Successful Mixed reef setups?

How many people great success with mixed reef setup, if so what were the valuable lessons learned?


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X-37B

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Mushrooms are IMO harder to eradicate than aiptasia. I estimate that 40% of the real estate in my 29 gallon are red and green striped mushrooms. They constantly bud off and wind up anywhere, tucked in crevices or mixed with zoas.

I used to have finger leathers/toadstools in my first tank, but due to the slime factor and the desire to try more hard encrusting corals I'm holding off.
Agree 100% as im trying to remove all green disco shrooms from my system.
They release and land on corals killing whatever they touch.
They have killed small frags and did this to a stag. Fortunately it did not stn any more than what you see.
The shrooms are directly below.
It seems the more I remove the more I find or grow back.
Pic is with just room lights so you can see the damage.
20210211_093852.jpg
 
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AdamB

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Agree 100% as im trying to remove all green disco shrooms from my system.
They release and land on corals killing whatever they touch.
They have killed small frags and did this to a stag. Fortunately it did not stn any more than what you see.
The shrooms are directly below.
It seems the more I remove the more I find or grow back.
Pic is with just room lights so you can see the damage.
20210211_093852.jpg
I know it’s a pain with them . They tell me you have to get every single piece off rock and some places I just can’t reach or remove rock
I was thinking about buying a Torch and putting it right beside each mushroom and see if they wouldn’t release !
 

X-37B

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I know it’s a pain with them . They tell me you have to get every single piece off rock and some places I just can’t reach or remove rock
I was thinking about buying a Torch and putting it right beside each mushroom and see if they wouldn’t release !
Yea I am thinking of a laser.
I have alot I can not reach.
 
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AdamB

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Yea I am thinking of a laser.
I have alot I can not reach.
Yes. Mushrooms and Xenia’s. 2 corals I wish I had never put in my tanks
I meant buying some frogspawn .. I heard that torch frogspawn always win ! Not for sure though but I may give that a try
 

X-37B

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Yes. Mushrooms and Xenia’s. 2 corals I wish I had never put in my tanks
I meant buying some frogspawn .. I heard that torch frogspawn always win ! Not for sure though but I may give that a try
I have had this frogspawn for over 4 years started as 12 head.
I gave away half of it at about 10 heads.
It is now 13 heads and half the size.
Clown has lived in it when it was in my 25 nano and my 120.
It now is in my 45 frag system and doing well.
I had to much flow in the 120 for it.
Nothing ever got close enough and I have kept it away from other corals.
20210210_182338.jpg
 

Frogspon

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#1 rule of the hobby is buy it right the first time and you'll only cry once.

If you cut corners, you will wind up dealing with the consequences, and ultimately spending more to fix it and then having to do it the right way anyways. So just do it right the first time. There are no brownie points for finishing the cheapest.
 

fish farmer

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Let me know if you find a solution ..
I've had good luck with killing random mushrooms with F-Aiptasia. You have to completely cover the mushroom, let it sit for a day and then siphon out all the goo. If there is no base tissue left, it is gone.

I tried putting a small hammer frag in an area of palys and mushrooms to see if it could sting them back....the mushrooms just expanded over the frag and killed it. They did the same to GSP.
 
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AdamB

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I've had good luck with killing random mushrooms with F-Aiptasia. You have to completely cover the mushroom, let it sit for a day and then siphon out all the goo. If there is no base tissue left, it is gone.

I tried putting a small hammer frag in an area of palys and mushrooms to see if it could sting them back....the mushrooms just expanded over the frag and killed it. They did the same to GSP.
Thanks for the advise FF . I will order some tonight and try that approach .
 
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AdamB

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I have had the good and the bad.

I am now working on getting the reef back to good.
Hey . I posted tank pics and my current inhabitants and new corals coming this week with all the details of lighting And etc ..
This stuff is way addictive! My last tank I grew acros and a variety of mixed in a 90 gallon
One thing I have had issues with going from T’5s is dialing in my hydras on my newest deep blue shallow 80 tank
I should rent a par meter but I saw a detailed video on BRS that detailed par which I have sent by .
Any suggestions appreciated.
 

jsker

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Hey . I posted tank pics and my current inhabitants and new corals coming this week with all the details of lighting And etc ..
This stuff is way addictive! My last tank I grew acros and a variety of mixed in a 90 gallon
One thing I have had issues with going from T’5s is dialing in my hydras on my newest deep blue shallow 80 tank
I should rent a par meter but I saw a detailed video on BRS that detailed par which I have sent by .
Any suggestions appreciated.
Yes, if you have a meter that you can rent. It is always good to know the Par levels for placement of corals and light intensity through the day.
 

vetteguy53081

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You just have to remember that there is a happy medium required for water flow and lighting. Both SPS and LPS release their versions of toxins. As many know, I often recommend ChemiPure blue and elite as it is excellent in stabilizing toxins, polishing water and keeping both nitrate and phosphate in check.

1614652921677.png
1614652935805.png
1614652971480.png
 
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AdamB

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You just have to remember that there is a happy medium required for water flow and lighting. Both SPS and LPS release their versions of toxins. As many know, I often recommend ChemiPure blue and elite as it is excellent in stabilizing toxins, polishing water and keeping both nitrate and phosphate in check.

1614652921677.png
1614652935805.png
1614652971480.png
Thanks for the chemi pure nugget .is “poly I have never used before .
I have used “ poly filters in the past but I have been up into air about using them in my new setup with refugium because last year my values on phos and NO3 were at 0 . I added more fish and that has helped .

Thanks again
 

Paul B

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I consider mine successful now and I have a bit of everything in there. I doubt if I have many, or any really colorful corals and in truth, I don't even know the names of most of them.
I got them all many years ago. I do like soft corals and especially gorgonians better .

I feed mostly LRS food along with clams and live worms. The food, especially the clams exude copious amounts of clam juice which I assume feeds the corals.

I also use an algae scrubber. The tank is filled with a rather annoying invasive sponge that I have to cut away from the corals but it sucks all the particles out of the water making it crystal clear.
There are almost 30 fish.

I also run a reverse undergravel filter. State of the art in 1971. :)

 

vlangel

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Mine would be a mixed reef but not just coral, (although it does have a mix but mostly softies). Some of my coral/inverts are the less kept like a large curlique nem and a feather duster garden. It has ornamental macro algae, and I hope to add shoal seagrass to the display as well. All my choices are tolerant of high nutrients and some of them actually need high nutrients, (which are predominantly supplied by my many fish).
 
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AdamB

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I consider mine successful now and I have a bit of everything in there. I doubt if I have many, or any really colorful corals and in truth, I don't even know the names of most of them.
I got them all many years ago. I do like soft corals and especially gorgonians better .

I feed mostly LRS food along with clams and live worms. The food, especially the clams exude copious amounts of clam juice which I assume feeds the corals.

I also use an algae scrubber. The tank is filled with a rather annoying invasive sponge that I have to cut away from the corals but it sucks all the particles out of the water making it crystal clear.
There are almost 30 fish.

I also run a reverse undergravel filter. State of the art in 1971. :)

Nice!!
 
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AdamB

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Mine would be a mixed reef but not just coral, (although it does have a mix but mostly softies). Some of my coral/inverts are the less kept like a large curlique nem and a feather duster garden. It has ornamental macro algae, and I hope to add shoal seagrass to the display as well. All my choices are tolerant of high nutrients and some of them actually need high nutrients, (which are predominantly supplied by my many fish).
Looks you made some sound choices for long term sustainability.. I have lost some $$$ on experimenting what works and doesn’t .
 

vlangel

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Looks you made some sound choices for long term sustainability.. I have lost some $$$ on experimenting what works and doesn’t .

Here is a FTS. This reef in this tank has been going since 2016 but most of the rock, and some of the coral are 20 years old.

I have been doing this a long time and like you I have spent and lost $$$ learning what works for me and what does not. This current reef is by far the easiest maintained and simplest in function and equipment that I have had.
Here is an end shot from our loveseat.
 
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