Starting reef ?

[georgiaboy]

How do you know when your tank is ready to add coral? should I add fish before or after coral?
Thanks,
GA boy

 

[drewsta]

Coral doesn't add much of a bioload just wait until your tank cycles like normal and then add some small fish first then some corals I would say 2-4 months depending on the type of corals you want and also what you will feed them and your lighting.

 

[georgiaboy]

idk what to feed them,and my lighting 64 watt power compact over a ten gallon

 

[mr. guitar]

I suggest feedin' all corals DT's Plankton. In my opinion it's the best stuff to use. There is also Pyto-Feast...works almost as good as DT's. If you don't know this already you need to add calcium, idione, and strontium becuase corals need these to live. I also add Reef Plus to my tank.

 

[drewsta]

Originally Posted by Mr. Guitar
I suggest feedin' all corals DT's Plankton. In my opinion it's the best stuff to use. There is also Pyto-Feast...works almost as good as DT's. If you don't know this already you need to add calcium, idione, and strontium becuase corals need these to live. I also add Reef Plus to my tank.
I wouldn't add iodine and strontium because most of those are going to come from the salt in the water. Also if you dose iodine it will cause premature molting of your shrimp/crabs and most likely cause death. Just add calcium every once in a while (but monitor it, it should stay around 380-420). As for feeding you can use reef dt's live phytoplankon or depending on the coral you can use krill, silversides, mysis and many other things just look around for coral food

 

[moorish#1]

i want to start a reef i've cycled water from my 2 yr old 55 gallon aquarium and i want to know if i'm going to need a moon light or what i need for my coral to live, but i want the best looking coral that will survive in my community. let me know.