Corals placement

[canadianeh]

I always have this thinking on the back of my head. How do one person place their all kinds of corals on their rocks and make sure they don't kill each other? In mature tanks, many of them have their rocks all covered with all kinds of rocks and they are very close to each other or touching each other.

What rules that I need to use before I affix LPS, SPS, and all of other corals onto my rocks? I only have a 40 gallons tank so space is precious and I want my rocks fully covered with all type of corals.

 

[Tahoe61]

Some problematic LPS are Acanthastrea echinata (not to be confused with Micromussa), Galaxea, and Euphyllia which can send out long sweeper tentacles. Gives these coral a wide berth, I try for 5 inches. Problematic SPS, Hydnophora, Pocillopora always won the war against Acropora in my tank, and some Montipora types send out mesenterial filaments. Basically knowing the trouble makers helps with planning placement.

In established tanks there are always real estate wars, some more severe than others. Sometimes the hobbyist just has to step in move corals or remove certain corals that are on the offensive against a hobbyist prized coral.

I try to give acropora 3-5 inchs surrounding space for growth.

Fixing corals becomes more complicated when you consider light and flow recommendations. Literally you can drive yourself mad trying to meet the needs of each coral while keeping other corals from encroaching.

Most of my tanks have all been in the 30-45 gallon range, so you choose wisely the corals you want to keep long term. It's difficult to limit introductions so sometimes you add one coral and remove and rehome another.

 

[canadianeh]

Maybe focus more on corals that grow upward instead of horizontal? So branching SPS, LPS such as frogspwan, hammer, torch will be ideal then?

How about mushrooms, acan, montipora, reeftech starbust as they are on my wants list too?

 

[Tahoe61]

In a 40 gallon tank it might be beneficial to pick a theme, lps vs sps dominate, key word being dominate. A mixed reef is the most common tank type but may lean towards a specific coral type. It's easier to keep an lps dominate tank with regard to finances, equipment....
I find it really hard to limit myself to one coral type, but I try to plan a tank to be sps dominate with a smattering of a few lps, and zoanthids. The way my tank runs is geared to sps. A tank that is lps and soft coral dominate is more forgiving.

Corallimophs/mushrooms can become invasive, they take up valuable real estate so I do not add them. The same can be said with certain paly types and some zoanthids.

Acans Lords are now called Micromussa, they are hardy, offer a lot of color, but not a lot of movement. Adding some Euphyllias such as hammer, torch or frogspawn will provide movement.

Pick a tank type and plan, you can always change it up later down the road when your coral preferences change (and they will change). Limiting corals and fish is the inherent problem with keeping smaller tanks so try to pick a direction and not just randomly buy corals on impulse (easier posted than done). I just spent days deciding on acropora that fit the plan of my tank, the goal.

In a larger tank, as you have seen it's a lot easier to mix coral types.

 

[JCTReefer]

After the rest of my fishes finish there quarantine period it will be time for corals. I have researched all proposed corals for the last several months. I've kept a few softies and Lps since the early 2000's in different systems. 60 gallon then 100 gallon, then a 240 gallon then back down to a 140.. I've been out of the hobby since 2011 and I'm just now getting back into it. Had to call it quits because of well, children.. I decided to downsize and got "permission" to do a small tank. I was all in. Easier maintenance, less money, more options equipment wise, etc... I'm not sure on the less money part.. Been working on this set up for over a year. Slow build for me. I'm mainly doing a Lps dominated tank, but decided to mix in a few softies. Anyone foresee any issues with the proposed coral placement? I've tried to group compatible species close to one another. And also take into account for shadowing. I've also mapped out Par levels throughout the tank with an Apogee MQ-510.. I've tried to account for aggression and growth patterns by species... I tried to select colors that contrast each other by using triads also. I labeled the proposed placements by color and name. Nothing scientific though. Any thoughts? Any problems y'all think I might have when things start growing out? The colors of the lettering represent the colors of corals.

 

[JCTReefer]

After the rest of my fishes finish there quarantine period it will be time for corals. I have researched all proposed corals for the last several months. I've kept a few softies and Lps since the early 2000's in different systems. 60 gallon then 100 gallon, then a 240 gallon then back down to a 140.. I've been out of the hobby since 2011 and I'm just now getting back into it. Had to call it quits because of well, children.. I decided to downsize and got "permission" to do a small tank. I was all in. Easier maintenance, less money, more options equipment wise, etc... I'm not sure on the less money part.. Been working on this set up for over a year. Slow build for me. I'm mainly doing a Lps dominated tank, but decided to mix in a few softies. Anyone foresee any issues with the proposed coral placement? I've tried to group compatible species close to one another. And also take into account for shadowing. I've also mapped out Par levels throughout the tank with an Apogee MQ-510.. I've tried to account for aggression and growth patterns by species... I tried to select colors that contrast each other by using triads also. I labeled the proposed placements by color and name. Nothing scientific though. Any thoughts? Any problems y'all think I might have when things start growing out? The colors of the lettering represent the colors of corals.

Funny thing. The tank turned out nothing like the proposed pic I posted above. Rock, coral, everything. Completely different. And about to be tore down. Lol. Time to move on.
Never got a response either. 3 years later.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Maybe focus more on corals that grow upward instead of horizontal? So branching SPS, LPS such as frogspwan, hammer, torch will be ideal then?

How about mushrooms, acan, montipora, reeftech starbust as they are on my wants list too?

One of my acans zapped a lovely duncan frag that I had placed what I thought was a safe distance from it. Wrong! It's too easy to forget about their sweeper tentacles if you just look at them under daylight.

I'd try to underpopulate your tank with frags. It may look bare in the beginning, but LPS and other softies tend to grow very quickly under the right conditions, and you'll just end up with a problem.