably a lower light tolerator than my xenia (they crawl to the highest point in the tank, under a 10000K 250W MH). The coral hosts my tomato clown quite happily and is also quite beautiful to look at. I'll try to post a picture this evening.

[Cookie_Monster]

Ok, went to my lfs and they had just got a shipment in. I ended up getting a medium size piece of rock with with several soft leather corals on it. Plus the rock had two bonus shrooms on it. Cost about 32 dollars, which I figured was a good deal since the mushroom rocks they had were selling for 38, big pieces. They had all kinds of goodies there.

[EdgeKrusher]

That's a real good deal. Do you have any pics?

[Cookie_Monster]

Not yet, still saving for a digital camera. Hopefully soon though.

[EdgeKrusher]

Cool, keep us posted.

[Cookie_Monster]

Ok, couple days in and its all looking good. Everything is perkin up and eating (dts), colors good. Now I just need to aquascape some and decide how I want my tank to look. Also the softie is cabbage leather. I didnt specify last time.

[bdawg6381]

i put a torch in my 20H with only a 15W 50/50 bulb and it has been doing fine for over a month now. Getting 2x55 CP light this week!

[ckreef]

Originally posted by Cookie_Monster
Everything is perkin up and eating (dts),

At the Anthony Calfo lecture I just went to this past weekend the subject of dts was brought up. Basically corals are carnivores and dts is a vegtable (so to speak). There are only a very select few invertebrates that are actually herbivorous. There are also a few that are omnivorious but most corals are stickly carnivorious so they really arn't feeding off the dts directly.

The dts can feed pods which in turn will feed the corals but there is a problem. Products like dts tend to colagulate and then the particle size gets to big and is of no real use to anything. At that point the dts will eventually become waste and food for unwanted algae.

Probably some of the bigger exceptions to this rule would be clams, scallops and the like, some gorgonias, and califlower corals. There are other exceptions but these are the most common. Leathers, normal softies, LPS, sps, zoo's, and polyps of all sorts ect... are all carnivorious and will not eat the dts even it they look like they catch and bring them in. Eventually they will just regurgitate the unwanted food usually after lights go off.

Also the big LPS corals can not properly ingest large chunks of food even if they catch it and swallow it they will eventually eject it and then it becomes waste and food for that dreaded unwanted algae. So feeding LPS corals chunks of silver slides ect... is of no nutritional value.

By the way it was a totally awesome lecture and if you ever get to hear either Anthony Calfo or Eric Borneman lecture it is well worth the effort.

[yardboy]

Here's my favorite picture, taken by my wife, of our tomato in his leather coral.