SPS/Beginner Coral Questions

[Miss.Shelle]

Hey everyone it is SO good to be on this site again! I feel like it's been so long lol it has been a while since I've posted or read any threads. Weeeeeeell, I had a BAD outbreak of filamentous green algae, I don't even know where it came from and it took over my tank killing my astrea snails somehow. However, I managed to save my peppermint shrimp and my clowns
Now that my tank has been basically reestablished; I've been thinking of what else to add but not fish... corals!
I have a 16 gallon Biocube: Parameters are:
Temp-78-79°F
Nitrate- between 0 PPM and .25PPM
Nitrite- 0 PPM
Ammonia- between 0 PPM and .15 PPM
pH - right now measures at 8.3 but usually reads at 8.0
Salinity- 1.023 - 1.026 most of the time it is 1.023
Current Inhabitants:
2 cerith snails, 2 clownfish, 2 peppermint shrimp and 2 hermit crabs.
Now comes my questions.
What are hardy beginner corals? - I have read all types of websites and have gotten mixed responses but no real detail on care. It's basically, mushrooms, hammer coral, green star polyps, kenyan tree, zoas. I even saw some people say that pulsing xenia, and bubble coral, and open brain corals.

Is coral care as difficult as I have been reading? - I have read that they need SUPER consistent and specific water parameters. Basically zero nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, high pH of at least 8.3, higher water temperatures, etc.

Do all corals need spot feedings?

What is coral dipping?

Do I need to buy any specific testing kits or supplements to ensure proper care of coral?

How do you guys increase the pH without sacrificing other parameters or messing with the tank (too much)?
--
Bonus questions
What was your first coral? Was it worth it? Did you end up getting 'addicted' and building up your tank after your first coral?

Sorry for the long post and the thousand questions. With so much information on the internet, I like to actually ask the people that have actually been doing it the experts, so to speak. Also sorry for the bad pictures unfortunately, I had to move and the best location in my new place for the tank means a lot of reflections. Plus, my AI Prime was on its shut off cycle... I'll try to attach more pics tomorrow

 

[Lavey29]

Hello and welcome. It is best to leave lights off the first four months while your tank develops biodiversity and microfauna. Then add corals as you turn the lights on. There are a wide variety of beginner friendly corals but you indicated your nitrates are 0. Nitrates are coral nutrition so if and when you add coral you will want nitrates at 10ppm so your corals don't starve.

 

[Miss.Shelle]

Hello and welcome. It is best to leave lights off the first four months while your tank develops biodiversity and microfauna. Then add corals as you turn the lights on. There are a wide variety of beginner friendly corals but you indicated your nitrates are 0. Nitrates are coral nutrition so if and when you add coral you will want nitrates at 10ppm so your corals don't starve.

Thanks for the advise does having a normal light cycle while the microfauna develop have an adverse effect on growth? Also, I didn't know corals needed some nitrates... everything I have read said parameters have to be zero or as close to zero as possible, so this eases some of my worries!

 

[Rmckoy]

First things first .
assuming by the parameters you listed are tested with api test kit ?

the work, but known for being inaccurate .
Salinity : try getting it to 1.026 and maintaining it stable . From 1.023 to 1.026 is a large range corals will do better at the 1.025-1.026 range .
I’d increase nitrates to min 5ppm

with lower nutrients you don’t want your alk too high. .

I keep mine at 7.5
Nitrates 5-10 ppm
Phosphates 0.03 -0.1

bonus : my first coral was a hammer coral , trumpet and bubble coral .

a massive 24” anemone followed shortly after

 

[matthew_coletta]

Hey everyone it is SO good to be on this site again! I feel like it's been so long lol it has been a while since I've posted or read any threads. Weeeeeeell, I had a BAD outbreak of filamentous green algae, I don't even know where it came from and it took over my tank killing my astrea snails somehow. However, I managed to save my peppermint shrimp and my clowns
Now that my tank has been basically reestablished; I've been thinking of what else to add but not fish... corals!
I have a 16 gallon Biocube: Parameters are:
Temp-78-79°F
Nitrate- between 0 PPM and .25PPM
Nitrite- 0 PPM
Ammonia- between 0 PPM and .15 PPM
pH - right now measures at 8.3 but usually reads at 8.0
Salinity- 1.023 - 1.026 most of the time it is 1.023
Current Inhabitants:
2 cerith snails, 2 clownfish, 2 peppermint shrimp and 2 hermit crabs.
Now comes my questions.
What are hardy beginner corals? - I have read all types of websites and have gotten mixed responses but no real detail on care. It's basically, mushrooms, hammer coral, green star polyps, kenyan tree, zoas. I even saw some people say that pulsing xenia, and bubble coral, and open brain corals.

Is coral care as difficult as I have been reading? - I have read that they need SUPER consistent and specific water parameters. Basically zero nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, high pH of at least 8.3, higher water temperatures, etc.

Do all corals need spot feedings?

What is coral dipping?

Do I need to buy any specific testing kits or supplements to ensure proper care of coral?

How do you guys increase the pH without sacrificing other parameters or messing with the tank (too much)?
--
Bonus questions
What was your first coral? Was it worth it? Did you end up getting 'addicted' and building up your tank after your first coral?

Sorry for the long post and the thousand questions. With so much information on the internet, I like to actually ask the people that have actually been doing it the experts, so to speak. Also sorry for the bad pictures unfortunately, I had to move and the best location in my new place for the tank means a lot of reflections. Plus, my AI Prime was on its shut off cycle... I'll try to attach more pics tomorrow

I'd recommend zoas or mushrooms. They're extremely hardy and don't need to much care for them to do well. Additionally, if you wanted to go a bit crazier you could venture into LPS: hammers, torches, frogspawn etc.

 

[Miss.Shelle]

First things first .
assuming by the parameters you listed are tested with api test kit ?

the work, but known for being inaccurate .
Salinity : try getting it to 1.026 and maintaining it stable . From 1.023 to 1.026 is a large range corals will do better at the 1.025-1.026 range .
I’d increase nitrates to min 5ppm

with lower nutrients you don’t want your alk too high. .

I keep mine at 7.5
Nitrates 5-10 ppm
Phosphates 0.03 -0.1

bonus : my first coral was a hammer coral , trumpet and bubble coral .

a massive 24” anemone followed shortly after

I am using API to test is there a more accurate one that you use? I have tried to search different test kits but API always seems to dominate the search lol
How do you go about bringing the pH and phosphates in the tank up and maintain those levels?

I have thought about getting a buble coral. I like the way they move and their colors are pretty.

 

[Miss.Shelle]

I'd recommend zoas or mushrooms. They're extremely hardy and don't need to much care for them to do well. Additionally, if you wanted to go a bit crazier you could venture into LPS: hammers, torches, frogspawn etc.

I have heard that some zoas sting? This is a stupid question but how do you keep a non stinging coral away from more peaceful coral? Is it just a placement thing...

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

You are going to have to keep the salinity stable at 1.025-1.026. What is your alk? Get alk, calcium, and mag testers. Salifert is cheap and accurate but is titration. You may want digital testers like Hannah if you want a digital readout.

Get an ATO to maintain salinity and rodi for making fresh water. Corals do not like contaminates and more sensitive to metals vs fish

 

[matthew_coletta]

I have heard that some zoas sting? This is a stupid question but how do you keep a non stinging coral away from more peaceful coral? Is it just a placement thing...

I have never had that in my experience. I even have zoas right next to my mushrooms and I haven’t seen that before.

 

[Lavey29]

Thanks for the advise does having a normal light cycle while the microfauna develop have an adverse effect on growth? Also, I didn't know corals needed some nitrates... everything I have read said parameters have to be zero or as close to zero as possible, so this eases some of my worries!

No your fish will be fine and your biodiversity will continue to grow without direct lighting and only ambient lighting in the room the tank is located. This will eventually make your ugly stages much more manageable when you add corals and lights. Zeros are bad for coral health although some skilled reefers try to maintain ultra low nutrients systems. Really depends on your coral selection. LPS typically want slightly dirty water with nitrates and phosphate. These are generally some of the first corals people start with along with socks. If nutrients get way to high you get abundant nuisance algae but if nutrients are bottomed out at zero you will get abundant nuisance algae to and your corals will starve to death. It's all about balancing everything in proper levels

 

[exnisstech]

Be careful with some of the easier to care for coral like mushroom and zenia. I have both but in much larger tank. They can take over especially in a smaller tank. Zoas are supposed to be easy but I can't grow them for some reason. I wish I could becauae there are so many beautiful colors out there.

 

[Spare time]

The API is fine for now. I wouldn't worry. The only thing you really need a decent kit for is phosphate (hanna ulr phosphate or ulr phosphorus is the best, but some others can work if you have superior color vision). I would start with a mushroom or leather coral. These are very easy. Most corals do not "need" to be fed. However, given your nitrate is practically 0, I would recommend feeding them some amino acids. Typically it is either that you have 0 nitrates and feed them daily, or run at least 5ppm or so. Basically, the zooxanthellae algae in the coral need nitrogen one way or another (this includes ammonia from fish too). A steady temperature around 78F is fine, salinity between 1.025-1.027sg is preferable but corals can tolerate a little more variation. a higher pH around 8.3 is ideal, but 7.8 is the minimum. This can be increased by better gas exchange and having the windows open at your place, refugiums/macroalgae, co2 scrubbers, and many alkalinity supplements. You should never dose something in an attempt to raise pH without regard to With soft corals, you don't really need to worry about alkalinity and calcium, and magnesium usually doesn't need to be dosed until the tank gets crowded or you go long periods without water changes (same goes for trace elements a lot of times). DIP THE CORALS. I quarentine my corals, but at the minemum you need to dip them in a solution that rids at least some of the possible hitchikers. Learn the common ones and aim to spot them before purchasing (or remove/superglue over them if you do find them). These include vermatids, flatworms, aiptasia, bubble algae, turf algae, etc.

 

[Miss.Shelle]

You are going to have to keep the salinity stable at 1.025-1.026. What is your alk? Get alk, calcium, and mag testers. Salifert is cheap and accurate but is titration. You may want digital testers like Hannah if you want a digital readout.

Get an ATO to maintain salinity and rodi for making fresh water. Corals do not like contaminates and more sensitive to metals vs fish

1.025-1.026 is definitely doable! I have seen the Hanna testers and I think they are cool. I've heard they are super accurate too, so i might just have to invest lol unfortunately I don't know all, calcium, or magnesium... I also don't have an ATO but I do have an RODI. I prefer to have the cleanest water possible for my clownfish and other inhabitants. At least I'm ahead of the game on that lol

 

[Miss.Shelle]

Thank you everyone for all your help and advice! I really appreciate the insight and knowledge ❤ I'll keep you all posted once I figure out what I actually want to put in the tank lol