Wanna design my tank with more corals, but I need help and suggestions on what to put and where to put it!

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tnewell

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I’m gonna try to keep it as cheap as possible, but I can always recommend more expensive corals if you’d like me to. I’m going to make separate posts for each area of the tank

Sand Bed

Okay, I LOVE your gorgonian, always wanted one myself actually. But I feel like it should go in the back to add some depth to your tank. Where the gorgonian is now, I feel like a scoly, clam, or lobo would look abosolutely gorgeous, pick whatever color you really feel speaks to you. Dotted around the sand I think an acan garden would look amazing, large colonies become spherical so having a bunch of acan balls would be amazing. Blastomussa would also look absolutely gorgeous. In the back left, I can definitely see a large, undulating colony of elegance coral. Buying one head will produce 3 heads in 3 months if fed a few times weekly to increase growth. Colt coral might look good in the back right along with your gorgonian or a green toadstool for a vibrant pop of color.
The elegance would go the the middle of the shelf and the back left rock? And I thought of an a can garden just don’t know where maybe fromt left back along the shelf line. I put my gorgonian in the back I felt like the flow wasn’t enough for him so I moved him up but I’ll move things around and send pictures !
 
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Staircase on the left side

If you made this a euphyllia garden I’d be drooling!! Wall hammers closer to the sand/top and branching hammers towards the middle. Wall hammers grow like bushes (longer) and branching hammers grow more like trees and form tennis ball shapes after a while, so they’re good for hiding the skeletons of the wall hammers. Some clove/zoas just to cover the skeleton of the wall hammers by the sand or you can use branching hammers. Hammers can fully touch each other with no issues, in my tank I have a pink branching hammer with tentacles intertwined with the radioactive green wall hammer and they’re very happy!! A gigantic tie dye splash of color waving in the flow just sounds terrific. There are ‘frammers’ which are hammer/frogspawn hybrids. Not sure if they coexist with hammers just as well but I’m sure you can research that on here somewhere. At the very top of the hammer garden, kind of as a barrier I think some torches would looks great! If I recall correctly, torches play nice with each other but I do feel as if it’s worth a trip to google.
Only problem is the duncan is glued down, I’d have to take a chisel to it
 
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I can send pics with the lid open as well if you like!
image.jpg
 

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If you look, I’m going by area, so that was for the sand bed. The elegance get really big really fast and the sand bed allows them to do that without stinging anything or taking valuable real estate cause they don’t need a ton of light or flow. So the elegance would go in that gap behind where your skunk shrimp is in the top down photo. If you have bone cutters, it’s a quick snip to free the Duncan or you can just leave it and place a wall hammer right by it, the Duncan is a very hardy coral and will be okay just try to position the hammer so the tentacles blow away from the Duncan in case it produces sweepers. Frogspawn would look lovely by the Duncan as well and I have kept frogspawn and hammer together with zero issues.
 

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Maybe you should add a small powerhead to increase your flow. There are cheap chinese made ones on amazon that are really small, or you can get a flow diffuser for your main pump that gives higher flow overall to your tank. It looks like a long slit.
 
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If you look, I’m going by area, so that was for the sand bed. The elegance get really big really fast and the sand bed allows them to do that without stinging anything or taking valuable real estate cause they don’t need a ton of light or flow. So the elegance would go in that gap behind where your skunk shrimp is in the top down photo. If you have bone cutters, it’s a quick snip to free the Duncan or you can just leave it and place a wall hammer right by it, the Duncan is a very hardy coral and will be okay just try to position the hammer so the tentacles blow away from the Duncan in case it produces sweepers. Frogspawn would look lovely by the Duncan as well and I have kept frogspawn and hammer together with zero issues.
Now that’s what I love to here keep it coming I’m loving this
 
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Maybe you should add a small powerhead to increase your flow. There are cheap chinese made ones on amazon that are really small, or you can get a flow diffuser for your main pump that gives higher flow overall to your tank. It looks like a long slit.
Ive tried a slw 20 but it was way to powerful, I was thinking of maybe getting a dual power head to hit the dead spots around my tank but yet again, I need more flow so I’m the end your right, I need a power head
 

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The bridge in the middle
Option 1: A line of acros would look good here. Easy, beginner level acros that are okay with subpar water quality, and lower lighting are any of the color dragons (red dragon, orange dragon, pink dragon, etc), any kind of ‘slimer’, any kind of ‘tort’, purple bonsai, pocillipora, and birdsnest just to name a few. They do like quite high flow though (Not the dragon species) and I’m not sure of your levels.

Option 2: Acans, clams, zoas, palys, and softies. This is a beautiful mix of corals that play nice. Good choices for this are acan lords, maxima clams (just because I think they’re the prettiest, they also don’t grow too big), derasa clams, squamosa clams, any kind of zoa/paly (although I’d only pick ones you really love because you have very limited space. Cheaper ones (and the ones I have) are utter chaos, vamps in drag, scrambled eggs, mandarin oranges, purple monsters, Mohican Suns, fire and ice, radioactive dragon eyes, cat eyes, pinwheels, cry babies, Halle berry, rainbow infusions, eagle eye, solar flare, nirvanas, gobstoppers, and blue hornets.) and for softies you have a huge variety of toadstool, colt coral, clove polyps, silver Xenia, rock flower anemones (much safer than BTAs for your fish and don’t move as much, they also co exist peacefully with zoas. There’s an orange one by my large pinwheel colony if you look close enough). Even button scolies, gsp, yellow polyps, pipe organ, and Rhodactis mushrooms would look absolutely gorgeous here.
 

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Shell island

There are so many possibilities here I can’t even begin. I would have some sort of encruster for the stem between this island and your main structure. Cyphastrea, gsp, zoas, clove, pavona, some types of montipora (like rainbow monti), etc etc. There’s many choices. For the island itself, anything and everything would be beautiful, a torch garden, acan garden, a centerpiece maxima clam, galaxia cause they’re super aggressive, a Duncan colony with green, blue, and lavender Duncan... throw some stuff at me that I haven’t said yet and I can definitely work with that!
 
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The bridge in the middle
Option 1: A line of acros would look good here. Easy, beginner level acros that are okay with subpar water quality, and lower lighting are any of the color dragons (red dragon, orange dragon, pink dragon, etc), any kind of ‘slimer’, any kind of ‘tort’, purple bonsai, pocillipora, and birdsnest just to name a few. They do like quite high flow though (Not the dragon species) and I’m not sure of your levels.

Option 2: Acans, clams, zoas, palys, and softies. This is a beautiful mix of corals that play nice. Good choices for this are acan lords, maxima clams (just because I think they’re the prettiest, they also don’t grow too big), derasa clams, squamosa clams, any kind of zoa/paly (although I’d only pick ones you really love because you have very limited space. Cheaper ones (and the ones I have) are utter chaos, vamps in drag, scrambled eggs, mandarin oranges, purple monsters, Mohican Suns, fire and ice, radioactive dragon eyes, cat eyes, pinwheels, cry babies, Halle berry, rainbow infusions, eagle eye, solar flare, nirvanas, gobstoppers, and blue hornets.) and for softies you have a huge variety of toadstool, colt coral, clove polyps, silver Xenia, rock flower anemones (much safer than BTAs for your fish and don’t move as much, they also co exist peacefully with zoas. There’s an orange one by my large pinwheel colony if you look close enough). Even button scolies, gsp, yellow polyps, pipe organ, and Rhodactis mushrooms would look absolutely gorgeous here.
I’m going to be completly honest, I made a thread today, I’ve never grew any lps and I’m concerned at how tiny my tank is and what corals I like! I really really really love the wavy soft corals at the same time I really really like the multi colored lps corals!
 
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I’m going to be completly honest, I made a thread today, I’ve never grew any lps and I’m concerned at how tiny my tank is and what corals I like! I really really really love the wavy soft corals at the same time I really really like the multi colored lps corals!
Never really tried any acros or clams or any other thing listed, I’m really down to try anything! But still concerned that i may not like the look! My initial thought was to grow the gsp on the shelf, but now I wanna move it to the wall!!
 

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It’s okay!!! This is my first tank too! I’ve been my dad’s apprentice for my entire life and he’s had a sw tank for 30 years plus working in an lfs for about 10. He was basically having a walking talking reef2reef helping me out whenever I needed it. Looking at your corals and reading their body language is key to making and keeping them happy. Just add 2-3 corals at a time and don’t fill up too fast. Pick pieces that really stick out to you and you really really like. Don’t get any old hammer just cause you want a hammer garden. Look online, find one that speaks to you, buy that one, find it in an LFS, send out a WTB post. Buy corals that make you feel like they chose you. The wand chooses the wizard, and the coral chooses the reefer.
 
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It’s okay!!! This is my first tank too! I’ve been my dad’s apprentice for my entire life and he’s had a sw tank for 30 years plus working in an lfs for about 10. He was basically having a walking talking reef2reef helping me out whenever I needed it. Looking at your corals and reading their body language is key to making and keeping them happy. Just add 2-3 corals at a time and don’t fill up too fast. Pick pieces that really stick out to you and you really really like. Don’t get any old hammer just cause you want a hammer garden. Look online, find one that speaks to you, buy that one, find it in an LFS, send out a WTB post. Buy corals that make you feel like they chose you. The wand chooses the wizard, and the coral chooses the reefer.
I will he honest the euphoria garden 100% am gonna do, the shelf I wanna move the gsp but I’ll harm the rock it’s in bc I used coral frag glue, and the Xenia is glued to the shell, (rookie mistake trust me I know) I wanna make the Xenia a different spot in my tank and make the shell part something else I like some birds nest that grow into like a spherical curl or type but I would love if you dropped pictures maybe of some of the coral you think would go where it looks good. I’ll definitely consider it and maybe even take you along the process of buying and glueing!!
 
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I will he honest the euphoria garden 100% am gonna do, the shelf I wanna move the gsp but I’ll harm the rock it’s in bc I used coral frag glue, and the Xenia is glued to the shell, (rookie mistake trust me I know) I wanna make the Xenia a different spot in my tank and make the shell part something else I like some birds nest that grow into like a spherical curl or type but I would love if you dropped pictures maybe of some of the coral you think would go where it looks good. I’ll definitely consider it and maybe even take you along the process of buying and glueing!!
Also wanna make the gap on the wall but I don’t have enough coraline algae
 

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I will he honest the euphoria garden 100% am gonna do, the shelf I wanna move the gsp but I’ll harm the rock it’s in bc I used coral frag glue, and the Xenia is glued to the shell, (rookie mistake trust me I know) I wanna make the Xenia a different spot in my tank and make the shell part something else I like some birds nest that grow into like a spherical curl or type but I would love if you dropped pictures maybe of some of the coral you think would go where it looks good. I’ll definitely consider it and maybe even take you along the process of buying and glueing!!
Gluing the Xenia is fine, just slide a razor between the Xenia and the rock and it pops right off, peel any remaining Xenia off and it comes off in one piece. Rubber band it anywhere you want and it should attach in 3 days or less. I think the ‘curling’ coral you’re talking about is a scroll coral. I’ll send a snapshot real quick of one. I’ll also drop and label other corals I’ve mentioned.
 

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22D9BC15-4E3B-4FB6-8F72-1DF49DD887DD.jpeg

So this is Duncan, my acans, my maxima clam (next to a 1” clown) and you can just see the beginning of my hammer garden below it. The yellow is wall and the pink is branching, you can see how they touch.

452DB2DB-5E9D-42AA-85AE-949421815B32.jpeg

Here’s my scoly and cherub angel. You can kinda see my Miami Hurricane chalice and red dragon acro. This rock is on the bottom of my tank with very little flow.

578ED2AE-4FE7-487B-8D16-F3CD9D10F093.jpeg
B829DEBE-9A6E-4BED-B5BC-B2759C211151.jpeg
7580FBC1-B5FE-4D2C-816D-6EBB2761117F.jpeg
0DC8EA48-97A4-448F-90F5-A589E3761B0C.jpeg

These are all of my zoas, feel free to ask me about them individually and I can tell you what they are, average price, and how quickly they grow. I paid less than $25 for each frag.

C47037EF-BEDB-44DC-80BD-E9DE85162FB2.jpeg

Here’s a better pic of my Miami Hurricane chalice and you can see some surrounding branching hammer, xenia, green slimer, and scoly.

00286491-00B3-4946-95DF-0736012B3BF1.jpeg

This is my newest scoly, paid $80 for him, absolutely gorgeous and has lovely turquoise streaks that don’t really come out in pics that well.

0BB9C143-9F52-4BF9-BCCC-9D7E89A5A3EA.jpeg

Here’s a better pic of my green slimer, some Mohican sun zoas, xenia, and the miami Hurricane chalice again.

492DF93D-8D42-4102-A65B-3744E90D4176.jpeg

A pic of the clove polyps, fireworks and flame tipped with some Xenia to the left and a purple bonsai acro to the right.

C363662E-8179-4E53-8143-F749F7ED8485.png
BB6F6EEA-A57E-4ED9-B8A4-BF754EED900F.png

Mentioned the green pipe organ and this is a good pic of it. It shows in the clove pic from earlier. I also have this enchinata behind the Duncan in one of my fts

119A7E64-9A70-479B-96CD-143635000B37.jpeg

Chose this cause it shows one of my rock flower nems. I got mine from aquatic arsenal for $13 each. They do really nice packs. I got the 4 pack with one freebie for first time buyer and another freebie for a R2R member so I ended up with 6 rfa for $13 each including shipping.

0798EEDC-0BFD-4171-8FC7-29CBF7EB0A8B.jpeg

Here’s my cabbage leather showing it’s nice green polyps, a blastomussa, gsp, the Agent Orange from earlier, my Duncan, and some birdsnest.

043D3D4C-61BC-4BD9-AC95-502883FB8D70.jpeg

Here’s my full hammer garden all together. The yellow is a wall and the other two are branching. As you can see, the yellow expands the most and the green and purple one creates the most sweeper tentacles that get quite long.

DCCA0611-EEF0-4026-93C0-12526F3B08AF.png

Scroll coral

577BFF63-046F-4068-8EFD-D5F88781DF03.png
2F7BCA3C-D713-473D-821E-27219C9E4C0F.png
5F7F253A-5D62-4BD7-A9EF-59089D75C42B.png
ABB525AD-3064-47BF-BF33-BEF7831A1E79.jpeg

Here’s some examples of montipora, both plating and encrusting. The orange and green one is sunset monti and the other one is rainbow monti.
 
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I
22D9BC15-4E3B-4FB6-8F72-1DF49DD887DD.jpeg

So this is Duncan, my acans, my maxima clam (next to a 1” clown) and you can just see the beginning of my hammer garden below it. The yellow is wall and the pink is branching, you can see how they touch.

452DB2DB-5E9D-42AA-85AE-949421815B32.jpeg

Here’s my scoly and cherub angel. You can kinda see my Miami Hurricane chalice and red dragon acro. This rock is on the bottom of my tank with very little flow.

578ED2AE-4FE7-487B-8D16-F3CD9D10F093.jpeg
B829DEBE-9A6E-4BED-B5BC-B2759C211151.jpeg
7580FBC1-B5FE-4D2C-816D-6EBB2761117F.jpeg
0DC8EA48-97A4-448F-90F5-A589E3761B0C.jpeg

These are all of my zoas, feel free to ask me about them individually and I can tell you what they are, average price, and how quickly they grow. I paid less than $25 for each frag.

C47037EF-BEDB-44DC-80BD-E9DE85162FB2.jpeg

Here’s a better pic of my Miami Hurricane chalice and you can see some surrounding branching hammer, xenia, green slimer, and scoly.

00286491-00B3-4946-95DF-0736012B3BF1.jpeg

This is my newest scoly, paid $80 for him, absolutely gorgeous and has lovely turquoise streaks that don’t really come out in pics that well.

0BB9C143-9F52-4BF9-BCCC-9D7E89A5A3EA.jpeg

Here’s a better pic of my green slimer, some Mohican sun zoas, xenia, and the miami Hurricane chalice again.

492DF93D-8D42-4102-A65B-3744E90D4176.jpeg

A pic of the clove polyps, fireworks and flame tipped with some Xenia to the left and a purple bonsai acro to the right.

C363662E-8179-4E53-8143-F749F7ED8485.png
BB6F6EEA-A57E-4ED9-B8A4-BF754EED900F.png

Mentioned the green pipe organ and this is a good pic of it. It shows in the clove pic from earlier. I also have this enchinata behind the Duncan in one of my fts

119A7E64-9A70-479B-96CD-143635000B37.jpeg

Chose this cause it shows one of my rock flower nems. I got mine from aquatic arsenal for $13 each. They do really nice packs. I got the 4 pack with one freebie for first time buyer and another freebie for a R2R member so I ended up with 6 rfa for $13 each including shipping.

0798EEDC-0BFD-4171-8FC7-29CBF7EB0A8B.jpeg

Here’s my cabbage leather showing it’s nice green polyps, a blastomussa, gsp, the Agent Orange from earlier, my Duncan, and some birdsnest.

043D3D4C-61BC-4BD9-AC95-502883FB8D70.jpeg

Here’s my full hammer garden all together. The yellow is a wall and the other two are branching. As you can see, the yellow expands the most and the green and purple one creates the most sweeper tentacles that get quite long.

DCCA0611-EEF0-4026-93C0-12526F3B08AF.png

Scroll coral

577BFF63-046F-4068-8EFD-D5F88781DF03.png
2F7BCA3C-D713-473D-821E-27219C9E4C0F.png
5F7F253A-5D62-4BD7-A9EF-59089D75C42B.png
ABB525AD-3064-47BF-BF33-BEF7831A1E79.jpeg

Here’s some examples of montipora, both plating and encrusting. The orange and green one is sunset monti and the other one is rainbow monti.
whats the difference between the wall hammer and branching hammer, I know the branching hammer is like a tree, also I’ve your montipora and scolys, I don’t like some looks of birds nest, def gotta find the right ones, also I love love love your zoas garden. Only problem w no tip Ora is I have never grown them and don’t know how good they will look:( what’s the rainbow looking one next to your cabbage patch
 

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whats the difference between the wall hammer and branching hammer, I know the branching hammer is like a tree, also I’ve your montipora and scolys, I don’t like some looks of birds nest, def gotta find the right ones, also I love love love your zoas garden. Only problem w no tip Ora is I have never grown them and don’t know how good they will look:( what’s the rainbow looking one next to your cabbage patch
The noticable difference is the skeletal structure, you know what a branching hammer looks like here's a wall. Basically, the heads all stay connected as it grows almost like before the branching variety splits off. Their a bit more challenging to frag and if one head gets sick you have to act quickly so the entire coral isnt effected. Otherwise care Is the same.

IMG_20200806_211039.jpg IMG_20200806_211049.jpg
 

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