Taking the plunge into coral

[AUSXMD]

Hi Everyone,

I've kept FOWLR tanks for 30 years but always thought coral would be too much work and it's intimidating as well. My partner has talked me into turning my Waterbox Infinia 230.6 info a full on reef tank. It's now FOWLR with a flame angel, naso tang, blue headed wrasse, blue spot puffer, a foxface, sand sifting star and chocolate chip star, various CUC critters. I have AI lighting, a sump with a fuge full of chaeto, a very big Octopus skimmer and purigen. I use ro/di water.

I guess what I need help with are:

1. Will the flame angel, wrasse and puffer need to go? They all say reef safe "with caution" on the site I bought them from.
2. What are some good beginner corals?
3. What should my light settings be at?
4. Any other advice or things I need to research?

I'm sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum, or if im posting this in the wrong forum. Just hoping some of you experts can help me get started slowly and steer me in the right direction. I'm in no hurry. I just want to get it right, and learn.

I appreciate it!
Scott

 

[edsbeaker]

Hi, I can give my opinion on some of this.

The angel, puffer, and wrasse could go after the corals. I have kept a flame in all of my tanks over the years, I think I’ve had 6, with none of them bothering my corals. That doesn’t prove anything… it’s just luck! I don’t have any experience with the puffer or wrasse, though, but with three fish that are iffy your odds are lowered.

If you are firm about trying corals while keeping those fish, maybe start by getting cheap easy corals and see what these fish do. Zoas, cheap acans, Kenya tree, Xenia….(caution, it grows crazy fast and is considered invasive, but some love it), are some easy ones to start with. You can get small frags of any of those for $10-$20 each.

Most of the corals I have suggested will do fine under lower to moderate lighting. Is your AI lighting for freshwater or reef? It needs to be a reef light since corals need a different spectrum.

Corals will also need more flow then you probably have in a FOWLR tank so you will probably need to add power heads.

As you add more corals you will have to start testing other parameters that you don’t need to worry about in a FOWLR tank. Calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium are the major ones. The corals uptake those and they need to be replaced to the water column as they are depleted.

Take a look at some of the “stickies” in the forum to research and educate yourself on best ways to set up and maintain a reef tank. There is a wealth of info on here, and too much to cover in this thread.

I do have to say that at any time in the future those fish could start eating the coral and CUC. If it were me, I would probably not play those odds if you want to start adding more expensive coral. Sometimes you just have to choose one or the other.