Suggestion some LPS for me!

forddna

forddna

Member
I am planning on mostly softie tank, with a few LPS. Here's what I have:
220g - 72x24x30 tall
3 x 250w MH
Currently just 15x turnover, but I'm picking up two more K4s today, hopefully, and that'll put me at 25x.
So, I do have MH's, but they are over a 30" tall tank, and I do not have my rock near the surface. The closest point is at least 12" under.
I am looking for fairly easy to keep corals. Suggestions?
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
Don't really know what you like, but you could look at the euphyllias (frogspawn, torch, hammer), maybe a brain coral on the bottom, possibly some acans or micros. When it comes to LPS there are a lot of colorful choices.
 
mx#28

mx#28

Active Member
Whatever you do, be aware that many softies are toxic to LPS. Mixed reefs are certainly possible, but you'll need to do some research and take a few precautions.
 
mx#28

mx#28

Active Member

Originally Posted by paintballer768
http:///forum/post/2628775
The most famous of these threats being in leathers, but from what I understand, only a specific genus (please correct me if Im wrong).
Okay, then - I shall indeed correct you.

I'm lazy tonight, so I am simply qouting from a table in Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals":
"Patterns of General Toxicity in Some Soft Corals"
Regularly highly toxic:
Sarcophyton sp.
Lobophytum sp.
Lamnalia sp.
Variably highly toxic:
Cladiella sp.
Paralemnalia sp.
Sinularia sp.
Heteroxenia sp.
Nepthea sp.
Efflatounaria sp.
Cespitularia sp.
Occasionally highly toxic:
Xenia sp.
Briareum sp.
Dendronepthya sp.
Purists would say no mixed reefs, I say do them carefully and with research and measures to prevent problems.
 
forddna

forddna

Member
Thank you. Is that a list of only "highly toxic" or are all softies "highly toxic" and that is a complete list?
 
ci11337

ci11337

Active Member
Almost all LPS corals are colorful, have a neat shape, and are easy to keep. Because of this, it's easier for me to suggest which LPS to avoid. I have also found that LPS and softies don't mix well. I started with a softie dominant tank but as i added LPS all my softies slowly died off and my LPS got bigger and bigger. Now my tank is almost 100% LPS, i have just a few purple mushrooms left.
AVOID
1. long tentacle plates
2. goniporas
3. alveaporas
 
mx#28

mx#28

Active Member
Originally Posted by forddna
http:///forum/post/2628845
Thank you. Is that a list of only "highly toxic" or are all softies "highly toxic" and that is a complete list?
I doubt it's a complete list, but it certainly seems to cover the heavy hitters, ie those soft corals you're likely to find in the aquarium hobby. Don't let me scare you too badly, just know that there can be problems.
 
forddna

forddna

Member
Originally Posted by ci11337
http:///forum/post/2629679
Almost all LPS corals are colorful, have a neat shape, and are easy to keep. Because of this, it's easier for me to suggest which LPS to avoid. I have also found that LPS and softies don't mix well. I started with a softie dominant tank but as i added LPS all my softies slowly died off and my LPS got bigger and bigger. Now my tank is almost 100% LPS, i have just a few purple mushrooms left.
AVOID
1. long tentacle plates
2. goniporas
3. alveaporas
Next question. Are those to be avoided because of the softies, or to be avoided regardless?
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
Regardless. Those corals have very poor survival rates in general in the home aquarium. Although there have been success stories with all of them, these three seem to be harder to keep than most LPS.
 
forddna

forddna

Member
Thanks!!!
ci, what softies did you have that died or did not do well after you started adding LPS?
I'm thinking of a couple of rics or yumas, mushrooms, and maybe a colony of zoas or palys. This won't be a heavily stocked (with coral) tank, by the way. I just want to add some color. I am probably going to get a smaller tank to have a more heavily stocked, high tech setup.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I'm just looking to lightly-moderately stock the tank with LPS and softies. (to help you guys help me! lol)
 
ci11337

ci11337

Active Member
Originally Posted by forddna
http:///forum/post/2630360
Thanks!!!
ci, what softies did you have that died or did not do well after you started adding LPS?
hmmm lets see, i had several zoa colonies, some button polyps, and a bunch of shrooms. Recently all but a handful of the shrooms melted in one day. Of course, there are hundreds of other possible reasons why this happened, i can't say for sure the LPS killed them. I like the LPS way better anyway. Zoas are so small even the nice expensive palys don't really stand out. The thing about LPS is that every LPS is a showpiece that stands out. I've seen lots of tank that have zoas, shrooms, and LPS thriving together. Maybe my softies died because they knew i liked the LPS better.
i read an article about chemical war among corals. Basically all corals emit "stuff" to try and keep other kinds of corals from growing. So, if you want pure growth, an LPS only is the way to go. Running carbon and a good skimmer should help. I think the most important thing is to keep up with water changes. This prevents the build up of the chemicals the corals emit. A UV sterilizer might help too
Anyway in a 220 you should be able to pull it off. BTW, i noticed i'm not the only one thats on SWF and --.
 
forddna

forddna

Member
Ah, yes. I like to post the same question on both to get the most feedback.

I agree about the Zoas. They'd probably be unnoticed in a tank my size.
I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw some in person. Photos are always very close up, and the polyps look half dollar sized, at least! I was SO disappointed when I finally saw some in person.
 
mx#28

mx#28

Active Member
Which corals you get obviously depends on your tastes, but my favorites are the Euphyllias. They are pretty tough, very good looking, and can grow VERY large to help fill up a big tank like yours.
 
N

nereef

Guest
all good advice so far. what would you consider the easiest lps to start with? candy canes seem to be easy to keep. case in point: i just lost power for 3 days and my candy cane was fine 1 day after the power returned (wish i could say the same for my flame angel). the candy cane actually recovered much faster than xenia, a leather, and a couple species of shrooms. open brains seem to be good starters also, just remember to keep them in the sand.
as far as toxicity in a mixed reef, how much of an impact does skimming and running fresh carbon have, in your opinions?
 
iyachtuxivm

iyachtuxivm

Member
Acans are very easy to keep. They are colorful and hardy. They can be very expensive though! One of my faviorate corals. The family of Dendrophyllia are cool too but most are nonphotosynthetic or very low light and require lots of feedings. Most LPS will benefit from feedings though. Hopfully this is helpful
 
ci11337

ci11337

Active Member
Originally Posted by NEreef
http:///forum/post/2631296
all good advice so far. what would you consider the easiest lps to start with? candy canes seem to be easy to keep. case in point: i just lost power for 3 days and my candy cane was fine 1 day after the power returned (wish i could say the same for my flame angel). the candy cane actually recovered much faster than xenia, a leather, and a couple species of shrooms. open brains seem to be good starters also, just remember to keep them in the sand.
as far as toxicity in a mixed reef, how much of an impact does skimming and running fresh carbon have, in your opinions?
candies are very hardy. Also, i know for a fact open brains don't need to be kept in the sand bed, (although they look better on the bottom) They will do fine up on a rock. As i said above i think water changes has more of an impact at lowering toxicity levels then carbon and skimming.
 
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