New to coral, need help deciding

[Aspiring Tank Guru]

I am still fairly new to the hobby and up until this point have only done fowlr. I am entertaining the idea of getting some corals but know nothing about them. Can someone give me some ideas on some corals that might be good for me and anything else about corals that I should know that I may not otherwise find out?

DT:
55 gallons
Eshopps PSK-100H skimmer
Hydor Koralia 850 x2
Hydor Koralia 425 x2
~40lbs of sand
~60-65 lbs of live rock
48" Current Marine Orbit LED light (not the pro) the image link is the PAR rating

Livestock:
1 flame angel
1 hi fin red banded goby
Pair of snowflake ocellaris clowns
1 pistol shrimp
Plan on getting: starry blenny, purple firefish, carepenter's wrasse, and a small cleanup crew

Thanks so much

 

[Emmagmrtz]

Well I'm not sure if any of you fish are reef safe or not. But coral are a whole other ball game. Some are easy but you would need to buy additional test kits for calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Some coral need more lighting and different demand for flow. Really need a stable environment

 

[Lowstorm]

The only bad fish for The corals In your list is the angel. May or may not eat corals. I'd try softies first.

 

[Aspiring Tank Guru]

I am aware of the angel issue and am thinking of trying it out, finger crossed. I keep him well-fed so hopefully he will behave. With regards to water parameters I am good about keeping them stable and the only thing I do not test for it magnesium which I will start doing if I go with corals. My pH is a little lower than I would like (around 7.7-7.8) but it is stable. If I got corals I would address this first. My bigger question I guess is what are some specific corals that would work with my lighting (since I think it is on the lower end) and stand the best chance at the flame angel not eating it?

 

[ahiggins]

The problem I see is par.
Really, the only part of your tank suitable for most SPS and LPS are going to be the top 3rd portion.
You could probably get away with nonphotosynthetic at the bottom and maybe some shrooms/scoly at the bottom.
Ive found that 50-100 par for LPS and 100-200 for zoa/palys. Again, by no means is it a RULE, just something Ive noticed. Theres some that like more/less light for both catagories. SPS is going to want 200+ (Ive never successfully kept any SPS so that number is coming from articles/experiences of others)
Good luck!! I like coral MUCH better than the fish side of SW. Much more challenging and rewarding.

 

[ahiggins]

Oh! and youre going to want more flow than just the hydors.
I have 3x koralia 250gph in my 25 gal. In the 40 I have a gyre 230 running at peak 70%. (that thing moves a TON of water lol)

 

[Aspiring Tank Guru]

Since my tank is 55 gallons it is only 20" deep. I believe the PAR picture for my light that I posted is for a tank 30" deep (please correct me if I'm wrong). If this is the case does this give me a bit more mobility with regards to species and placement. On a side note I am thinking of sticking to LPS, mushrooms, and/or zoas.

Also do I really need more flow? I currently have a 46 turnover rate without the skimmer.

 

[ahiggins]

Since my tank is 55 gallons it is only 20" deep. I believe the PAR picture for my light that I posted is for a tank 30" deep (please correct me if I'm wrong). If this is the case does this give me a bit more mobility with regards to species and placement. On a side note I am thinking of sticking to LPS, mushrooms, and/or zoas.

Also do I really need more flow? I currently have a 46 turnover rate without the skimmer.

OHHH yes, I took the pic as literal LOL my bad! The lowest light requiring lps usually does well around 50 (other than non photosynthetic).
As far as flow goes, try it :) you may find that you need to readjust powerheads or placement to keep everyone happy or find that you need to add more flow. Its all relative. Im keen on powerheads hitting glass to diffuse and break up linear flow. Or hitting eachother.
Always research! no matter if your lfs says such and such, always do your own research about what acans or torches or zoas need. Youll be much better off that way. Usually good searches are a great way to do it. Or on here :)

 

[Aspiring Tank Guru]

Thank you very much for the input. Stupid question, but do corals have a bioload? I have no sump or filtration other than my oversized skimmer and live rock. It has done very well for me and I am on a tight budget so I never saw the need for a sump or other filtration. Will I be fine with my current setup? I know it's very subjective and a lot of different factors are involved, but in your experience do you think I would be good?

 

[Smo]

Coral bio load will be pretty small for your tank. Read up on Mg, Ca and KH, and how you are going to maintain them in ideal parameters. For only a handful of Zoas it could be a simple as regular water changes with a quality reef salt. Eventually you will want to start manual 2-part dosing. The key is maintaining stable parameters, but don't chase ph. Low and stable is better than high with big swings. Have fun. You will enjoy it!

 

[CodyRVA]

I wouldn't worry about your PH either, mine is consistently at 7.8 and my SPS thrive; as mentioned, stability is key. I think you have plenty of flow, but really depends on how you use it. I have two 850 GPH Koralias in my 4 foot tank and seemingly no need for more.