Easy beginner soft coral

[Lbrod126]

EXACTLY! I know once I get this tank going I’ll want a bigger and better set up but for now I’m okay maybe a year or so who knows. Hopefully I can a good conditioned 28 gallon cube is what I’m looking for next....

Did you already cycle your tank?

 

[somethinq else]

The only difference between new and used is...after you pay 450 bux for a new cube and go home and open it...put a few gallons of water in it...its now used. Check r2r classifieds or craigslist. You'll find someone selling. The average span of someone doing salt water tank is either life......or five years. Its usually one or the other

 

[siner94]

Did you already cycle your tank?

Yes, it’s fully cycled

 

[siner94]

The only difference between new and used is...after you pay 450 bux for a new cube and go home and open it...put a few gallons of water in it...its now used. Check r2r classifieds or craigslist. You'll find someone selling. The average span of someone doing salt water tank is either life......or five years. Its usually one or the other

I’ve been checking everywhere but no luck! Time will come.

 

[somethinq else]

Just be patient. Red sea makes a nice set up too so keep that in mind as well. Where are you located ?

 

[mayanreefer71]

If you are looking for nice corals, that are easy to take care of and are not expensive.....do and follow these simple rules:
#1. Don't buy acros! (Leave that for 5-10 yrs down the road when you have more personal marine tank experience)
#2. Have a strict husbandry schedule (letting your tanks water quality go is a recipe for trouble) ALWAYS Keep your water quality as your #1 priority over EVERYTHING!
#3. Have 'GREAT' not good.....great filtration, lighting and flow! Alot of this can be done on budgets, so no need to go and break any bank!
4. Research, research, research.....GO SLOW and do LOTS of research on what you want out of your tank! Youtube has TONS of DIY videos on doing your own stuff, equipment wise that helps and have been proven that it works!

If you follow those simple little rules I just mentioned to you, you should have absolutely no problem keeping almost 90% of the corals out there in LFS or Online sites.
Just keep researching and learning everyday on the hobby.
Remember, you are dealing with live animals....every one is gonna react differently....so the least that you can do is keep the habitat clean and consistently stable! Stability is key, along with water quality!
If you do these things you shouldn't have an issue with what you buy. Just always research before you buy!
5. Buy almost whatever coral you want!
Good luck

 

[mayanreefer71]

Personally.....I would stay away from BOTH GSP and Xenias.
Go to fragfests, LFS and look at TONS of online sites.
Find fellow hobbyists in your area. Trade or even get FREE corals from fellow hobbyists. Go to as many trade shows as you can.....learn, learn and learn some more! I've gotten beautiful corals for $5! Others for $10-$40 You can find beautiful and cheap corals, just depends where you go!

 

[mayanreefer71]

WWC in Orlando also has Ebay auctions. I've gotten 2 of those for less than $12!

 

[sfin52]

I’ve been checking everywhere but no luck! Time will come.

Just make sure it holds water.

 

[sfin52]

Like mentioned above go with what you love. I love sorties so that's were I'm at. Watch LFS they can try to push products and live stock so they can make more money. You'll do great. Read read and read ask and keep asking and you will be able to help others down the road .

 

[siner94]

Do any of you guys know this coral I got it really cheap.

the green one

 

[PDR]

Hard to tell on my phone but looks like a green rhodactis.

 

[somethinq else]

Hard to tell but looks like a green rhodactis.

Looks like a regular rhodactus mushroom. Keep it. Maybe it will bubble at some point and you'll have something. All bubbles start off as rhodactus.

 

[siner94]

Looks like a regular rhodactus mushroom. Keep it. Maybe it will bubble at some point and you'll have something. All bubbles start off as rhodactus.

It looks really cool I just don’t know the care for it. Hopefully it lives

 

[somethinq else]

Leave it towards the bottom of the tank. Not in the shade but not close to the light. You have a small nano, so swap about a gallon of water out every week...or two to keep nutrients up. You shouldn't have to dose anything at all it will feed off the light. Keep light on it about 8 to 9 hours a day. And just dont mess with it too much. Mushrooms are very hardy. There's rumors that you can stick a mushroom in a blender then dump the ingredi6in your water and you'll have mass mushrooms. Not true by the way. But if you let it acclimate to your system in a bout a week or two...you can take an exacto knife, clean the oils off with alcohol, and cut it right split down the middle and put both sides back into the same water, presto in a few weeks you'll have two matching mushrooms. (Typically)

 

[PDR]

It looks really cool I just don’t know the care for it. Hopefully it lives

I know it is exciting being new and very tempting to buy coral in the moment, but you really should refrain from impulse purchases. You want to make sure your tank is the proper environment before purchasing a coral, not after. That being said, we are all guilty of it so don’t feel too bad. Also rhodactis are pretty much impossible to kill.

 

[somethinq else]

Siner94, some quick advice and I learned the hard way...before messing with your corals clean your hands with alcohol to get anything that can contaminate your water or corals off your hands and then clean them again after you get done messing with them. Some corals, and especially chalices and zoanthids give off a slime when they are stressed out even the least bit. If you was to touch your eyes with out cleaning your hands....even 30 minutes later after your hands have dried, you could give your eyes coral poisoning and it will feel like someone rubbed glass shards in your eyes for about 3 days. I learned the hard way....even tho I was warned about it as well. Nothing like learning something on your own.

 

[siner94]

Siner94, some quick advice and I learned the hard way...before messing with your corals clean your hands with alcohol to get anything that can contaminate your water or corals off your hands and then clean them again after you get done messing with them. Some corals, and especially chalices and zoanthids give off a slime when they are stressed out even the least bit. If you was to touch your eyes with out cleaning your hands....even 30 minutes later after your hands have dried, you could give your eyes coral poisoning and it will feel like someone rubbed glass shards in your eyes for about 3 days. I learned the hard way....even tho I was warned about it as well. Nothing like learning something on your own.

That’s good to know .. I’ve heard of it but I didn’t really pay attention to it . Thanks

 

[siner94]

I know it is exciting being new and very tempting to buy coral in the moment, but you really should refrain from impulse purchases. You want to make sure your tank is the proper environment before purchasing a coral, not after. That being said, we are all guilty of it so don’t feel too bad. Also rhodactis are pretty much impossible to kill.

I know. I told myself to not impulse buy anymore I’m just going to enjoy my tank now and hold off on buying anything. Thanks

 

[Katrina71]

@PDR

I know it is exciting being new and very tempting to buy coral in the moment, but you really should refrain from impulse purchases. You want to make sure your tank is the proper environment before purchasing a coral, not after. That being said, we are all guilty of it so don’t feel too bad. Also rhodactis are pretty much impossible to kill.

I happen to love them. My first mushroom was a rhodactis too. Booger. Green just like yours. After 2 years, it has not reproduced. BTW, they move like an anemone.