thinking of starting a reef

[ponyta810]

i have a 12 gallon eclipse that i havent has much intrest in for a while, just one cinnimon clown, and 2 damsels, since i started this hobby ive alwaysed liked FOWLR and thats what ive stuck to. but i want to turn this tank into a reef, but i know absolutley nothing about it, reight now in the tank i have crushed coral and two small peices of lr, ik i need more lr but can i keep the cc. And what are some corals that are cheaper and esaier to keep?

 

[notsonoob]

It all depends upon what you want out of it.
If you want to keep it as simple as possible, first check your lighting vs what is capable to grow under it.
Learn about what corals need. You have to pay more attention to water chemistry. Calcium, strontium, and magnesium, and how they relate to one another. What the corals eat. Suppliments, phrytoplankton...ect, ect, ect...
What I would do is look at some corals on this site and other sites and find out what you want to see. You can pretty much do anything if you put your mind to it....more over your wallet.

A lot of softies are pretty easy, but everybody will have an opinion.
Most important, do what you think you will enjoy.

 

[oceanlover]

Read through the coral section of this message board. There is a lot of good advice. Your biggest issue with the Eclipse may be the lighting. Figure out what kind of light you have and then decide the corals you like best and learn their lighting requirements.
Go S-L-O-W in a 12 gallon tank. Get just one coral or a couple of little corals at first. As NOTSONOOB said, the softies are usually pretty easy. Xenia is pretty easy and so are some of the zoas and ricordia.
Have fun!

 

[ponyta810]

thanks guys, do u no of any good books for reef noobs

 

[gatorwpb]

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner is the book everyone recommends.
Also, look at the top stickied threads in the New Hobbiest section. That will have many good articles as well.
I would replace the CC if I were you. Also, more LR is liekly needed.
Start with mushrooms and zoos. Then graduate to something like frogspawn or hammer coral.
But lighting you need to think of too.