What makes you take that next step as a Reefer?

[ScottyD36]

So this may be random. Is anyone else ever afraid to venture away from certain corals they have gotten used to having in their tanks. I still consider myself very new to reefing and question almost on a daily basis if I am doing the right thing. I have had my small evo 13.5 gallon tank for almost two years and my 40 gallon C VUE almost 11 months. Like everyone in the hobby you go through your ups and downs. I have been fortunate enough to never have any real concerning issues with my live stock and they all have been healthy through my journey. I started venturing into Corals and have had great success with Zoas, Flower Anemone and Leathers. I know I know those are very east to keep. I have tried on several occasions to branch out and try some new types of coral. It usually starts off well with Acans, Favia or Duncan Corals and abruptly ends. I have tried several times with these types of coral with no success. I have one Acan that has survived for over a year but has never grown a new head and just stays the same. I have tried Duncan corals in several of my tanks and they start off great growing heads and then just recede and die. I had a acan that was doing great and then randomly after a year just detached itself never to be seen again. I guess kinda my question/guidance I am looking for a answer to is, what made you take that step to the next tier coral where you were like I got this. This is no problem for me. What are your main things you look for with healthy corals. What are some things you swear by that must be done and maintained for happy coral. I always see some cool corals where I am like I would love to have it but I am just so scared to get it and waste money down the drain and I am forever bargain hunting for cheap frags. I would love to hear everyone's insight so I can piece together the right things to go for a new adventure of corals.

 

[austibella]

Could be many things, lighting, par, flow .when buying corals read up on what kind of flow they need what they eat which corals sting each other, .a good investment is a par meter you can rent them at BRS. Or buy one.. You need to know your par for placement of corals.. don't trust your eyes. Hope this helps. I have lost corals i had for years and I will never know why..we can only do our best. I did find one product that I wish I got years ago Polyp Lab Polyp booster. Was a game changer for my corals

 

[Brymac1]

After a while you will be able to identify problems with your corals before they start to die. It’s important to be able to recognize if you have a lighting problem, nutrient problem, feeding problem, or some sort of infection.

With LPS, especially the ones you have tried, I have found that semi-frequent feedings really help keep them healthy.

 

[sfin52]

Other reefers.

 

[coralfishreef]

For a 13.5 with limited space, a nice centerpiece coral like a slow growing, neon green nepthea or pink koji surrounded by interesting zoas would be good in my book.

Mixed reefs can look pretty but they can be difficult in my experience. Many LPS are classified as easy, but for me, Acropora and Montipora are much easier to grow. Acropora and Montipora provide more immediate feedback which can be helpful when trying to get a feel for your tank. LPS are deceiving because they can appear fine for a long time while slowing dying. Softies are the least stressful and because of that they are also very enjoyable.

Shopping for new and interesting corals can be fun, but it’s also a risk. Until you know what likes to grow in your tank, it can be a lot of trial and error, and money.

For the next step - stick with inexpensive trial corals. If trying SPS, try a single $5 green slimer and then wait 3 months. Same goes for stylophora or montipora. Don’t buy $200 in Acropora or gold hammers and expect to have a happy ending.

When to take the next step - around 16 to 18 months if starting from live rock.

What works for me - stable Alk/Calc close to 7, stable salinity, stable temp, auto water changes, maintaining lower nutrients while dosing Acropower and live phytoplankton.

 

[vetteguy53081]

S U C C E S S. When things are going right and system is successful, one takes it to the next step/level, in may cases resulting in a new larger tank, for which- Youre in !!! No stopping then.

 

[ZoWhat]

Every tank is like a bowl of homemade soup.

Every tank has varying amounts of the family of nitro-bacterias (good bacterias).

One tank can grow high end zoas like weeds while another tank takes 4mos to see a single polyp develop... or even worse, half the zoas melt away

IMO that varying degrees of success and failures with certain corals is directly related to how ecobalanced your family of nitro-bacterias are AND what the corals require to be successful.

It's really smthg you CANT plan for, dose for... you either have the "right stuff" going on ... or a lesser degree of the "right stuff"

Every tank is like a bowl of homemade soup.
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