coral list advice.

hey guys how is it going. i have been working on my coral list and have a frist draft. i will have kinda a big load of fish. all the fish and creatures will remain. i need to know about the corals. any advice is will help alot. ok so here is everything:

Tank……: 72x18x20H acrylic

Filtration..: 45 gal. Sump with 30lbs of Miracle Mud and growing red Gracilaria
: 20 inch Coralife 18watt T5 10k light going 24/7.
: Sedra 1200gph and 586gph(total of 1786gph) pumps for return
: 2- Penguin 550 Powerheads(Marineland) 145gph. ea.(main tank)

Lighting : 2- Icecap 660 Electronic Ballasts.
: 6-80watt 60” T5HO lights divided as follows:
; 2 - 6000K ATI Sun bulbs
; 1 - 6500K GE Starcoat bulb
; 2 – ATI True Actinic bulbs
; 1 - 11K ATI Aqua Blue bulb

Fish List:

1-Green clown goby (Gobioudon atrangulatrus)
1-Yellow clown goby (Gobioudon okiwawee)
5-Dispar anthias (Mirolabrichthys dispar)
2-Lineatus fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lineatus)
1-Canary blenny (Meiacanthus ovalaunensis)
1-Regal angel (Pygoplites diacanthus )
2-False percula clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1-Kole yellow eye tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus )


Creatures:

2-Cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis))
1-Electric blue hermit crab (Calcinus elegans)
5-Zebra hermit crabs (Calcinus laevimanus)
5-Red legged mexican hermit crab (Clibanarius digueti)
1-Red flame serpent starfish (Ophioderma rubicundum)
1-Tiger serpent starfish (Ophiolepsis superba)
2- Turbo snail mexican (Turbo fluctuosa)
10-Nassarius snail (Nassarius vibex)
10-Turbo snails (Turbo fluctuosa)

Corals:

LPS
White bubble (Plerogyra sp.)
Elegance (Catalaphyllia jardinei)
Cynarina button (Cynarina sp.)
Candy cane (Caulastrea furcata)
Orange tube (Tubastrea aurea)
Lobophyllia brain (Lobophyllia spp.)
Red open brain (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi )

SPS
Blue Acropora (Acropora sp.)
Birdsnest (Seriatopora hystrix)
Merulina (Merulina ampliata)

Leather
Carnation tree (Dendronephthya sp.)
Yellow Fiji leather (Sarcophyton elegans)
Toadstool leather (Sarcophyton sp.)
Green tree (Nepthea sp.)

Misc. Coral
Red finger gorgonia (Diodogorgia nodulifera)
Green lace gorgonia (Gorgonia species)
Blue mushroom (Actinodiscus sp.)
2-Feather duster (Sabellastarte sp.)
2- Dwarf colored feather duster (Bispira sp.)

Clams
Crocea clam (Tridacna crocea)
Maxima clam (Tridacna maxima)

so how is this list??????IYO

mogurnda said:

Quite a list! You have been putting a lot of thought into it.

-yes most definitly.



For the mobile livestock, everybody looks pretty good, but you might add more snails.

-planning on adding cleaners as i go.

You will probably want to wait a bit for the acropora/seriatopora. In my experience, acropora species tend to be really sensitive to any changes. In response to stresses that won't bother other corals, acros tend to bleach or undergo rapid tissue necrosis (RTN). So you want to have the tank established and stable for several months. Plus, a lot of people won't mix acros with leathers, because of the toxins that the leathers and other softies can put out. Others have made it work with good skimming and carbon, though. Also, I'm a little concerned that your lighting won't be enough for those guys, who are the most light-demanding of the corals.

-nice info. i think i will look into replaceing the acropora. thanks.i was really not sure about it getting eatten by the regal angel as well(so thats two strikes enough for me his out thrid stike=someone dies dont want that)



Please skip the dendronephthya. Very few aquarists can keep them alive, and most are dead within 6 months.

- no worries here i have had lots of good luck with them :dance:



Both the diodogorgia and tubastrea will need to be fed a few times a week, but you probably already know that.

-yup, but good to mention for anyone else reading through this. :thm:

Just some opinions.

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awsome bro thanks for the input.

maxilaria said:

I'd give the elgance a lot of thought to. Most of the recently imported ones tend to be from deep water or have some sort of infection. They tend not to do real well these days. If you can find one that was captive raised go for it but, other wise run don't walk to the nearest exit.

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i have looked into this and am aware of these recent specemins stress induced autoimmune/infection (no one knows for sure exact cause) problems. i do know what to look for in identifying the sysmptoms of this new plauge and avoid the sickly ones. thanks for the heads up. and everyone reading this should look into these recent problems with this species before buying. i agree with maxilaria walk away if you dont know the issues with them and how to avoid potental problems. good advice maxilaria

mogurnda said:

What's your secret? I'd love to get one, but have talked to way too many people who have eventually killed theirs.

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if you really want to know it takes a big comment to see outside the box.(actually inside the box most see outside it) they dont do well in the natural system i found out the hard way. natural system=live rock,dsb 4-6+inches, refugium with macro algae, heavy use of skimmer. in the eco/mud system dont use a skimmer it takes out the plankton and other food sources produced by the mud and macroalgae in the refugium, aswell as the trace minerals and other elements. no dsb as it creates a nutrient sump. dont need all those creatures in the sand. only have 1/2" sandbed and clean it well once a month.(dont want it to be alive because the mud is the filtration not the sandbed).i beleive this is a modified Jaubert method. some people try to mix methods and they become counter productive. like if i put a dsb say 4" i would have two filters fighting eachother or becoming to effecient. i am going to attach a break down of some different systems. i think each one has its use. picking the right type of filtration for what you want is more than just reef or fish only. for the carnation and gorgonian type corals this is the perfect system gives a continuous food supply. if you want more info i can give you some good sites just let me know. the other thing is they dont like light. so when i introduce them i change the lighting to nothing for a day or so then increase lighting 1 hour a day with low intensity lights for 10 days on day 10 run for full 10 hours then add 1 hour of more intense light a day for 4 days then go max lighting for 2 hours a day for 2 days increase 1 hour each day there after till normal lighting or some way of slowly acclamating them to the light. sounds like a lot of work but if you think about it its changing a setting on a timer or switching a switch, not so much work for the out come. the real key is the filtration and the continuous food supply it provides. other methods useing a skimmer will not be able to support them as they basically out compete them for food.

mogurnda said:

If I understand correctly, you're saying that an unskimmed mud system will do the trick?

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-yup and the acclamation to light is just as important. the only mud i have been able to keep them with is the miracle mud unskimmed. the drawl back is you can not get fish that like dsb and need to rethink the cleaners aswell. less sand sifters and stuff and avoid listening to everone telling you to get a deeper sandbed. although it seems like the natural method at first glance it is more like the Jaubert method, different bio/chemical proccess but same mechanisms envolved. from personal experiance(if setup right) this system maintains iodine stromium ect.. at right levels. do need to add ca+ to get it at 420ish but ca+ remains at 360-380 without adding any. the food produced is more than just plankton and is allways available for they corals. here is a couple link from Aquarium fish magazine. they are kind old form 2000-2002. ther are many more recent out there now.http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/natural_april2001.html
http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/erevisited_2years.html
check it out and tell my what you think.

one more thing about the carnation is placement concerning the current. place them in the shade and very light flow around kinda like a suspend water colum. can create one buy placing them behind and under rockwork blocking a good current but not totally stopping it(almost though). every now and then change the current a little to hit them more direct. they will grow nicely and handle more current once established. at least this is how is has worked for me in the past. had 2 at different times had one one for about 1 year and the other about 2 years had to give them away because of moving. c: but no more of that this tank is never going down because of that.

ok know you have to answer a question for me do you know how noxous the secreation of the leathers/softies are to my LPS corals. i know about the sps.