a tank set up question.

[dadstank]

is it possible to have nothing but corals that use only photosynthesis to grow?
are there corals that do not require any food but that of which the sun offers?
and if so, what are the most readily available, and also which would be the most colorful?

--this is brought about because after two months of trying to revive a christmas tree coral, it has failed to open for three days in a row, and has begun to turn a yucky brown. so sad........ but i knew it was a losing battle from the get go... was only a matter of time.

now i want saftey. i added a kenya tree four months ago and is getting bigger every week....

 

[wasp9166]

xmas trees are hard to keep

 

[bleedingthought]

There are a lot of hardy corals that depend mostly on light. What kind of lighting do you have?

 

[Anonymous]

"Christmas tree corals" aren't corals at all. They're a polychaete worm that lives in association with corals, usually Porites spp. They aren't photosynthetic and rely completely on filter feeding to survive.

As usual, Dr. Rob "Mr. T" Toonen has written a great article about them.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... toonen.htm

 

[dadstank]

i knew they were difficult. when i took it in it was great! it came from the father of a friend in seattle... after a very short period of neglect, it became very unhappy. i made a grand effort to make it up, i tried to move it, tried daily target feedings; then i tried just current feedings... nada...

and now, of course i am afraid of getting new pieces. the kenya tree was a door prize at a local frag swap. (thanks guys!) and also i should mention that in june i lost a huge clam due to ignorance on my part about light bulb life... i thought that as long as it turned on, it was all good... :roll:

i have a 250W 10,000K halide, two compacts, and 2 T-12 fluorescents. (that will be working again shortly)

due to the ever changing world i live in, i have had to leave my tank for several days at a clip. and now that my brother left town, i have no one i trust with my keys, y'all know what i mean....

so to try and protect myself from neglect my will cause, life that needs no feeding = safety.... (relatively speaking of course......)

---and for the techies----
Parameters are:
SAL = 1.026
NITRATE - 0
NITRITE - 0
AMON - 0
CAL =390-410ish
phos - the damn reading is still blue. i have been reading phosphates in this tank since the very first time i tested the water 3 years ago. and yes its been done with different test kits.....

 

[JKDMan]

mushrooms ,zooanthids are good easy ones

 

[Anonymous]

... and leathers.