spacemoses Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Hi, im setting up a New 20 gallon tank and I would like your opinions on what corals/critters would be hardiest and least expensive for a beginning reef keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Welcome! The first thing you need is patience. It will take months for your tank to fully mature and stabilize before you can keep the trickier stuff. You can get some interesting and fun crustaceans, like Sexy Shrimp, fairly soon. Some hardier corallimorphs like mushrooms can be nice, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I'm of the mindset that alot of Lps type stuff is just as easy to keep as some of the "beginner softies" that are so often suggested. I'd wait and spend a few extra bucks, and instead of Xenia, Kenya tree, and GSP (3 popular first time starters) try something more colorful. Duncans, favia, acans, ricordea, zoas, trumpets/candy cane, frogspawn, hammers,e ct. Those will all be just about as easy to keep as alot of softies, but won't overrun your tank to plague proportions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 First off plan and research as much as possible. It gets expensive replacing equipment because you didn't end up with what you want. Reselling used equipment for what you would think is a fair value is often much more difficult than it seems. You also often end up spending more than if you would have just saved up for what you really wanted in the first place.Keep the fish stocking as low as possible and it will dramatically reduce the routine maintenance and thus the recurring cost. I use my pico as an example, it's completely fishless, which granted most people aren't going to want, but I do less than 1 water change a month. I compare that to my main tank which is moderately stocked and I do them weekly.I absolutely agree about avoiding GSP, xenia, and kenya's. These things can literally take over an entire tank. Most LPS will be easy to grow. There's quite a few interesting mushrooms like ricordea yuma and florida and discosoma sanctithomae that are easy to grow and won't take over the tank either. I'm not a huge fan or the common blue and red mushroom coral but many people do like them and they're controllable and cheap as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Thanks for serving. After four combat tours in Vietnam, I salute all veterans. I heard three things in your original post: beginning reef keeper, econominal and bullet proof corals. I recently set up four 20G high aquariums that I consider bullet proof. I subscribe to the KISS principal, keep it simple. After having been in this hobby for 40+ years, I see a trend to hi tech/hi cost reefkeeping. It is unneccessary to spend big money. Select livestock that is easy to care for. It will almost always be the least expensive. 1. 20G tank at $20 2. Marineland HOB Emperor 400 at $50. 3. 20 lbs of CaribSea Florida Crushed Coral at $20 4. 1 lb of mature live sand at $10. Do not purchase live sand in a bag, it has bacteria only. The list above will cycle your tank. During the first 30 days, it is not necessary to have lights. Contrary to some comments, green star polyps will not over run your tank in a days time. If you do nothing to maintain the growth of your corals, it may cover your tank in a years time. In my opinion, that does not constitute a problem. Welcome aboard. You will find many conflicting opinions here. Get used to it. Laissez la bonne temps roulee, Patrick PS. This 20G tank was fast cycled four weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Good point about GSP. It actually has grown real slow for me. The Xenia has been the biggest regret of my tank though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Out of all the corals that I have grown in 40+ years of reef keeping, Xenia is the most amazing for growth. It is the master at asexual reproduction. It will spread as a mat of Green Star Polyps. Some polyps will frag themselves, then float off and colonize a different part of the tank. Even with that said, I do not find it uncontrollable. I had a large colony of a white, pulsing Xenia from the Red Sea. It was absolutely gorgeous. It covered the complete back wall of a 150G tank. It was common place for me to scrap off a square foot of Xenia to give to new club members. Yes, fragging coral and giving it away is good nutrient export. It is also good for the spirit. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacemoses Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 Cool. If you've still got any of that xenia that youre willing to give I will be in austin the evening of the 21st. Right now I've got some green star, texas trash, kenya tree and blue snowflake (with a meager cuc) and they seem to be doing fine so far, stable parameters and everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Reefer Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Are those silver Mollies swiming around in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Are those silver Mollies swiming around in there? The mollies are in a macro grow out tank. Spacemoses, I do not have Xenia anymore. For some reason, Xenia will not grow in my Jaubert Plenum 75G tank. Go figure. Enjoy the hobby, Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Cool. If you've still got any of that xenia that youre willing to give I will be in austin the evening of the 21st. Right now I've got some green star, texas trash, kenya tree and blue snowflake (with a meager cuc) and they seem to be doing fine so far, stable parameters and everything. You should swing by the monthly meetings if you're in town, this month's is at River City Aquatics at noon. We often have free frags of beginner corals for our members just starting out. These can include Green Star Polyp (GSP), Devils Hand Leather, Xenia, Anthelia, and random zoas, palys, or mushrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I can't imagine having to pay for Xenia or with this group or GSP for that matter. I would strongly encourage you to get Delbeek and Sprungs "The Reef Aquarium" vol III. The first two are good but out of print. Filtering methodologies can vary from the very simple pumpless sumpless and skimmerless system by Jaubert and Lee Chin Eng (used by Tropicorium, the oldest coral farmer in the US) to the very complex multitank systems by Dr. Adey of the Smithsonian. Vol III of "The Reef Aquarium" covers these and much much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I can't imagine having to pay for Xenia or with this group or GSP for that matter. True that. I actually like meeting new hobbyists because it means I get to give me Xenia away instead of just trashing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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