Happy Softie Parameters

[poseidonreefs_]

Been looking thick and thin through this forum and have not found someone to give me a good range of parameters to shoot for. People say what works best for you this and that. Ive heard from alot of people optimum softie growth is reached which high ph and high alk. Someone with a lot of experience growing softies and propagating could help me out and tell me which parameters they have found the most success with as to what parameters do they grow the fastest in?

Alk
Calc
PH
Phos
Ni
ETC...

 

[firechild]

As long as the water is wet, weeds will grow.

 

[Reef Psychology]

They don’t need exact conditions to thrive, just stability and reasonable numbers. Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5-20, phosphate 0.03-0.08, calcium >350, Alk 7-12, pH 8.1-8.4… I guarantee there are people that have tanks outside these parameters and do just fine. Run carbon for the warfare and do water changes regularly. Most softies aren’t picky, but there are a few that can be fickle. Others will take over everything. After 2-3 months with fish and a CUC buy something like a cheap mushroom or Kenya Tree and see how it does. Light doesn’t need to be super high either, but it should have enough spread to have PAR of 50 at the bottom end to end. I have a 10yr old Kessil A150 and it keeps an anemone happy in a 14G tank. So you don’t need anything special.

If there’s a specific coral you want help with there’s probably someone here that can give you advice on keeping it.

 

[poseidonreefs_]

They don’t need exact conditions to thrive, just stability and reasonable numbers. Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5-20, phosphate 0.03-0.08, calcium >350, Alk 7-12, pH 8.1-8.4… I guarantee there are people that have tanks outside these parameters and do just fine. Run carbon for the warfare and do water changes regularly. Most softies aren’t picky, but there are a few that can be fickle. Others will take over everything. After 2-3 months with fish and a CUC buy something like a cheap mushroom or Kenya Tree and see how it does. Light doesn’t need to be super high either, but it should have enough spread to have PAR of 50 at the bottom end to end. I have a 10yr old Kessil A150 and it keeps an anemone happy in a 14G tank. So you don’t need anything special.

If there’s a specific coral you want help with there’s probably someone here that can give you advice on keeping it.

I have a frag tank right now, just looking to take my growth to the next level. Looking for explosive growth. I do weekly 10% water changes.

 

[Reef Psychology]

I have a frag tank right now, just looking to take my growth to the next level. Looking for explosive growth. I do weekly 10% water changes.

I’m more into SPS and LPS, but I’m guessing you’ll want higher nutrients, which means more feeding, aminos, and vitamins, which means you’ll need excellent export. So, carbon doseing might be a good option. I run All-For-Reef and NitraPhose Minus and feed three times a day. My gorgonians, zoas and mushrooms grow pretty quick. But, my toadstool has done nothing in a year. There’s always one.