Beat starter coral for BioCube on stock LEDs

[Shaggymv]

I think I finally talked the wife out of Xenia…
but she wants something “fun” and “bright”

currently have GSP (on an island) a Green Duncan and some neon Orange Zoas (that probably have a weird name I don’t know)

looking for ideas that are more tolerant of water conditions and that aren’t green.

thanks
-shaggy

 

[lapin]

mushrooms

 

[R. Reef]

Just get the Xenia. Went thru same thing with my wife and finally caved in. She loves it.

other ideas would be ricordias and Yuma’s. lots of different color options and very easy to care for.

 

[SchrutesReefs]

Blastos or candy canes. Limited on colors, but they are bright. I am a fan of Acans as well, lots of colors and they’re awesome when they’re “fat”

 

[MaxTremors]

Mushrooms, rock flower anemones, maxi mini anemones, Kenya tree or Sinularia, toadstool or devil’s hand, one of the easier chalices like a Hollywood stunner, acans, blastomussa, favites or favia, some photosynthetic gorgonians, clove polyps, there are tons of ‘easier’ corals in a lot of different colors. Also, I wouldn’t write off Xenia, so long as you place it strategically and keep it pruned, it won’t take over your tank (and it certainly won’t do it over night).

 

[Jedi1199]

Maybe compromise with the wife? Check out Rainbow Clove Polyps...

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.YWbwyEAO5RWJkC0jfe9RqQHaFj?pid=ImgDet&rs=1

I just got a frag of this last weekend for $40.. Has about 10 heads on it. Likes low flow and low-medium light in my tank. Looks to be stretching a bit for more light in my tank today (Not sure where I can put it with brighter light and still low flow)

It has a beautiful neon luminescence on the orange and green parts, but has the elongated stems and frilly edges that I bet your wife would like.

 

[terraincognita]

I think I finally talked the wife out of Xenia…
but she wants something “fun” and “bright”

currently have GSP (on an island) a Green Duncan and some neon Orange Zoas (that probably have a weird name I don’t know)

looking for ideas that are more tolerant of water conditions and that aren’t green.

thanks
-shaggy

If you can keep Zoa's and Duncans

You can probably keep any of these too:


Maxi Mini Nem

Rock Flower Nems

Acan Lords or Micros

Blastos

Shrooms

There's about 30 others.....

But I'm getting tired of copy pasting photos and thinking.

Really just stay away from sticks.

almost any LPS will be okay if you're getting serious about coral.

Here's some names, you can google yourself

Goniastrea Coral
Leptastrea Coral
Chalice Coral
Plate Corals
Hammer Coral
Torch Coral
Frogspawn Coral
Echinata
Trachy
Cyphastrea (easy SPS)
Leptoseris

 

[Cell]

Fireworks clove polyps might be a nice compromise over xenia.

 

[Jedi1199]

Here is my own frag of the Rainbow Clove Polyps... They really have a pop of color that xenia lacks, while having the gentle sway and movement that attracts most people (Myself included) to xenia.

What a clown!! Had to photobomb!! haha

 

[terraincognita]

Cloves are fun.

But they can and will spread if they want too.

My colony started by my torch and zoa's.

It made a beeline weird growth wave from there to the top of the rockwork on the left side.

Then the entire part of the colony down below died off, and it just stayed there.

It was kind of cool to watch, I had like a z path of Clove polyps branching up for about 2 months.

They definitely grow quick for sure.

 

[Jedi1199]

@terraincognita ,

Would you say then, based on what you have experienced, they prefer brighter light?

 

[terraincognita]

@terraincognita ,

Would you say then, based on what you have experienced, they prefer brighter light?

I think it depends on the frag from the colony you get.

IF you get a frag that's adjusted to 200 Par probably.

I think they're pretty hardy though, you could probably keep em around 100-par. I'm sure people have kept them in less.

But mine climbed where they wanted to. So I guess mine did?

If that makes sense.

 

[OcellarisClown]

I also started the hobby with a 32g Biocube and still keep it running to this day.

For the stock LED hood, from my experience, it’ll only support some soft corals like leather, clove polyps, zoanthids, and low light needing anemones.
LPS like frogspawn, torches, duncans, scolymia and etc don’t do very well with the lack in spectrum of the stock light.

I believe a lot of fellow reefers have already listed corals that you’ll be able to keep in the tank, but if you really want them to thrive and survive I’d really motivate you to swap out the Biocube stock LED hood with better lighting such as Kessil360WE, Kessil360x, Hydra 32HD, Radion G4 or G5 if it’s financial possible. Plus the stock LED hood really prevents gas exchange and promotes salt build up which isn’t the best for the corals or fish.

I went and attached a photo of my 32g Biocube tank that’s stocked with soft corals, LPS, SPS, and a maxima clam which is entirely supported by a single Hydra32HD!

 

[terraincognita]

I also started the hobby with a 32g Biocube and still keep it running to this day.

For the stock LED hood, from my experience, it’ll only support some soft corals like leather, clove polyps, zoanthids, and low light needing anemones.
LPS like frogspawn, torches, duncans, scolymia and etc don’t do very well with the lack in spectrum of the stock light.

I believe a lot of fellow reefers have already listed corals that you’ll be able to keep in the tank, but if you really want them to thrive and survive I’d really motivate you to swap out the Biocube stock LED hood with better lighting such as Kessil360WE, Kessil360x, Hydra 32HD, Radion G4 or G5 if it’s financial possible. Plus the stock LED hood really prevents gas exchange and promotes salt build up which isn’t the best for the corals or fish.

I went and attached a photo of my 32g Biocube tank that’s stocked with soft corals, LPS, SPS, and a maxima clam which is entirely supported by a single Hydra32HD!

Are they really that bad ?

I kept tons of LPS under the Fluval 13.5 with no issues. I imagined their 32 Cube would be better lighting.


Oops my mistake. Idk why I thought Fluval made the biocube.

 

[Jedi1199]

I think it depends on the frag from the colony you get.

IF you get a frag that's adjusted to 200 Par probably.

I think they're pretty hardy though, you could probably keep em around 100-par. I'm sure people have kept them in less.

But mine climbed where they wanted to. So I guess mine did?

If that makes sense.

Yes I understand. I think I will keep mine where it is since it is one of the lowest flow areas in my tank, and see what it does. Just seems to be reaching a bit today (I got it on Saturday)

 

[terraincognita]

Yes I understand. I think I will keep mine where it is since it is one of the lowest flow areas in my tank, and see what it does. Just seems to be reaching a bit today (I got it on Saturday)

Yeah they're super hardy.

IME unless they're closed up like little fists they're happy

 

[OcellarisClown]

Are they really that bad ?

I kept tons of LPS under the Fluval 13.5 with no issues. I imagined their 32 Cube would be better lighting.


Oops my mistake. Idk why I thought Fluval made the biocube.

I believe two companies made the Biocube with CoralLife being the more popular company of choice.
Yeah even though the PAR levels that they emit are true at the depths of 6” and 12” as marketed, the LED of the hood is placed quite literally above the water surface since the LED diodes are weak and don’t penetrate deeply whereas powerful LEDs or T5s are typically 12-14”+ above the water surface.
Just like Kessil, the Biocube stock LED only has blue and white LEDs and really lacks the spectrum and UV penetration that some corals really need to grow and thrive.
Before I knew what I was doing in the hobby I bought tons of corals with the Biocube hood and even with stable parameters and flow they eventually browned out, lost coloration or bleached.

 

[OcellarisClown]

Yes I understand. I think I will keep mine where it is since it is one of the lowest flow areas in my tank, and see what it does. Just seems to be reaching a bit today (I got it on Saturday)

Clove polyps, in my experience, appreciate steady low to moderate in-direct flow within PAR of 80-150. Just like most soft corals like toadstools or leathers, clove polyps can adjust to higher PAR levels, but they tend to do better under lower levels below 200 with occasional broadcast feeding.

 

[ZoWhat]

A good baseline that's bright and colorful is GSP. I'd start there

 

[Shaggymv]

I also started the hobby with a 32g Biocube and still keep it running to this day.

For the stock LED hood, from my experience, it’ll only support some soft corals like leather, clove polyps, zoanthids, and low light needing anemones.
LPS like frogspawn, torches, duncans, scolymia and etc don’t do very well with the lack in spectrum of the stock light.

I believe a lot of fellow reefers have already listed corals that you’ll be able to keep in the tank, but if you really want them to thrive and survive I’d really motivate you to swap out the Biocube stock LED hood with better lighting such as Kessil360WE, Kessil360x, Hydra 32HD, Radion G4 or G5 if it’s financial possible. Plus the stock LED hood really prevents gas exchange and promotes salt build up which isn’t the best for the corals or fish.

I went and attached a photo of my 32g Biocube tank that’s stocked with soft corals, LPS, SPS, and a maxima clam which is entirely supported by a single Hydra32HD!

Gotta disagree
This Duncan was tiny and had 3 heads a month ago.