adding coral

[ivy2dw7]

When is a good time to start adding coral to the tank? I need to buy a kit to check the calcium level because I know that's important, but my tank has been cycled for over a week, I have a royal gramma in there right now and will be getting a pair of clowns this weekend and then probably only one more fish two weeks from now. My lighting is only strong enough for corals, so that'll be the only thing left to add to the tank except a serpent star or 2 and 2 more shrimp and maybe eventually an emerald crab. It's a 37g, 24x18x21", 130w PC - 65 10,000k daylight, 65 true actinic. I'm also wondering how many different corals you think would be safe to have in this tank? There are tons of spots in the rock work that I could put corals, but I don't know if there is a limit to how many you should have in a tank. Thanks

 

[ivy2dw7]

Anyone? And also, where should the calcium level be? I think I'm going to buy the test kit today.

 

[ivy2dw7]

Anyone at all..?

 

[robchuck]

Calcium should be between 400-450, but you'll also want to get an Alkalinity test kit, as calcium fluctuates in relation to Alkalinity. pH is also an important parameter to check.
Once those three parameters along with temperature, salinity, and nitrates have been steady for 2-3 weeks, it is probably safe to start adding corals. For the tanks that I have set up in the past, that point has been about 2-3 months after the tank has cycled.

 

[fishphreak]

That isn't very much light, you will probably be rather limited to the corals you can keep. Mostly low light corals.
It is best to wait a few months before adding coral because most require nearly perfect water conditions.

 

[ivy2dw7]

I posted a thread in this forum last night listing the corals I'd like to keep and the people that replied said they'd all be ok. I wouldn't keep all of these but they're the ones that caught my attention and would like to choose from.
Colt
Frogspawn
Mushrooms (blue stripe, striped, teal, ricordia)
Plate (neon green)
Zoos (super orange, green eye)
Hammer (branching)
Bubble (green)
Brain (green closed, red open)
I definitely want the colt, frogspawn, bubble and atleast 1 mushroom and a zoo.

 

[fishphreak]

IMO the brain is iffy.
I have 110 watts pc lights on my 29 gallon tank and I don't think my brain is getting enough light.
I am not about to tell you what you should or shouldn't get. I am only sharing my personal experience with my brain coral.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Wait...you said your tank has been cycling for only a week?
No way that is sufficient time for a tank to cycle to add anything, unless you are moving everything from an existing tank to a new one-water rocks and all.
Your tank will usually take at least 2 weeks (rarely have i heard of this accomplishment) up to 6 weeks, with usually around 4 weeks being a good mid point.
I would seriously recommen that you have patience and let the cycle complete before you add anymore livestock.
I know it sucks looking at an empty tank that you just spent $2k on, but in the long run you will be way better off.

 

[ivy2dw7]

Sorry, you must've read that wrong, just to clarify: My tank HAS BEEN fully cycled for over a week now. I didn't add the fish until it was completely cycled. Ammonia and Nitrites down to 0, Nitrates at about 5, salinity/gravity at 1.026. Don't know the calcium or alk yet, need to buy the test kits.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally posted by ivy2dw7
Sorry, you must've read that wrong, just to clarify: My tank HAS BEEN fully cycled for over a week now. I didn't add the fish until it was completely cycled. Ammonia and Nitrites down to 0, Nitrates at about 5, salinity/gravity at 1.026. Don't know the calcium or alk yet, need to buy the test kits.
Im so sorry...I didnt read it properly. I saw the word "cycling" and "one week" in the same sentance and thought that may be a problem!
I was used to answering q's on the newbie posts

 

[ivy2dw7]

Understandable. So is there a limit for how many corals you can put in a tank depending on it's size? Because as I said earlier, I have tons of spots that I could put the coral, I just don't know how mnay is safe to put in this size of a tank. There are 6 that I would really really like to put in this tank: colt, frogspawn, mushroom, zoo, hammer, and a brain. What do you think??