“Where does it go?”
Huh? We get a lot of questions about where a coral should be placed…Like, on the rocks, on substrate, high up, down low, middle? Medium flow, high flow, low flow? Light intensity?
Makes me think about this whole game sometimes...
Where do we put these things?
This is one of those topics that, if addressed to broadly and too authoritatively, can create more confusion than it clarifies, right? Kinda opens up a can of worms, but definitely discussion-worthy, I should think.
Seemingly basic questions that can have a profound impact on a coral’s health and well-being, and coral placement is, not surprisingly, a commonly-asked question from our customers. The real problem with providing answers to this type of question is that there are dozens and dozens of possibilities for each coral, and many variables that affect what goes where in the tank. It’s surprisingly rare to be able to make a sweeping generalization on almost any coral, although we are able to do it for some, specifically, “Chalices” and many Acropora species.
It’s rather easy to say that most Chalice corals (Echinophyllia, Echinopora, Mycedium, Pectinia, etc.) are best kept under overhangs, or down near the bottom of the aquarium, away from the brightest direct light. In general, they do best under such conditions. Sure, you will always find an example of a specimen that is kicking butt in someone’s reef, right under a 400 watt halide, but that is the exception, rather than the norm, and it would be far better to suggest a more muted lighting regimen for these corals. In nature, they are typically found under overhangs, in clefts in the reef structure, and in other places where light is muted.
Keep it in the dim recesses of your reef...usually.
And it's probably safe to say that many Acropora species categorically fare better under higher light intensity and stronger water movement. Although, many of the so-called "deep water" species have different requirements for both...
Here we go, right?
"Likes bright light and strong water movement.." Right?
Other corals that are pretty easy to generalize about, as far as where they would ideally be placed in captivity include species such as Trachyphyllia, Cynarina, Catalaphyllia, Acanothphyllia, and Fungia/Cyclseris. These are all well suited for being placed on the sand. Their “design”, if you will, lends itself well to being situated on a soft substrate, where the coral can deploy its tissues without damage from abrasion. Of course, it get’s muddy when you take into account that some are found in areas of mixed sand and rubble as well…Arrgh!
Another caveat about placement of the above-referenced corals: Although soft and comfy for a lot of so-called “LPS” corals, the sandbed can be a tough place! Lots of creatures, ranging from worms to snails to fishes and Echinoderms also call it “home”, and their activities can stir up sand into the coral tissues, which can cause some difficulties for some corals. Other creatures, such as crabs and even some fishes, can directly impact the health of the coral by walking on them, “nesting’ in their tissues, picking at uneaten foods in the mouths of the corals, or even take an occasional inquisitive nibble on the coral itself. Take this into account when placing them.
It does best on the sand...but the sanded ain't the safest neighborhood in town, is it?
Then you have corals which are found in varying environments, creating even more trickiness when placing them. For example, Goniopora. Many of these species come from reef faces, where they get pounded by surf. Of course, others come from lagoonal areas, sometimes mixed in seagrass beds and lagoonal type environments. I’ve seen them in both habitats in the wild, and remember paddling over a large field of Goniopora while surfing, thinking to myself (among other things) “How do these things hold up to the constant pounding?” I was also thinking, after my second or third serious spin-cyle pounding and resulting reef-drag “How do I survive this constant pounding?”
The fact is, many corals are variable in their needs, and have adapted to different habitats over millions of years of evolution. In our reef aquaria, we love to say things like “needs random, chaotic flow”, or “strong water movement”, “prefers bright lighting”..talk about vague terms! Hey, look, it’s the best we can do for most corals, right? As coral propagators and importers, I know that the most useful information I can provide my customers is based on what we do here in our facility.
We are obviously keeping these coral in our tanks, so even though wild information is very important, it’s actually (and perhaps, ironically) more important for us as hobbyists to provide conditions consistent with what they have been thriving under in captivity. On the other hand, we cannot forget that they do come from natural environments that have specific conditions, and it’s typically in our best interest to model our captive conditions after them, right? Just looking at the morphology of many corals can give you some clues as to the type of environment(s) they evolved to cope with, right?
And when you think about it, the terms we all use, like “strong water movement” and “bright light” are kind of funny. I mean, as someone who spends a lot of time in the ocean, tropical and temperate, I can tell you that so-called “low flow” in the ocean is still many time greater than what we would typically describe as “fairly strong” flow in an aquarium. It’s just that, in nature, it’s spread over a wider area, so it feels decidedly slower than perhaps, a reef crest, where tons of energy explode on the reef (and on intrepid surfers, such as myself) with frequency and bone-jarring intensity!
The amount of energy a wave unleashes is way more than what we are capable of generating in our reef tanks, trust me. Take one on the head and you'll never look at your Vortech or Tunze the same way again...
And need I remind you that “bright” light intensity in the wild is like, SPF 55 plus intensity, and even then, you’ll come back with a great tan! Sure, we can hope to replicate par and other natural values, but it is a facsimile at best, IMHO. And that’s okay, if the corals are thriving for us, as they do in many, many cases.
Where we are getting better, and WILL get even better (trust me, I have a ton more to say about this topic and we’ll cover it real soon) is in the duplication of water chemistry composition of wild reefs. Suffice it to say, being able to more accurately replicate wild reef water chemistry composition is and will be one of the key components to successful coral husbandry now and for years to come. A new, dare I say, “revolutionary” era is close at hand, where this capability will be at the disposal of reefers everywhere, opening up an entirely new chapter in successful coral husbandry, the likes of which have not been seen before.
So, to make a very long story very short- it’s tough to make sweeping generalizations about coral placement and preferences, although in many instances, that’s about the best we can do. I implore reefers everywhere to continue to share information about specific corals they maintain, and under what conditions they have experiences great success with a given species. This type of knowledge will contribute greatly to our understanding of the captive care of the corals we love so much.
Are there species that you feel we can make some pretty solid statements about, as far as placement and environmental preferences are concerned? Do we, some 30 years into the reef aquarium hobby, have some wisdom in this area? I think that we certainly do! Literally just scratching the surface here...thoughts?
As always, have a great day…
And stay wet.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Huh? We get a lot of questions about where a coral should be placed…Like, on the rocks, on substrate, high up, down low, middle? Medium flow, high flow, low flow? Light intensity?
Makes me think about this whole game sometimes...
Where do we put these things?
This is one of those topics that, if addressed to broadly and too authoritatively, can create more confusion than it clarifies, right? Kinda opens up a can of worms, but definitely discussion-worthy, I should think.
Seemingly basic questions that can have a profound impact on a coral’s health and well-being, and coral placement is, not surprisingly, a commonly-asked question from our customers. The real problem with providing answers to this type of question is that there are dozens and dozens of possibilities for each coral, and many variables that affect what goes where in the tank. It’s surprisingly rare to be able to make a sweeping generalization on almost any coral, although we are able to do it for some, specifically, “Chalices” and many Acropora species.
It’s rather easy to say that most Chalice corals (Echinophyllia, Echinopora, Mycedium, Pectinia, etc.) are best kept under overhangs, or down near the bottom of the aquarium, away from the brightest direct light. In general, they do best under such conditions. Sure, you will always find an example of a specimen that is kicking butt in someone’s reef, right under a 400 watt halide, but that is the exception, rather than the norm, and it would be far better to suggest a more muted lighting regimen for these corals. In nature, they are typically found under overhangs, in clefts in the reef structure, and in other places where light is muted.
Keep it in the dim recesses of your reef...usually.
And it's probably safe to say that many Acropora species categorically fare better under higher light intensity and stronger water movement. Although, many of the so-called "deep water" species have different requirements for both...
Here we go, right?
"Likes bright light and strong water movement.." Right?
Other corals that are pretty easy to generalize about, as far as where they would ideally be placed in captivity include species such as Trachyphyllia, Cynarina, Catalaphyllia, Acanothphyllia, and Fungia/Cyclseris. These are all well suited for being placed on the sand. Their “design”, if you will, lends itself well to being situated on a soft substrate, where the coral can deploy its tissues without damage from abrasion. Of course, it get’s muddy when you take into account that some are found in areas of mixed sand and rubble as well…Arrgh!
Another caveat about placement of the above-referenced corals: Although soft and comfy for a lot of so-called “LPS” corals, the sandbed can be a tough place! Lots of creatures, ranging from worms to snails to fishes and Echinoderms also call it “home”, and their activities can stir up sand into the coral tissues, which can cause some difficulties for some corals. Other creatures, such as crabs and even some fishes, can directly impact the health of the coral by walking on them, “nesting’ in their tissues, picking at uneaten foods in the mouths of the corals, or even take an occasional inquisitive nibble on the coral itself. Take this into account when placing them.
It does best on the sand...but the sanded ain't the safest neighborhood in town, is it?
Then you have corals which are found in varying environments, creating even more trickiness when placing them. For example, Goniopora. Many of these species come from reef faces, where they get pounded by surf. Of course, others come from lagoonal areas, sometimes mixed in seagrass beds and lagoonal type environments. I’ve seen them in both habitats in the wild, and remember paddling over a large field of Goniopora while surfing, thinking to myself (among other things) “How do these things hold up to the constant pounding?” I was also thinking, after my second or third serious spin-cyle pounding and resulting reef-drag “How do I survive this constant pounding?”
The fact is, many corals are variable in their needs, and have adapted to different habitats over millions of years of evolution. In our reef aquaria, we love to say things like “needs random, chaotic flow”, or “strong water movement”, “prefers bright lighting”..talk about vague terms! Hey, look, it’s the best we can do for most corals, right? As coral propagators and importers, I know that the most useful information I can provide my customers is based on what we do here in our facility.
We are obviously keeping these coral in our tanks, so even though wild information is very important, it’s actually (and perhaps, ironically) more important for us as hobbyists to provide conditions consistent with what they have been thriving under in captivity. On the other hand, we cannot forget that they do come from natural environments that have specific conditions, and it’s typically in our best interest to model our captive conditions after them, right? Just looking at the morphology of many corals can give you some clues as to the type of environment(s) they evolved to cope with, right?
And when you think about it, the terms we all use, like “strong water movement” and “bright light” are kind of funny. I mean, as someone who spends a lot of time in the ocean, tropical and temperate, I can tell you that so-called “low flow” in the ocean is still many time greater than what we would typically describe as “fairly strong” flow in an aquarium. It’s just that, in nature, it’s spread over a wider area, so it feels decidedly slower than perhaps, a reef crest, where tons of energy explode on the reef (and on intrepid surfers, such as myself) with frequency and bone-jarring intensity!
The amount of energy a wave unleashes is way more than what we are capable of generating in our reef tanks, trust me. Take one on the head and you'll never look at your Vortech or Tunze the same way again...
And need I remind you that “bright” light intensity in the wild is like, SPF 55 plus intensity, and even then, you’ll come back with a great tan! Sure, we can hope to replicate par and other natural values, but it is a facsimile at best, IMHO. And that’s okay, if the corals are thriving for us, as they do in many, many cases.
Where we are getting better, and WILL get even better (trust me, I have a ton more to say about this topic and we’ll cover it real soon) is in the duplication of water chemistry composition of wild reefs. Suffice it to say, being able to more accurately replicate wild reef water chemistry composition is and will be one of the key components to successful coral husbandry now and for years to come. A new, dare I say, “revolutionary” era is close at hand, where this capability will be at the disposal of reefers everywhere, opening up an entirely new chapter in successful coral husbandry, the likes of which have not been seen before.
So, to make a very long story very short- it’s tough to make sweeping generalizations about coral placement and preferences, although in many instances, that’s about the best we can do. I implore reefers everywhere to continue to share information about specific corals they maintain, and under what conditions they have experiences great success with a given species. This type of knowledge will contribute greatly to our understanding of the captive care of the corals we love so much.
Are there species that you feel we can make some pretty solid statements about, as far as placement and environmental preferences are concerned? Do we, some 30 years into the reef aquarium hobby, have some wisdom in this area? I think that we certainly do! Literally just scratching the surface here...thoughts?
As always, have a great day…
And stay wet.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
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