additives and COrals

[hazkha]

i've read da general reefkeeping in da forums.but i still dont understand......can anybody tell me what additives do i need to put in my tank in order to keep corals?and what do corals eaT? for a beginner what corals should i begin keepin first?

[riot]

Hi Hazkha

first of all you need to think about what exactly you want to keep first? Soft corals dont need much additives, but for SPS and perhaps LPS, you need to monitor the calcium & alkalinity levels very closely.

If you dont feel confident, might I suggest you start off with simple softies like mushrooms, finger leathers, etc for a few months and see how they fare in your tank. They dont require specific additives, just a general stability in your tank. Of course, you can dose the world's best additives, but if your tank conditions aren't right, you are just dumping your money down the drain.

Wish you the best. Cheers

[hazkha]

i think my tank is stable already.....tis woman at da marine fish shop told me if i keep corals..i have to add in plankton .do i have to add in da plankton thingy?

[hazkha]

and i was thinkin to keep.....anemones or bubble or hammer?either 1...so do i have to put additives to keep this corals?

[riot]

No plankton is neccessary. Unless your filtration & skimming is up to par, I advise you dont even try with dosing coral food. It will just contribute as waste matter in your tank.

Think the corals you have in mind is fine. What is your water perimeters? Do a test, esp for the nitrates. Once your tank is cycled through and you dont have too much bioload you should be ok.

[dradttg]

I suggest you stay away from anemone for the time being. It tends to move about and requires strong lighting.

Plankton is necessary whatever the corals as it is a supplement to photosynthesis.

[mAriNe_enthusiast]

No plankton is neccessary. Unless your filtration & skimming is up to par, I advise you dont even try with dosing coral food.

What abt live plankton like DT?

I believe they will not pollute the water too much.

[riot]

I am not sure about that. DT if not consumed by the corals and the leftcovers skimmed off, will still pollute the tank.

I think that although coral food will allow your corals to bloom better, they are not absolutely required in a reef tank. Some reefers never feed their corals. Some use a mishmash of home blended food. Some dose live phyto and zoo. Its up to you, and perhaps the level of reefing experience and equipment.

[dravan]

as far as i know dt is live phtyo.... it will not pollute the water so easily......

[Golden Tooth]

Think wat he meant is, overdosing of coralfood n underrated filteration will pollute the water.

[Achilles Tang]

Suggest you do yourself and your corals a favour by buying a good marine hobby book like Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman.

It will be a good investment for you. Knowledge is key to improved reefkeeping.

Don't rush into the hobby until you understand the basics.

[newdamsel]

IMO, corals like anemone, hammer lps, prefers meaty food like small pieces of prawn meat or fish meat. Dosing live phyto is more for the filter feeding inverterbrates like tube worm, coco worm, sea fan and sponges, hence dosing phyto for other corals isnt gonna be useful.

Dosing live phyto seems as if it wun pollute waters, but unless u have a filterless system, the live phyto would be trapped in your wool, or coral chips or bioballs and die there causing unnecessary built up of nutrients...

2 cts..

[Achilles Tang]

Newdamsel! Haven't seen you in a long long time!

Live phyto is extremely small.... wool will not be able to trap phytoplankton. Only micron nets that are 2 -4 micron size can catch phyto (Nannochloropsis).

Anyway... he is talking about additives... and not coral food.

Like I said... study what saltwater is made of first... what influences changes to these parameters... and then what additives are needed to change them. You have to study the BASICs first.

It's pointless to tell you that you need Sodium Bicarbonate when you don't even know what causes PH & alk to go and down.