When to add coral / what to look for?

[zwandz]

Hey!

I'm 6 weeks into my first tank - it's a 5 gallon (I know, I've heard) and we believe everything has properly cycled, and our LFS confirmed our test results to make sure the introduction of our first fish wasn't completely crazy!

We're 4 days in with our green chromis (we know we'll have to re-home him as he grows - he's coming to my office tank this fall, which will be my second tank) and he's active, eating and doesn't seem stressed or anything. Water parameters are stable!

So assuming we don't have any major issues before the weekend, my next chance to get to the LFS, would we be safe to add our first coral? How do we know?

We currently test salinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH.

Thanks in advance!

 

[blaxsun]

Eventually you'll want to test alkalinity for soft corals and calcium and magnesium for LPS and SPS. You probably don't need to test nitrite (or at least as often). I'd plan for a soft coral, like a zoanthid, mushroom or leather to start.

 

[zwandz]

Eventually you'll want to test alkalinity for soft corals and calcium and magnesium for LPS and SPS. You probably don't need to test nitrite (or at least as often). I'd plan for a soft coral, like a zoanthid, mushroom or leather to start.

When is safe to add the soft corals into the tank? Is it too early?

 

[undermind]

Is it a dry rock / dry sand tank?

 

[blaxsun]

When is safe to add the soft corals into the tank? Is it too early?

You can add corals right away - just start with a single soft coral, get used to regular water changes and testing and then go from there. Once you've run stable parameters for a few months you can look at some LPS and other corals (SPS are going to be the most challenging).