What LPS should I get first ?

[Oragis]

Hi there,

Hope you guys are doing fine !

It's been 3 months since my tank is up and running and I'm considering adding my first soft corals and LPS to my reefer 350.
What should I get and what to buy to take a good care of them.

Here is a selection, is it to many for a start ?

What would you recommend ?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Zoas is always one of my top recommendations. They are hardy, grow fast, and look great! Mushrooms and toadstools are another great option

 

[get-salty]

Sounds like you're on it..

Howdy and happy reefing from Texas.

 

[Fish Fan]

Not too many, and seems like a good plan

Good luck!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I will also add that torches aren't a bad idea; however, some people struggle with them in newish tanks. They can be fickle with flow and PAR, but I don't want to deter you from getting one if you want one!

 

[Oragis]

Thanks for your feedbacks.
Is there anything a need besides monitoring my Ca, Mg and Alk ?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Thanks for your feedbacks.
Is there anything a need besides monitoring my Ca, Mg and Alk ?

Nitrates I would monitor. You can also do a salinity test every so often if you want.

Mg Imo I wouldn't test; refer to this article below
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/

 

[Oragis]

I will also add that torches aren't a bad idea; however, some people struggle with them in newish tanks. They can be fickle with flow and PAR, but I don't want to deter you from getting one if you want one!

It’s good to know since my flow pumps aren’t the best choice for controlled flow, no controller, no program nothing… very basic pump.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

It’s good to know since my flow pumps aren’t the best choice for controlled flow, no controller, no program nothing… very basic pump.

Ahh ok, I think you would be fine to get a torch. I would try something on the cheaper end first, see how it does for you, then go from there. I see a lot of people who go crazy on torches or other "flowy" corals, and they end up not doing well.

Usually what I tell people is if you are wanting to try a coral species, try a cheap one first, see how it does, then go from there.

 

[Fish Fan]

To add, I'd test for nitrate and phosphate, you don't want either of those to be zero, and both are important both for coral health, and algae growth/control in your tank. I'd get these before other tests.

After that, you can manage your tank and these corals largely just by doing regular, partial water changes, which will keep all the major parameters in line. When you get into keeping more stoney corals like more LPS and SPS, and you have a tank full of them, then those other parameters become more important to monitor and possibly dose to keep them stable. But this is down the line when you have a tank full of growing stoney corals.

You can monitor alk and calc if you'd like to get in the habit, but as mentioned by Gumbies I wouldn't bother with magnesium testing. Home test kits are unreliable, and there's a better way to manage mag; refer to the link above that Gumbies posted.

For test kits, look for Salifert or Red Sea, or, in Europe, Sera kits should be available and reliable. Hanna Checkers are well liked, if not a touch spendy.

 

[exnisstech]

I will also add that torches aren't a bad idea; however, some people struggle with them in newish tanks. They can be fickle with flow and PAR, but I don't want to deter you from getting one if you want one!

And some of us can't keep them in mature tanks
I can grow acro but can't keep any euphylia alive long term.

PS. Not sure about the palys shown. I have nuclear green ones and they can be invasive and are also impossible to kill short of nuking the rock. I've had them live for months in a cold dark brute.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

And some of us can't keep them in mature tanks
I can grow acro but can't keep any euphylia alive long term.

That's how I felt with candy canes. They never worked for me, so I just gave up on trying them, and now I just don't care to try them again

 

[Oragis]

To add, I'd test for nitrate and phosphate, you don't want either of those to be zero, and both are important both for coral health, and algae growth/control in your tank. I'd get these before other tests.

After that, you can manage your tank and these corals largely just by doing regular, partial water changes, which will keep all the major parameters in line. When you get into keeping more stoney corals like more LPS and SPS, and you have a tank full of them, then those other parameters become more important to monitor and possibly dose to keep them stable. But this is down the line when you have a tank full of growing stoney corals.

You can monitor alk and calc if you'd like to get in the habit, but as mentioned by Gumbies I wouldn't bother with magnesium testing. Home test kits are unreliable, and there's a better way to manage mag; refer to the link above that Gumbies posted.

For test kits, look for Salifert or Red Sea, or, in Europe, Sera kits should be available and reliable. Hanna Checkers are well liked, if not a touch spendy.

Well, thanks for your replies.
I tested phosphate a couple of time with JBL test kit, and it shows 0,
Nitrate at 5ppm.

I test Ca, Mg and Alk with salifert, nitrate with API.
About Magnesium (Salifert) , I found it not reliable, 2 tests in a row doesn't show the same result so that article explain why and how to deal with it, thanks.

 

[13rodo]

Well, thanks for your replies.
I tested phosphate a couple of time with JBL test kit, and it shows 0,
Nitrate at 5ppm.

I test Ca, Mg and Alk with salifert, nitrate with API.
About Magnesium (Salifert) , I found it not reliable, 2 tests in a row doesn't show the same result so that article explain why and how to deal with it, thanks.

Not sure if they have All For Reef where you are but it works well for keeping Alk, Ca, Mg in line.

Do you have fish? That’d help keep some nutrients in the tank without needing to dose nutrients.

I think Euphyllia are great and added my first torch around where you are. I really like frogspawn/octospawn too. Don’t think I do anything special, but have never had issues with them. I don’t put them in direct flow and don’t overly blast them with light.

Can’t go wrong with zoas! Somehow I’ve melted more zoas than any other coral but the colors are hard to beat!

Good luck!

 

[Oragis]

Not sure if they have All For Reef where you are but it works well for keeping Alk, Ca, Mg in line.

Do you have fish? That’d help keep some nutrients in the tank without needing to dose nutrients.

I think Euphyllia are great and added my first torch around where you are. I really like frogspawn/octospawn too. Don’t think I do anything special, but have never had issues with them. I don’t put them in direct flow and don’t overly blast them with light.

Can’t go wrong with zoas! Somehow I’ve melted more zoas than any other coral but the colors are hard to beat!

Good luck!

I have a couple of clownfish and a royal gramma, 3 turbos, 4 trochus and hermit crab.

I can find All For Reef where I'm at.
I purchased Alk, Mg and Ca plus from aquaforest when I got the salifert test kits.
Dosed Calcium once after reajusting my salinity a week back.

Newbie mistake my refractometre wasn't calibrated correctly and I was at 31ppm. It's all set now at 35 after 50L water change and multiple salt top off. It took me 10 days to get back to 35...

 

[viceversabrd]

Ive found torches to be the easiest LPS for some reason little light and little flow and they're good to go, I dont know if anyone mentioned this but thru my research galaxea seemed like a bad idea, they can throw super long sweepers and have the most potent sting of all corals. Just my 2 cents everything else looks good. So maybe swap that galaxea for a torch coral

 

[13rodo]

I have a couple of clownfish and a royal gramma, 3 turbos, 4 trochus and hermit crab.

I can find All For Reef where I'm at.
I purchased Alk, Mg and Ca plus from aquaforest when I got the salifert test kits.
Dosed Calcium once after reajusting my salinity a week back.

Newbie mistake my refractometre wasn't calibrated correctly and I was at 31ppm. It's all set now at 35 after 50L water change and multiple salt top off. It took me 10 days to get back to 35...

Ya the refractometer curse… pretty much a right of passage lol. I use a TM hydrometer now combined with a hanna.

 

[Michael Hughes]

Hi there,

Hope you guys are doing fine !

It's been 3 months since my tank is up and running and I'm considering adding my first soft corals and LPS to my reefer 350.
What should I get and what to buy to take a good care of them.

Here is a selection, is it to many for a start ?

What would you recommend ?

In my limited experience as a newish reefer, the easiest corals I've grown are Leptastrea (absolutely bulletproof IME), acans (technically Micromussa lordhowensis), and a duncan.

If you get into SPS later, Pavona is just as easy.

 

[coralcollector98]

hammers or zoas, I have alot of beginner friendly corals if you are interested let me know and i can hook it up !

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have a couple of clownfish and a royal gramma, 3 turbos, 4 trochus and hermit crab.

I can find All For Reef where I'm at.
I purchased Alk, Mg and Ca plus from aquaforest when I got the salifert test kits.
Dosed Calcium once after reajusting my salinity a week back.

Newbie mistake my refractometre wasn't calibrated correctly and I was at 31ppm. It's all set now at 35 after 50L water change and multiple salt top off. It took me 10 days to get back to 35...

Yep, I have had the refractometer not be calibrated on my end as well! Common mistake for most reefers