[Venaman]

I have had a marine aquarium for a while but i am new too the reef. .
I just got a young coral and a pearl bubble coral.
I just want to know how to trim coral, not just the ones i have. . but like other ones too
also how i feed them. .do they just use symbiotic or what, which corals must i actuall feed and what should i feed
also when i placed my pearl bubble i sorta did it so that only the ends of the stony part on the bottom r touchingthe live rock and the middle part is just suspended. .must the whole bottom be touching live rock?
thanks

[clown-t]

welcome to reefland. you are asking for trouble on these boards with quistion like this. people will say why do you buy something you don't know how to take care of it is a live animal which in the begining they did the same thing. my first suggestion would get a good book like eric bornemans coral book. this is a very helpful book and do searches which are on top of the page. a pearl bubble is a good choice the are hardy corals and they will eat silversides and meaty things like that. i feed mine 2 to 3 times a week. tell us about your tank lighting, size, water flow and thing like that. good luck

[Venaman]

i know my stuff slightly. .i was just asking all these questions to verify. . my local fish store knows a lot but i wanted other opinions. .i have a book and have done research. . .i just want to make sure
i didnt think the forum would mind
can i feed the pearl bubble brine shrimp?

[alf3482]

Meaty food are better for the Bubble coral. Brine shrimp have little to no nutritional value for fish or corals. It's a good supplement but not as a main diet. Your asking a pretty broad range question's. Corals have diffrent needs, so To say all corals we could never cover but specific corals like your Bubble, Can be addressed.
As stated above it was good choice for a beginer coral. But do you have the proper set up to maintain them? If you would give some Tank set up info we could determine if you are headed in the right direction. What type of lighting do you have? Filtration? substrate? How much live rock? Etc..
You aked how to trim them. Are you asking how to propagate them?
Your placement of your bubble corals sound fine. No the coral does not need to touch the live rock.
As clown-t stated above, Eric's new book is a excelent source.
Lets start with this and move foward so everyone can try to help you.

[Venaman]

i have a 66 gallon tank with Eheim wt/dry pro filter 2227 or something
RO water
about 30 lbs of live rock, i grow purple and green corraline algae a bit. . more green than purple
and i also have a nuisance brown algae that must be cleaned daily. .
i cant really get rid of it
i have a prizm skimmer. . does up to 100 gallons
i have water movement on the top left of the tank and in the right middle of the tank
my substratte is crushed coral and right now i have a blue tang, yellow tang, banjai cardinal algae blenny, mandarin goby and diamond goby

[Mikeman]

What do you have lighting wise?

Also one tang is stretching it for a tank of that size, so 2 tangs aren't going to be confortable in that tank, plus you don't have enough live rock for territory for all your fish, and biological filtering.

Does your mandarin eat prepared foods? Usually these fish just waste away in captivity as they only eat copepods, and amphipods which live and breed in the liverock, and sandbed, but they won't be able to breed in crushed coral as the particles are to big.

I hate to say it but your fish store sounds alot like mine, usually their info is always wrong so never listen to them.


like others have said before me, get some newer updated books on saltwater fish and aquariums in general and then fix the problems you have in your tank

[alf3482]

Lighting is important, What do you have?
I have to agree with Mikeman, your set up could use some up dating as far as live rock, a DSB rather than The CC. What are your nitrate's?
What SG do you run? How long has this tank been setup?

[Venaman]

i may have just made up the number 30 lbs. . cuz there is alot of live rock in my aquarium, like i dont think i can fit any more, but ill try
ya my mandarin goby has been fine for a year and my two tans dont mind eachother, they been together a year
i have 4 50w bulbs more than 3w per gallon. .and yes i know i cant get any stony corals with that and im sure u guys will say i cant get soft corals but i cant fit ne more lighting on my tank
ive read marine books but honestly i cant reallly understand what its saying. . .im just a kid looking for help and reading just doesnt cut it.

all these replies are a great help tho

before you see the light you must die - Slayer

[Venaman]

whats a DSB and whats a CC and whats a SG?

[alf3482]

DSB = Deep Sand Bed
CC = Crushed Coral
SG = Specific Gravity/Salinity

i have 4 50w bulbs

What type of lighting? I would assume Regular Flourecent. If i'm correct, then are you running regular Bulbs or are you running The power Glow type bulbs? If you up Grade the bulbs then you could keep some assorted leathers and mushrooms. But i'm not sure if that lighting is equal to the task for a Bubble coral in the long term.

more than 3w per gallon

This value really means nothing.

ive read marine books but honestly i cant reallly understand what its saying

Then you are in for a lot of Headache's down the road.

It sounds like to me your trying to convert to a reef with a Fish only tank. You have to understand it is a big responsibility to keep corals. If you are not willing to give them what they need, then don't try to keep them. There are many other factor that have not been disscused that are important to the corals that you do not have to worry about
in a fish only tank. I will help you any way i can. But you need to do a lot of research before you buy any coral. So that you know that you can give it what it needs. You have went out and bought corals and have no understanding of how to keep them. Lighting is a very important factor in keeping coral. With the lighting you have discribed there are corals that can live in that enviroment, but will it make them happy, will it promote growth, this is important for the long term care. Maintaning any anmial or coarls is one thing making them happy is another.

[Ltspd]

Originally posted by Venaman
my local fish store knows a lot but i wanted other opinions

Dont be so sure, some do, but many are selling you items that wont work & die which causes you to spend more money with them. Not that they are doing it intentionally they just dont read and dont have the experience of the 10000's of reefers that post on BB's just like this one. We all help each other and learn from each other.


It sounds to me as if you should start reading some books, and browsing the BB's.

Here is the 1st thing you need to start off with.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...ory_Code=Books

[GregD]

Venaman,

I agree with posts above...the more research you can do before you buy a coral the better. In the end this will save your hard earned cash from being wasted. You get the point...nuff said....


On to your original questions -
I think by your description of the bubble coral that you have a physogyra pearl coral (caryophyllid). This coral's recommended care includes moderate lighting, low water movement, and direct feedings of meaty foods such as silversides or kryll approximately twice a week. (I would aslo recommend the formula 1 frozen chunks that contain vitamin supplements....thaw a chunk out and feed occasionally).

The pearl bubble coral, can also be aggressive towards other corals and may use sweeping tentacles to sting other nearby corals. As a result it should be kept away from other corals particularly softies (such as leather corals).

I have no experience with propogating or cutting this coral.

Also...one of the reasons people on this board are asking about measurments of nirates, SG and other tank variables to try and help identify any longer term problems with the water quality or other factors that may prevent you from keeping a coral successfully. In particular, the fact that your tank has brown algae growth may indicate the water has excess nutrients (such as high nitrates or phosphates)that may not be noticed when keeping fish but could harm or damage corals.

Good luck and welcome to the world of keeping a reef tank! A good online resource to look up data is the following website:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/

Greg D

[Venaman]

ok well i have been reading this book i have its a recent one
its the marine reef aquarium handbook . .
and i have been looking at the VHO fluorescence and metal halide. .
which do u think is better and easiest to deal with. .
im ready and willing to buy stuff i just need the info
and i am reading . .just its harad to register what im reading in my head to useful information. .little problem i have

my nitrates are low. .but my phospates i think r higher. . . i meaning to get a phoshate test kit but keep forgetting
i have RO water and i dont know what else i must do to reduce these phospates
thanks for all the help

[Venaman]

how do i feed the corals
whats the best way?

[alf3482]

ok well i have been reading this book i have its a recent one

Good!!

and i have been looking at the VHO fluorescence and metal halide. .

If you are not going to keep SPS or Clams go with the VHO. It will be Great for leateher and LPS corals.

and i am reading . .just its harad to register what im reading in my head to useful information. .little problem i have

When you do come across something you don't understand come here and ask for clarification of the info as you understand it. That's what we are here for.

but my phospates i think r higher. . . i meaning to get a phoshate test kit but keep forgetting/ i have RO water and i dont know what else i must do to reduce these phospates

Use Phospate filter or sponge for quick results. For long term I suggest you learn to use Kalk for reduction of them and for supplementing ALK. & CA. Levels.

how do i feed the corals

For the bubble coral just put the food on it's tenticals and the coral will take it in to it' mouth on it's own.

[Venaman]

what is kalk. .can u explain this as well as what the process is that is the long term depletion of phosphates. .
thanks for all the help again
so if i only want soft corals and leather corals i only need VHO?
should i still use two other fluorescence with the VHO?

and also on more thing. .what are all the short forms like SPS and LPS

THANKS

[alf3482]

I'll give you the short anwser. Kalk is Lime Water. It is a good source of Calcium (CA.) and Alkalinity (ALK). You also get the benifit of Phosphate Reduction. I say long term beacuse you don't just get rid of it, they are always there so you have to export them.
Leather corals, polyps, mushrooms, will do fine under lower light conditions. And VHO will be fine and yes you could use the NO set as antic supplementation.

SPS = Small polyp stony
LPS Large Polyp stony

[chromis]

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

The Conscience Marine Aquarist, by Robert Fenner

Aquarium Corals, Eric Borneman

The Coral Reef Aquaruim, Dr. Ron Shimek

The Reef Aquarium 1 & 2, Julian Sprung and Charles Delbeek

These are the bare minimum you need, if I were you I would sell all your equipment and livestock get some really good books, learn how to read them, and then try again. If you have trouble reading, take notes, these are techinichal books, not novels.

Also a good online guide:Reef keeping 101


Oh, one more thing, BE SPECIFIC. Lighting should be described in watts. Nitrates, Ammonia, etc should be described in parts per million. etc, etc

IMO, HTH
Andrew

[Ninong]

Venaman,

Here are all the abbreviations: http://ozreef.org/reference/abbreviations.html

Just print out the entire list and refer to it to translate any abbreviations that are new to you.

Ninong

[Venaman]

in reply to what u said
i really would sell all my stuff and start over. .or even start a new tank

but im a kid in school with a part time job, i dont have the money to do that. .

i feel with more help from you guys and books i can still do it this way

thanks for all the help