First tank- Help with coral selection and placement

[NicholasP]

Hello everyone. My tank is finally cycled, with my two clowns looking healthy and active.

It's a 250l tank with an extra 46 liter sump.

2 luminie pixie 150 led lights, and a red sea 300 skimmer.

My tank parameters are really stable and decided to give a go at soft corals.



My choices are: 2 zoas (a blue green one and an orange oxide)

Green Star polyps

Frogspawn

Mushrooms (Ricordea and dicosomas)

Pulsing xenia

Yellow polyps (parazoas)

And later a tubipora, and leave space for some sps in a few years.



I have two wavemakers opposite to each other, and a bit off-set from each other alternating at 86% sine wave flow, so that I have a random circular flow.



What are your thoughts?

 

[SaltyTwigs]

My only concern would be introducing something that has the potential to spread and take over your tank. Such as the pulsing Xenia and GSP. That being said while I have never tried pulsing xenia for that reason, I have tried GSP and Zoas in the past had never had luck with them becoming established. My systems are 99% SPS so probably a combination of lighting and nutrient issues not being ideal for them. I however have had great results with my euphyllia. Have a euphyllia colony that started as a single head that is now the size of a basketball. One of my clown fish host it and love the movement that it produces in the tank in contrast to the SPS.

 

[NicholasP]

So, gsp and xenia might come off the list? I like Pulsing xenia for the movement it adds, but if it spreads so fast that it can't be controlled maybe I'll opt out of it. The last thing I want is coral chemical warfare in my tank, haha. In regards to the placement as shown in my photo what do you think, in terms of flow and lighting?

 

[BryanM]

So, gsp and xenia might come off the list? I like Pulsing xenia for the movement it adds, but if it spreads so fast that it can't be controlled maybe I'll opt out of it. The last thing I want is coral chemical warfare in my tank, haha. In regards to the placement as shown in my photo what do you think, in terms of flow and lighting?

I have also not done xenia due to the possible uncontrollable aspect of it.

 

[Lavey29]

So, gsp and xenia might come off the list? I like Pulsing xenia for the movement it adds, but if it spreads so fast that it can't be controlled maybe I'll opt out of it. The last thing I want is coral chemical warfare in my tank, haha. In regards to the placement as shown in my photo what do you think, in terms of flow and lighting?

You can do xenia and GSP just need to isolate them from the main rock structure.

I have a suggestion. Leave your lights off the first 3 months and let your tank develop biodiversity and microfauna then when you turn lights on and add corals your ugly stages will be much more manageable. Even better, buy couple pieces of real live wet ocean rock and Jumpstart your biome.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Hi. Alot of possible fast growing type corals that could eat real estate. If u do go w Xenia, look into cespitularia, great color and movement but keep it to its own bommie off the main structure.

 

[ReefWithMe]

I would put the gap on the back glass of your tank so it won’t grow all over your rocks.
It’s a great back drop when it grows out like is has for my tank!
The Xenia I would recommend putting that on its own island because they are known for growing fast.
Other than that your configuration of the corals are good don’t over think all you can do is place ot where you want and let the corals tell you if the like that spot or not

 

[jabberwock]

I think you need more rocks. I would also recommend real ocean live rock if you have any sellers near you. Not sure if that is a thing in France.

 

[Pistondog]

So, gsp and xenia might come off the list? I like Pulsing xenia for the movement it adds, but if it spreads so fast that it can't be controlled maybe I'll opt out of it. The last thing I want is coral chemical warfare in my tank, haha. In regards to the placement as shown in my photo what do you think, in terms of flow and lighting?

Pulsing xenia is easy to remove, and adds a lot of interest, motion wise.
I had it growing on the coralline of the back wall a while back. Removed to make room for other stuff.

 

[NicholasP]

Thank you all for your input! My tanks has just gotten over the fuĺl of algae stage, and I am also adding chaeto to my diy sump refugium in two days. It consists of an egg crate before the return pump with a blurple 25w led grow light suspended over it, hooked to a timer for 8 hours operation.
As far as live rock is concerned we have many vendors here in France, but I'm scared of hitchhikers. I bought only one live rock (the middle one) and within 2 weeks there are spot of coraline on all my rocks. How ever, I dipped the rock in RODI for an hour and managed to get 2 huge bristleworms out, but I saw at night 5 more plus some white/ash slug looking things that have antennae roaming around, that I think are stomatellas.

How much more live rock do you think I should get?

Edit:

My rock formation isn't glued, and I'm thinking of doing so if I add more weight. Is cyanoacrylate glue reef safe?

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you all for your input! My tanks has just gotten over the fuĺl of algae stage, and I am also adding chaeto to my diy sump refugium in two days. It consists of an egg crate before the return pump with a blurple 25w led grow light suspended over it, hooked to a timer for 8 hours operation.
As far as live rock is concerned we have many vendors here in France, but I'm scared of hitchhikers. I bought only one live rock (the middle one) and within 2 weeks there are spot of coraline on all my rocks. How ever, I dipped the rock in RODI for an hour and managed to get 2 huge bristleworms out, but I saw at night 5 more plus some white/ash slug looking things that have antennae roaming around, that I think are stomatellas.

How much more live rock do you think I should get?

Edit:

My rock formation isn't glued, and I'm thinking of doing so if I add more weight. Is cyanoacrylate glue reef safe?

Bristleworms are good cleaners for the tank. Not sure putting live rock in RODI was good though as you kill off beneficial stuff along with the bad. You know you will experience a variety of ugly phases throughout the first year right?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would add the blue disco's to the 'weed' list.

Your tank looks really good, but if your rocks are not glued, then it seems a dangerous to me. Arches that are not glued will tumble. Use reef cement for large rocks like that.

I agree you should not have dipped the live rock in rodi for an hour, if you kill everything on it then why pay for live rock?

 

[NicholasP]

Bristleworms are good cleaners for the tank. Not sure putting live rock in RODI was good though as you kill off beneficial stuff along with the bad. You know you will experience a variety of ugly phases throughout the first year right?

I'm well aware of that! Reef tanks were my dream since I was really young, but I was never financially able to get into the hobby. So all my time was spent daydreaming and reading everything about it. I've been lurking in this forum for years, as well as other forums based in my country (Greece, not france). My original idea was a mediterranean reef, but I would need a chiller that would seriously drive up the cost. And I also fell in love w corals when I saw a tank up close.
I'm okay with the ugly stages, I don't care much for it as long as my livestock is healthy. A little algae or foggy water for a few days or weeks won't bother me.
Bristleworms are a great part of cuc, but I think i should have too many of them, right?

 

[NicholasP]

Does reef cement cure underwater? What other options do I have? What I have available here are aquaforest reefscaper, af coralscaper, some microbe lift glues etc

 

[Lavey29]

I'm well aware of that! Reef tanks were my dream since I was really young, but I was never financially able to get into the hobby. So all my time was spent daydreaming and reading everything about it. I've been lurking in this forum for years, as well as other forums based in my country (Greece, not france). My original idea was a mediterranean reef, but I would need a chiller that would seriously drive up the cost. And I also fell in love w corals when I saw a tank up close.
I'm okay with the ugly stages, I don't care much for it as long as my livestock is healthy. A little algae or foggy water for a few days or weeks won't bother me.
Bristleworms are a great part of cuc, but I think i should have too many of them, right?

I've got family from Sicily so not to far away from you. To me, bristleworms self regulate based on available sources of food. When I thought I had to many, I added a coral banded shrimp who eats the small ones. Now my population is well controlled.

 

[NicholasP]

I've got family from Sicily so not to far away from you. To me, bristleworms self regulate based on available sources of food. When I thought I had to many, I added a coral banded shrimp who eats the small ones. Now my population is well controlled.

Sickly is beautiful. It's actually really close to where I'm from (Corfu). So no need to worry about the worms as long as I don't overfeed? I will get some kind of shrimp later down the road

 

[Lavey29]

Sickly is beautiful. It's actually really close to where I'm from (Corfu). So no need to worry about the worms as long as I don't overfeed? I will get some kind of shrimp later down the road

I mean if the big ones bother you then get them out but the little ones are great for detritus on your sand. If you look at your tank at night with a flashlight and see 100s everywhere at some point down the line just get a banded shrimp to munch them for you or use a common bristleworms trap.

 

[mrpontiac80]

I also vote for GSP on the rear glass. Place it low and let it grow upwards.

Pulsing Xenia is nice to look at but I had a little tank as a secondary and thought why not add it…. I now understand why everyone loathes the thought of it in their tank. It generated new colonies everywhere. Not only on the island it was mounted too but everywhere.

 

[2FUSouls]

I love my green star polyp. I would recommend placing it on its own little island or as others have said, gluing it to the back of your glass, which makes a really cool effect. Same with the xenia, although they do have they send out babies, that's just something that if you are okay.Maintaining they're beautiful to have.

 

[jabberwock]

Thank you all for your input! My tanks has just gotten over the fuĺl of algae stage, and I am also adding chaeto to my diy sump refugium in two days. It consists of an egg crate before the return pump with a blurple 25w led grow light suspended over it, hooked to a timer for 8 hours operation.
As far as live rock is concerned we have many vendors here in France, but I'm scared of hitchhikers. I bought only one live rock (the middle one) and within 2 weeks there are spot of coraline on all my rocks. How ever, I dipped the rock in RODI for an hour and managed to get 2 huge bristleworms out, but I saw at night 5 more plus some white/ash slug looking things that have antennae roaming around, that I think are stomatellas.

How much more live rock do you think I should get?

Edit:

My rock formation isn't glued, and I'm thinking of doing so if I add more weight. Is cyanoacrylate glue reef safe?

I would add 10 pounds or more of real ocean live rock. Hitchhikers come in 2 flavors, bad and good. check my tank thread to see how my live rock journey turned out. I would leave my rocks unglued because sometimes it is helpful to be able to pull out a rock where you know a bad hitchhiker is living. It adds SOOOOO much biodiversity, both macro and micro. I have done dry rock and struggled. I would never start another tank without using "Real Ocean Live Rock".