Recommend non-brown inverts for small tank

briareos · May 2, 2006

I have a tiny tank with lots of brown stuff - 4 types of brown zoos, brown-purple goniopora, brown live rock, brown worms... you get the idea.

I was wondering if anyone could recommend any non-brown zoos or corals for a newbie, that are tiny in size (ie. can fit on 5 cm frags or smaller).

Basically, my water conditions are quite good and I do a 30% water change every 3 days. Only phosphates are detectable. What can I fit in here?

FionaFiona · May 2, 2006

ermm, from your title, u r talking abt "Invert" ? but in the main post u are talking abt corals?

examples of inverts would be that of shrimps, snails, starfish, nudibranch.

those zoos n goniopora are corals. only thing i would count as invert is that brown-worm (u meant tube-worms rite?)

If u want colorful corals suitable for newbies, then try :

1) Mushrooms! they are hardy and never-say-die, and they come in an assortment of colors - purple, green, red, velvet, melon-stripes,blue, etc...

a slightly higher level would be yumas, which some nice specimens come in bi-colors. or u can try those very expensive Floridea Rics (if u can get ur hands on some before the collectors snap them up).

2) Sun corals! These corals are non-photosynthesis types, and they dun require lighting. Just moderate flow of current would do! Come in Bright orange, yellow, green, and black. Small frags can be easily found at roughly $10 a piece. When these beauties bloom up, the swaying of their yellow tentacles in the currect and mersmerize you.

3) Zoos come in an assortment of colors as well! But these have a certain demand for proper lightings or they will turn brown in a matter of time.

briareos · May 2, 2006

Everyone seems to be able to find cheap sun coral frags except me. Everywhere I go they're no less than $25.

FionaFiona · May 2, 2006

i'll only pay such high prices if :

1) they're Dendros or,

2) the colony is huge ( i got 1 large piece with 3 colonies on the whole rock, many many polyps.)

3) the specimen color is good, and its the "branching-type".

I'll recommend the following Places at Pasir Ris to get sun corals:

(in terms of my personal preference; and limited only to Pasir Ris due to my limited mobility)

a) Irene's place at Pasir Ris Farmway 1 : the way she display her corals for sale is very easy-to-see-thus-easy-to-choose. Its also brightly lited. Small frags and relatively cheap.

The auntie's shop opposite Ah-Beng's : They sell sun corals sometimes as well. Competitive prices ( $10 - $20 ).

c) Iwarna's : the auntie is friendly. You should check out their Dendros tank! They sometimes have large supplies of sun corals (amongst oher corals). But sometimes (not everytime) the condition of the sun coral is not that good (but can't be help la). It all depends on you, whether u wanna buy or not la. But shape and specimen -wise , the sun corals are nice. Price-wise is very competitive too!

d) Pasir Ris Farmway 2 (can't be bother abt the name) : Sun Corals they have , the shape, specimen, and condition very good. Price -wise is on the high end (expensive la). But my experience with the shop uncle very bad. Dun like his attitude. He watches u like an eagle, and never let u put ur hands into the water to inspect the corals. The way the corals are displayed are not-easy-tp-see due to the lighting and the surface-current creating very reflective surface.

All the above is just my personal opinion la, other might not find it this way. hehe, dun flame me ah!

jervismun · May 5, 2006

Hehe... u can try Tricolor Yumas :lol:

KennethK · May 5, 2006

Haolian liao haha

Qxnviolet · May 5, 2006

Hehe... u can try Tricolor Yumas

Wow...just bought it? Its really beautiful...must have costed a bomb...

gerrard_boon · May 5, 2006

that yuma is quite stunning!!!anyway briareos juz a word of advice if u wan to try yumas...they REALLY LIKE LOW FLOW..some actually adapt to high flow while others juz waste away...imo cheaper yumas seems to be tougher(dun noe y)..n they possess a strong sting...(my rhohatics melted away after a yuma accidently drop on it)

jervismun · May 5, 2006

that yuma is quite stunning!!!anyway briareos juz a word of advice if u wan to try yumas...they REALLY LIKE LOW FLOW..some actually adapt to high flow while others juz waste away...imo cheaper yumas seems to be tougher(dun noe y)..n they possess a strong sting...(my rhohatics melted away after a yuma accidently drop on it)

Wow! Bro... thanks for sharing ur experiences on Yuma... better be careful with placement then (low flow)... what about lighting? Do they need MH at all? And will not keep them close to any Rhodactis :thanks: