Coral Placement Suggestions

PhishFriends · Nov 14, 2022

I'm newer to reefing (and posting here), and now that my tank is 10 months old and has been relaitvely stable for 6 of those months I was thinking of adding a few more frags. Also not sure how full I should cover my rock, without over crowding. Any suggestions to what may look good in my (probably rock heavy) redsea 200xl cube. Two sides shown are very visible. Power heads have funny nem cover my friend printed. Xr-15 light.
Id like to try and keep a mixed reef.

AndrewJG · Nov 14, 2022

Hey the tanks looking nice, its also so clean, not much algae :) .

Maybe go for some easy SPS at high level, like Bali Slimmer, Carli Tort or similar, maybe PC Rainbow which I like when it gets the purple tips?

Have you got a Monti near the top? If so maybe lower it a bit otherwise it may shadow everything down below when it takes off.

I have found it quite hard having a mixed reef, have ended up moving my LPS to one side of the tank in shadow so that I can crank up the lighting for the SPS.

PhishFriends · Nov 14, 2022

I really like the look of the PC Rainbow. Think acro's would be happier on my shelves in front of the power heads or right on top with less flow?
I was thinking of moving that monti, it's acting like it's going to umbrella that entire rock stack! When theyre growing all around like that will it encrust a rock when a growing edge hits it, or am I better off breaking an edge and abutting it up to where I want it to encrust to the rock?

fishface NJ · Nov 14, 2022

I agree with @AndrewJG. Other easy SPS are any birds nest, Monti,, Stylos, Garf Bonsai

Zoas keep them isolated on their own island rock

Ricordeas, Leptoseris

Don't add more then 3 corals per 4 weeks. Keep an eye on your levels: ex alk, cal, nitrates and phosphates

Did you start with dry rock?

PhishFriends · Nov 14, 2022

And as for the clean tank, I have no idea why, but I haven't had an algae outbreak yet.. I monitor my parameters and usually am trying to keep my nitrates up above zero rather than the other way around.. I had a small cyano outbreak that lasted a day when my girlfriend way over fed my tank. But that's it.
You can see here my blenny asking me to let my tank go.. even though it's already a fat boy.