Want a Hard Coral.

[JD'sReef]

So my 46 bow is real nice right now (other then the flat worms). My shrooms and BTA are thriving and I would like to put one nice hard coral in the tank to make it a real reef. I would like a green or red piece but dont' know that much about them. Any ideas on a coral that will grow in a dome like pattern rhaterh then stright up or out. Looking for a nice center piece and just one so that my Calcium stays within range.
Thanks guys.

 

[Len]

A closed brain coral (sometimes called maze corals) best fits your desire for a domed shape coral. They come in assortments of colors but usually green. The only problem with most closed brain corals are sweeper tentacles. The one saving grace is it's usually not a big problem with some softies. Go into any error page of reefs.org and you can see a pic of a BIG closed brain coral. Try www.reefs.org/brain/

 

[tangir1]

Wow, all those error pages musta take gaggle bytes of space on the server!

 

[psiico]

Don't forget open brains! Not dome shaped per se, but nice and no sweepers to deal with. When they open up they are somewhat dome shaped. I love my red open brain.

 

[JD'sReef]

Do any of you have any Birdsnest Coral, I just saw that and really like it?
What makes a hard coral so tough to keep?
Thaks

 

[tangir1]

Birdnest is good starter SPS coral, esp. if it is not a wild colony. Farmed frags generally do much better.

At any rate, most (not all) hard coral are more difficult to keep than most soft coral because they are more picky about water parameter. Most of them also have a more demanding light requirement than softies.

 

[Unarce]

Do any of you have any Birdsnest Coral, I just saw that and really like it?
What makes a hard coral so tough to keep?
Thaks

I agree with Tangir1 that the Birdnest is a great beginner coral (and not a bad looking on at that). Don't be too hesitant to delve into this area. SPS are a bit more light demanding, but all you really need to do is provide the right spectrum. I believe the real cause for the abundant success with SPS nowadays is the addition of a sand bed (not so much a DSB). All the extra life that a SB provides is essential at providing a food source for SPS corals.

Another lovely piece to start with would be the Green Slimer (A. Yongei).

 

[tangir1]

There are a few corals that are easier than A. yongei, such as most of the common Montipora, for example. I will say that A. yongei is medium difficult among the SPS.

 

[teevee]

Birdsnest do, however, require high levels of light.

 

[EmilyB]

Open brain, yah !

Then you can have red AND green

 

[Unarce]

There are a few corals that are easier than A. yongei, such as most of the common Montipora, for example. I will say that A. yongei is medium difficult among the SPS.

Really? I figure because it's a lagoon species and it's sliming ability makes it very resistant to disease. Montipora's are super easy, though.

 

[JD'sReef]

I think that I am going to get a birds nest but think that I should try to find a frag somewhere. I was informet that they are very fragile and normally break durring shipping.
It will be under a 175 MH so I am not worried about light levels, just a little hesitent about the big jump into the Hard Stuff.
Anyone of you live in the NH area and want to sell or get rid of some frags?
Thanks again guys

 

[tangir1]

Try the www.frags.org, a RDO "partner site." They let you search for reefers by locality.

Yeah, birdnest does brown up if light is not enough, but unlike Acropora, it usually colors up when the light level is increased.

 

[silasila]

A birds nest should do fine under a 175 mh. I kept a large colony for years in a 46 bow with just 2 96 watt pc's and it did great, even with these low light conditions.

 

[JD'sReef]

Thanks guys,
Frags.org is great and I think I will learn a lot once I start reading a little more.
Thanks for the help