What's the average percent of tank space that corals should take up in a reef tank? What is yours?

How much percent of space do you think your corals take up in your aquarium?

  • Up to 10%

    Votes: 101 22.0%
  • 10% to 25%

    Votes: 110 23.9%
  • 26% to 50%

    Votes: 111 24.1%
  • 51% to 75%

    Votes: 93 20.2%
  • 76% to 90%

    Votes: 26 5.7%
  • 90%+

    Votes: 19 4.1%

  • Total voters
    460

revhtree

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Please resist the urge to make a "100%" joke! :p

Some people really like a reef tank to be full to the brim with coral while others would rather focus on a few select pieces and grow them out. I personally don't think that any of these ways are wrong and really it's just a matter of taste. But what if there was a rule of thumb for how many corals one should house in their aquarium? Maybe you think there is! Maybe a percentage rule like live rock used to have? Let's talk about it!

What's the average percent of tank space that corals should take up in a reef tank?

How much percent of space do you think your corals take up in your aquarium?


image via @hart24601
6.jpg
 

KrisReef

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Please resist the urge to make a "100%" joke! :p

Some people really like a reef tank to be full to the brim with coral while others would rather focus on a few select pieces and grow them out. I personally don't think that any of these ways are wrong and really it's just a matter of taste. But what if there was a rule of thumb for how many corals one should house in their aquarium? Maybe you think there is! Maybe a percentage rule like live rock used to have? Let's talk about it!

What's the average percent of tank space that corals should take up in a reef tank?

How much percent of space do you think your corals take up in your aquarium?


image via @hart24601
6.jpg
Space or visible surface area?
When I think of space in an aquarium, I think water fills the most space >%50 in most tanks.
The way I see space, I think the picture used above shows coral space at 10% or less.

My fish tank currently have less than 1% coral space cover, where my reef tank may have up to 5%. It isn't stuffed like the picture. Nice tank btw!
 

fish farmer

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Is this living tissue or the coral skeleton as well? I have hammers that fully expanded take up more space than if they are shrunk down at night, and the dead base skeleton probably adds quite a bit of mass.
 

steveschuerger

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I said 26-50%.Well, the floor level is well covered with Euphyllia(torches, frogspawn, and a hammer), and Gonis . The only other fairly large coral at ground level is my Duncans. A few on the rocks. So maybe 26-28% of real estate covered.
C6C2DE16-3D8F-4A47-ACF8-C78FBD72500C.jpeg
FAC45615-C020-4E51-B668-F5E7EEBB80FC.jpeg
 

Dondalion

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lol,at this rate I'm going to have to move my corals to my125 that only has a copper angle that was picking at the corals in my28 gallon nano cube ,was a fish only predator tank and my yellow belly puffer sadly died in the middle of the night and the next morning every fish had passed, I was so sad he was my buddy for 9 years, rescued him from pet co for 20$ rsp fatty ,lost a sail fin,2 lighting clowns, sofas tang,yellow tang,and all inverts bad day definitely ruined my coffee
 
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Fishy888

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Less than 10% for me... for now. My tank is starting to take shape after a massive battle with dinos. My corals are looking great except for my candy cane coral and that coral is slowly getting better. I'll hopefully end up with 25 to 50% coverage since I want a flame angel or a yellow tang.
 

shakacuz

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what would you say this is? i think it’s about 10%? cant wait to see everything grown in!
 

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  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 38 47.5%
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