Time to add corals?

[bongo fury]

Hi all,

I have a 29 gal tank, compact flourescents with 65 watts 12,000k daylight and 65 watts actinics, running for 8 weeks now. 45 lbs live rock and a deep sand bed. Nitrates, pH, and other numbers all look good. I now have 2 false percolas, 3 peppermint shrimp, a bunch of blue-legged hermits, and several different kinds of snails. I have a few questions about introducing corals:

-- How do you know when you're "ready" to add corals?
-- Should I add just one at a time, or can I add several all at once?
--What types are recommended for beginners? I assume I'm limited to leathers and soft corals given my lighting, but which ones should I consider?
--Any special acclimation procedures?
--I assume they come attached to something when I purchase them--do I leave them attached or should they be separated and reattached to my rock (if so, how do you do this)?

Anything else I need to know?

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

To answer your questions

You are ready once all your paraters are stable for a few weeks. At eight weeks you may or may not be ready. If your paraters have been stable for a few they you should be fine. If they are just leveling off it may be benifical to wait a bit longer.

You can add muntiple corals at once. Since this is your first I would not add more than two, just incase you have issues. Would really hat to see you have issues in a week or so and kill a bunch of frags.

With you lighting I would agree to stick with soft corals, mushrooms and zoathids (button polyps). IMO any of these would be equally fine for first corals.

Leave them attache to whatever they come on. No reason to add extra stress to the coral.

I can not think of anything else right now.

 

[bongo fury]

Thanks for the reply! I'll probably wait a few weeks as you suggest, just to be sure.

 

[Anonymous]

acclimation procedures...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/gene ... &subref=AI

The goal for acclimation is to make a slow and gradual change from the store water to your water parameters. Remember not to pour the water directly into your tank. good luck.

 

[bongo fury]

Thanks for the link, Mrktplayer. I know about the normal acclimation procedures, but I didn't know if corals required anything beyond that. Apparently not.

By the way, does anyone have "favorite" corals they would recommend for a beginner?

 

[Anonymous]

Euphyllia.... like frogspawn, torch, hammers are nice and hardy. I like them because they provide "movement" in the tank unlike hard corals that remain stationary.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... cleid=2323

Polyps, like Wazzel mentioned can be really pretty.
http://www.peteducation.com/category_su ... 6&cat=1931

Bubble corals are really nice.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... cleid=2314

 

[Anonymous]

Any of the branching leathers are good also. I would reccomend staying away from the carnation, they are more difficult than most leathers. A word of caution if you see a leather that is an unnatural color or an extreemly lively natural color it has probably been dyed so do not purchase it.

 

[bongo fury]

Man, this hobby sucks...I want all of them! Guess I'll have to tell my kids they can't go to college, 'cause I'm spending all my money on my reef tank.

 

[Kerchakone]

Dude, just win the lottery. That's what I'm going to do. Just been too lazy to do it.

 

[Anonymous]

Man, this hobby sucks...I want all of them! Guess I'll have to tell my kids they can't go to college, 'cause I'm spending all my money on my reef tank.

where do you live?

There's probably a chance that there's a reefer's club in your area. I was going to the LFS dropping huge amounts of money, then I found reefers in my area. We've been trading or selling frags to one another as well as equipment. Instead of paying $30-60 per frag online, I was getting them for $10-20 from local reefers.

A great way to make new friends.

 

[bongo fury]

^ Great idea. I live in the Triad region of NC (Winston-Salem/Greensboro), and I understand there are clubs in this area. I haven't pursued it yet since I'm just getting started, but I definitely plan to do so.

Thanks to all for the replies.