What kind of coral can I put in a fish only tank?

[jodilynn]

I sold off my 70gallon reef tank and am now only using a 30G tank. I did not have time for keeping tabs on all the different levels you need to keep in check on a reef tank I have a 3 to 4 inch sand bed (varies due to my jawfish) with about 25 lbs of live rock. Anyhow, I do have one mushroom (hitchhiker from previous tank) and a leather (from previous tank) in terms of coral. I was wondering if and what corals would do well in my 30G. I have two 50/50 power compacts for lighting, Rio skimmer and some mechanical filtration. I do a 5 gallon water change every weekend. I no longer add any alk or calcium or any other chemicals. I have for fish a blue spotted jawfish, medium tomato clown, small blue and yellow damsel and a royal gramma.
I kinda miss all the color of a reef although I have alot of corraline. Thanks.
Jodilynn

 

[timo]

Right off the bat, let's review the question, Coral in a fish only tank...
Sounds like a coral tank to me.
If the question more specificly wants to know about "dirty water corals", then relax to know you're on your way. Mushrooms are great. So are button polyps. Most soft corals don't require the stringent cleanliness you stray from.
I digress to note that testing of water parameters does not need to be a regular thing, if you follow many of the maintence items espoused on this board. Also note constantly as to what visual shape your tank is in. Is one fish or coral looking bad, as can be normal, or is there a general trend of foulness to it?
It's up to you.
Tim

 

[timo]

I also predict tension between the damsel species (clowns are damsels). You may not see it, but the fish will.

 

[timo]

Sorry for the "walk of posts", but I see you're a mother of three... Wow! with a salt tank!
I understand your desire to have lower maintence needs, while still having pretty animals.
Tim

 

[jodilynn]

Actually, my fish tank looks very healthy. The fish are very healthy and seem happy. The tomato and damsel have been together for over a year and have not had any problems. Even the sand looks clean. Not buildup of detritus, so I am not really sure what you mean by a dirty tank. This tank has been set up for over 3 months now. I transferred water, sand and some rock over from previous tank. I simply wanted opinions on the more forgiving corals so that I may not kill anything by ignorance. Research before you buy mentality. However, if it is best that I only have the fish, sand, inverts, live rock, brittle stars, arrowhead crab fish tank than that is what I will have.
Jodilynn

 

[jodilynn]

Yes, I am busy. While I fell in love with this hobby, I painfully came to the realization that I do not have the time for a larger reef tank. I am trying to manage my 30G and so far so good. My children are 7, 5, and 3 and I babysit twin 9 month old baby girls during the week. Oh yea, I also have two kittens and a husband. I make myself tired just reading what I just read!
Jodilynn

 

[timo]

What I mean by "dirty" tanks are those that have elevated nitrate levels, but it's OK. I have two and I love them for exactly what they are. Lower maintence tanks that look great!
One is a 75 with 2 triggers and a tang, but it has lots of mushrooms, zoo's and star polyps.. Tank looks clean, but has high nitrates.
Another is a 30 long that's filled with all sorts of great growing softies and houses a huge bubble tip with a mated pair of tomato clowns.
What I'm saying is not negative, it's good
These corals come from atrophed sections of reef where current and other flow do not greatly affect their area. This leads to elevated nutrient levels and softies love that.
Many of us keep these tanks and not know it, or try to deny or otherwise deceive the board about their elevated nutrient levels.
There are others that embrace these nutrients and grow a tank that suits their inhabitant's needs on purpose.

 

[timo]

FYI, on a seperate but related note, it is the soft corals that started the hobby of coral keeping, for the exact reason... The tank keepers of the time couldn't keep nitrates down except for water changes, which I presume they did a lot of. And it was the soft coral with all their beauty that spawned the research that brings us to this day.
I often reflect on the advances made in our hobby, and wonder what new thing will top off the skimmer or something as a revolutionary device.
Tim

 

[jodilynn]

So are you saying that there are some softies that won't mind the usual "perfect levels" that most try to get? I thought that some mushrooms may do okay and my leather is doing great (getting bigger and feeding). I am unsure of zoe's. I had them before and sometimes they would do great and other times not so great. I don't want alot just a little here and there. I have to be careful too, because my jawfish like to spit sand all the time. He has little hideouts underneath all of my rock. I was sure to get big pieces of rock to as not to stack and have it collapse. Push all the way to the bottom, too.
Jodilynn

 

[timo]

What we're dealing with here is biological on the behalf of the symbiotic algae that lives in our photosynthetic corals, Zoozanthalle, or however it's spelled.
These algae, just like the nuisance algae in or tanks, require nutrients (ie: nitrates and others) for their growth, hence their ability to thrive in nurtient rich water.
There is a whole lot more to it than that, but, hey.
What I'm saying is that the corals you're talking about will do just fine in your tank, just keep up some level of maintenence.
Water changes will supply the elements you would have supplemented with a growing hard coral tank.
Use a turkey baster or a small powerhead to blow the substrate from the areas coverd by that pesky fish.

 

[jodilynn]

Thanks. I will slowly add some easy corals and keep up on water changes. Happy New Year.
Jodilynn
P.S. I will be sure to uncover any coral that "digger" spits on them with the turkey baster.

 

[timo]

When the mushrooms get bigger... 1-2 inches across or so, snip them at the base (messier and harder than implied, but try anyways) and stick the chopped-up (trust me, it'll grow) cut top into a crevice or try to hold with a rubber band, and ...WOW... another mushroom or two, not to mention the two or three that grew from the cut.

 

[jodilynn]

Wow, thanks TimO, I will try that one day when I am wanting to experiment. Those mushrooms are incredibly slimy. Could be challenging!
Jodilynn:jumping:

 

[timo]

One fully grasps the concept of "slimey" when severing mushrooms!

 

[jodilynn]

Yea, you are correct. A friend of mine once took out a mushroom and gently pressed on it and it squirt water out of the center! They are just full of it!

Jodilynn

 

[timo]

Every few months I have to go in and trim some that get too big (they rub against other stony corals and burn them).
So, I've gotten to be not bad at it. I use a razor blade and just hack away. They produce slime as you agitate them, which is alot. lol.
I actually regret the day I introduced the bjggers to my tanks... they're weeds!