Quote:
Originally Posted by
silverado61 http:///t/396802/feeding-corals-help#post_3535372
I'm doing research for a 72 gallon build I'm working on that will include corals soon after it's cycled and running. Is there a forum on here that explains the care of corals, what to feed and how to feed them? I've finally got the book that Flower always brags about. (Awesome book by the way. Thanks Flower. ) It explains about placement, lighting, hardiness and aggressiveness but it says nothing, that I found anyway, about caring for them.
Also, cope-pods. I read how important they are for feeding but.... How would I get my hands on them to put em into the refuge in the first place? If I have a sump/refuge combination, wouldn't they just migrate into the display through the return or do they just get chewed up by the pump?
I'd rather get all my help here but are there websites I can go to that explains all this without stepping on SWF's toes?
Hi,
The charts in the book tell you everything you need to know....
The book explains the amount of light, and water flow needed. It also explains the food the coral feeds on. You just need to learn how to implement the information. So let's examine the chart in the example below... it shows that this coral needs strong flow, but very little light. So to care for the example coral pictured, the coral eats detritus, fish poop and tiny micro critters...so no spot feeding is needed. You should place the coral either under an overhang ledge of rock out of the direct light, or low in the tank but not right on the substrate...and it should be in an area of the tank with very strong current. 6 and above means the coral is pretty easy, but this coral is at a 5 for hardiness, which means it's a bit difficult to keep alive, but under the right circumstances and placement, this coral is right in the middle for surviving. The aggression of this coral is very low, so it can be near other corals, but not touching (another basic rule...different types of corals should NEVER touch each other)...this coral does not have tentacles that come out at night like the very aggressive bubble coral does...So running a little carbon to prevent chemical warfare (warfare is a concern in all reef tanks), and giving the coral room to spread out without touching others, will make it a good community coral to keep. The description offered is an effort to educate you on how to identify this coral, colors vary, but the basic shape of the coral on close inspection, will help you make sure you have the right coral, therefore you will know how to care for it according to the books information provided.
Basic rule of thumb...corals do not do well if PO4 (phosphates) or NO3 (nitrates) are high...so always strive for 0 on those readings in any reef tank. Also with a reef, you have to watch the calcium levels, since inverts, coralline algae and corals need it to grow. So keep a reef with 400 to 500 readings on cal.
So you see, between the book, and knowing what the proper reef levels should be, you have the information you need to know to keep this coral happy and alive.
Copepods are in and on your live rock. You can purchase reef pods from any on-line fish store to try and seed your refugium, and they do come on your macros. Time for the pods to populate is all you really need, a refugium provides a quiet place for pods to breed undisturbed, or eaten by the fish...Otherwise the eaters munch on them, and the population drops. Eventually they are hunted down so much that the numbers are almost non-existent...you may not see them, but they are still there.
