corals????

[hansgraf]

O.K.
Finally got us a coral light. So here are my questions.
We bought the light and a light stand that suspends the light a little above the water but as of yet we don't have any kind of lid or top for the tank. If I put the light on today, when can I put some corals in???
We have a 29 gallon tank with 30 lbs of live rock, sand for the substrate, one green cromie, one brittle star, and one emerald crab plus numerous snails and smaller crabs. We have had the tank up for 6 months now and have had terrible luck with fish. Only one has survived since the beginning (about 3 months) everything else we put in has died. We want to try some coral to see if we can get excited about having this tank again. All the fish dying has gotten us a bit discouraged. What coral is good for a beginner???? We want something pretty and colorful that is virtually impossible to kill!!!
Do corals have to be introduced one at a time like fish or could I add a couple?
How much coral can I put in a tank the size of mine?
Do they need to acclimate like fish??
Silly questions, I know, but what do you feed them and do they grow???
Any help on knowing what we are getting into by buying some corals would be great. We don't want to have failure again like we did with the fish.
Thanks

 

[konrade]

Well corals need a lot more dedication more work and higher water flow. Yes you must acclimate corals by drip acclimation because they are more delicate and require more maintenance generally speaking.

 

[acekjd83]

Originally Posted by hansgraf
O.K.
Finally got us a coral light. So here are my questions.
We bought the light and a light stand that suspends the light a little above the water but as of yet we don't have any kind of lid or top for the tank. If I put the light on today, when can I put some corals in???
The light wont have any effect on time needed to add corals... they wont cause a nitrogen spike or anything.
btw, what kind of light? some lights said to be "great for corals" are not adequate for many types of coral. is it metal halide or fluorescent, and what wattage? hopefully it isnt a metal halide over an open tank... water splashed on a MH may cause the glass bulb to shatter...
We have a 29 gallon tank with 30 lbs of live rock, sand for the substrate, one green cromie, one brittle star, and one emerald crab plus numerous snails and smaller crabs. We have had the tank up for 6 months now and have had terrible luck with fish. Only one has survived since the beginning (about 3 months) everything else we put in has died. We want to try some coral to see if we can get excited about having this tank again. All the fish dying has gotten us a bit discouraged. What coral is good for a beginner???? We want something pretty and colorful that is virtually impossible to kill!!!
you should find out why things are dying before you add more living beings to your tank... it really isnt ethical or sensible to put these animals into a possibly lethal environment. you really should buy a beginner's guide to marine aquariums, as this will be an invaluable reference no matter how much experience you have, and will answer many questions you will have about marine aquariums.
Do corals have to be introduced one at a time like fish or could I add a couple?
in a large tank, they COULD be added simultaneously, but it's easier and safer to add corals one at a time... they are delicate, and the more time and care they are afforded, the better off they will be.
How much coral can I put in a tank the size of mine?
this really depends more on the water quality, types of coral, placement, lighting, etc. than on a basic corals per gallon estimate... u just have to go slowly and watch how they interact with each other
Do they need to acclimate like fish??
YES, MORE SO.
Silly questions, I know, but what do you feed them and do they grow???
You feed them phytoplankton and small bits of meat. some are very particular; i feed my corals bits of tuna and shrimp, and one of them used to spit all of those out until, in exasperation, i tried some cooked chicken, which it loved.

and yes, they do grow; they are animals, and will do most of the same things as other kinds of animals, like eating, excreting waste, reproducing, moving, and being aggressive
Any help on knowing what we are getting into by buying some corals would be great. We don't want to have failure again like we did with the fish.
Thanks
ok?