Just placed first order with Tidal Gardens for new reef tank. Help with placement

[Jcon82]

Hi All,

I have a 3 month old reef tank running the following:


40 Breeder
Tidal 55 HOB
2 AI Prime 16HD
2 Jebao sw-4 wavemakers
Tunze ATO
Eheim Jager tru temp 150 watt heater
40 pounds 50/50 mix of marco and caribsea life rock
30 pounds fiji pink live sand
Instant ocean salt mixed to 35ppt

The tank currently hs two clowns, 1 firefish and 10 snails. Calcium was at 450 last week and alk was around 9. I just got a magnesium test kit so havent tested yet. Nitrite and nitrate are not detectible. I was debating doing a 20% water change before the corals arrive just to have a baseline but my LFS RO setup wont be back up until Tuesday. Also the pic I'm adding is using Hipargero lights as my Primes just arrived and havent been set up.

I currently have a branching duncan, branching hammer, favia (I think?) and some generic zoa. I went a bit overboard on the sale and ordered the following 14 corals.

Lava Flow Leptoseris
Golden Leptoseris
Avatar Chalice
Raja Rampage Chalice
Cloudberries Chalice
Joker Favia
Fascination Favia
Bird of Paradise
Lava Flow Leptoseris
Golden Leptoseris
Mystic Sunset Montipora
Orange Plating Montipora
Green Plating Montipora
Bali Green Slimmer Acropora

Not sure what happened. I think I just got caught up in the madness!

I've attached a pic of my tank. Sorry I dont have the filters for my camera yet so I messed with it in Lightroom to make it less blue.

I'll be moving the zoa to a rock in the sand so the 4 "legs" of my scape are hopefully going to be open. The duncan seems pretty happy where it is so I'll probably glue it down there. I like the hammer in that shaded cove and hope to get a frog spawn to put near it. Not too close!

I think I want to put the plating montis up high to the far right in hopes that they will grow over that open space. That acro will probably be happy up high to the left since the most flow is there. Everything else I'm undecided on and looking for advice.

 

[blaxsun]

We've all been there/done that, so don't sweat it. SPS I'm inclined to locate higher. Have you taken any PAR readings in your tank?

 

[exnisstech]

With that many frags coming you may want to consider a magnetic frag rack or 2 to put stuff on so you can watch everything for a while. Also they will allow you to move the frags up or down as needed.

 

[Jcon82]

We've all been there/done that, so don't sweat it. SPS I'm inclined to locate higher. Have you taken any PAR readings in your tank?

I don't have a PAR meter so I'll be following the BRS guidelines for 2 Primes on a 40 breeder and assume my readings are similar

 

[Jcon82]

With that many frags coming you may want to consider a magnetic frag rack or 2 to put stuff on so you can watch everything for a while. Also they will allow you to move the frags up or down as needed.

I considered it.

 

[Uriken]

Congratulations on graduating with Tidal Gardens corals. You will be happy with their corals. Everything from the quality of the corals to the care they take with packing is A1. I live in their area and this week we have 80 to 95 degree days so hopefully they will add some cooling packs but take caution with acclimation when you get them. Take your time so water temp and so forth is adjusted to your tank and the corals don't get shocked. I would like to mention that Tidal Gardens has videos for "ALL" coral types and species to watch that will tell you exactly where to put the corals in the tank and how to feed them. They are short quick videos and following them will put them on a better track for growth and survival.

 

[BanjoBandito]

 

[BanjoBandito]

Personal opinion based on light and flow. I've never had a lepto do well in direct light, they seem to want high flow and lower light even for an SPS.

 

[Jcon82]

Thanks for this!

Are you lumping chalices and montis together here?

 

[BanjoBandito]

Thanks for this!

Are you lumping chalices and montis together here?

Whoops, forgot the chalices! I would put them between the favia and the montis and/or in the same range as the favias. So like "in the middle".

 

[Tidal Gardens]

First, Thank you for your support!

That is some pretty good advice. The only thing I would tell you is to use the leptoseris as fill-ins for empty spaces that some other corals won't grow well in. Leptoseris can almost grow anywhere. If you see any signs of them bleaching move any coral to the sand bed. If any look like the flesh is being beaten up by too much flow, find a lower flow area.

 

[Jcon82]

First, Thank you for your support!

That is some pretty good advice. The only thing I would tell you is to use the leptoseris as fill-ins for empty spaces that some other corals won't grow well in. Leptoseris can almost grow anywhere. If you see any signs of them bleaching move any coral to the sand bed. If any look like the flesh is being beaten up by too much flow, find a lower flow area.

You are very welcome!

I mounted all the corals on Monday so they sat on the sandbed with the lights in acclimation mode for 5 days. I only had two mishaps.

1: when attaching my green monti cap it shattered into 4 small pieces so I just mounted them in different areas. they bleached out a bit but may be bouncing back.

2: The raja rampage chalice lost all of its color but purple and faint green swirls. There's so much differing advice on chalice placement too! Right now I have it in the middle of the tank getting moderate light and flow. I've fed it reef roids twice. Hopefully it colors back up.

 

[Tidal Gardens]

You are very welcome!

I mounted all the corals on Monday so they sat on the sandbed with the lights in acclimation mode for 5 days. I only had two mishaps.

1: when attaching my green monti cap it shattered into 4 small pieces so I just mounted them in different areas. they bleached out a bit but may be bouncing back.

2: The raja rampage chalice lost all of its color but purple and faint green swirls. There's so much differing advice on chalice placement too! Right now I have it in the middle of the tank getting moderate light and flow. I've fed it reef roids twice. Hopefully it colors back up.

Our Raja Rampage are under about 150 PAR with moderate/low flow. Keep feeding it at least twice a week, and lower it back down to the sand bed till you start seeing more color come back.

 

[Jcon82]

Our Raja Rampage are under about 150 PAR with moderate/low flow. Keep feeding it at least twice a week, and lower it back down to the sand bed till you start seeing more color come back.

I think its getting near 150 par where it is. Should I still put it on the sand bed? I have a cloudberries and avatar chalice getting similar light that seem happy.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I would recommend next time to think about what sort of corals you want and where before you buy, so you have a rough idea of where things would fit. I know this is hard as a beginner since you aren't as gold at picturing it all in your head and it's in the past now! This will look very cool if well maintained in the long run!

The logistical problem you will have, if you succeed in growing them, is that many of them have the same massive plating growth form. Anything up top will shade what's below and everything will eventually run into eachother. This will take a lot of diligent pruning eventually. Instead of just thinking about where they will grow best, consider that the plating species especially will fan out into a circle quite a bit and you can let them grow into the spot you want to see then instead of placing them there immediately. Also think through where you place everything else. You can easily grow anything directly under a montipora when it's a frag, bit once it's a big shelf shading an entire column below it those corals will lose out.

 

[Tidal Gardens]

I would recommend next time to think about what sort of corals you want and where before you buy, so you have a rough idea of where things would fit. I know this is hard as a beginner since you aren't as gold at picturing it all in your head and it's in the past now! This will look very cool if well maintained in the long run!

The logistical problem you will have, if you succeed in growing them, is that many of them have the same massive plating growth form. Anything up top will shade what's below and everything will eventually run into eachother. This will take a lot of diligent pruning eventually. Instead of just thinking about where they will grow best, consider that the plating species especially will fan out into a circle quite a bit and you can let them grow into the spot you want to see then instead of placing them there immediately. Also think through where you place everything else. You can easily grow anything directly under a montipora when it's a frag, bit once it's a big shelf shading an entire column below it those corals will lose out.

I defiantly would stick your plating montipora in the corner areas (where he drew it on the picture) to plate out towards the rear corners.

 

[Jcon82]

I defiantly would stick your plating montipora in the corner areas (where he drew it on the picture) to plate out towards the rear corners.

that's where they are and nothing is underneath them

I removed one of the middle rocks from the scape so now there's tow separate structures. I placed the chalices at different levels around this area so they can grow out over the open space. I'll post a pic later.