suggest a coral?

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:17 am

i'm looking to extend my gardening skills and was just wondering what some might suggest. i have a 29gl w/2 65wt 50/50 pc's for light. Already have a blue kenya, galaxy coral (about the size of a baseball) green star polyps, green button polyps and a finger leather. Would like to stay w/ones that are easy for a beginner since i am mostly a virgin when it comes to SW. So please be gentle and let me know what you think... LOL. Also how hard are brains or hammers to keep? Thanks!

Brandon · Post by **Brandon** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:15 am

Pulsing Xenia and you can get it free from most any of us.

I feel that any of the euphyllia are easy to care for: hammers, torches, frogspawn, etc.. They seem to like a good bit of light and because of their stony base I would guess have decent calcium requirements. At least I've had very good luck with them, I just feed them about 1-2 times a week, halides about 6 hours a day, and have had no recession, only steady growth. Just remember if they are in a high flow area their sweepers will get very long.. and they are nasty mean.

I'm a newby also.. so take this as you will.. I have not have good luck with closed brains they seem to like water richer in nutrients than what I provide... but have had very good luck with open brains, I'm able to feed these easily. I have one closed brain.. that was receeding badly.. moved it to my nano where the water is very turbid and it is doing much better, but have 3 open brains that are doing great in the large tank where the water is less nutrient rich. Just my experiences so far.

Snakeman · Post by **Snakeman** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:24 am

I've got some Pulsing Xenia if you need some. It spreads like Kudzu.

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:02 am

Brandon, what do you "feed" your hammer/frogspawns? I have acquired a branching hammer, and it's looking great, but I have no idea if I'm supposed to feed it.

Brandon · Post by **Brandon** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:16 am

small pieces of stuff.. This is just my observation, but the branching euphyllia species seems to be able to take larger pieces than the single base type. I usually feed very finely chopped shrimp, scallions, silversides, mysis, etc.. soaked in zoe or selcon.

The frogspawn is the one that is a pain to feed because his polyps aren't "sticky" and it has a hard time holding on to things.. while my little octopus is very sticky and easy to feed. I wish I knew a better way, (*Anyone??), but I'm using a piece of rigid airline tubing with a toothpick on the end , and just barely put the piece of food on the toothpick.. put the bit of whatever somewhere close to the mouth, twist the tube a bit to get the food to release and pull it away.

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:15 pm

Snakeman wrote:I've got some Pulsing Xenia if you need some. It spreads like Kudzu.

i would like to try some. Are their any special needs? Feeding and such? i was told what i have already doesn't need to be fed and are supplied soley by light. i keep my calcium around 480 and do not add anything else because i do weekly water changes to replinish lost elements. Let me know if we can work something out. Thanks

Snakeman · Post by **Snakeman** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:19 pm

I just put some black powder in my tank and some planton it every once in awhile. I don't think you have to do much. It just seems happy to be there. When do you want it?

Brandon · Post by **Brandon** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:35 pm

I believe xenia would live ok in your toilet if you added a tablespoon of mortons salt.

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:35 pm

Anytime would be good for me, how about this weekend? i don't have anything to trade though.

Brandon · Post by **Brandon** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:38 pm

Snakeman.. if you're going to mobile, or cnovak is coming up.. make sure you come see me 1st.. I'll throw in some other low-light stuff.

lzb3 · Post by **lzb3** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 6:56 pm

Xenia needs Iodine to survive AND grow. It is the iodine that helps it pulse too. Get you a little container of Kent Tech-I and dose once a week. Xenia grows fast and is fun to watch. You will be begging some of us to take some of it after a while.

Good luck!

Elizabeth

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:51 pm

Alk is important for Xenia too. At least 8dKh. I don't think it will die until alk gets below 3-4 dKh though.

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:23 pm

So water changes aren't enough? I guess i'll have to run out and pick some stuff up plus test kits. Is their anything else that would be a must for good growth. i just don't want to be spending all my time dosing my tank. What would be a good list of must have items? Currently i do not use anything except calcium chloride, i have a bottle of Kent micro-vert but have never used it because i was weary of the effects on my water quality. Thanks

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:50 pm

I think that my Xenia grows at a normal rate. I took one of my Xenia covered rocks out about 9 months ago and scrubbed it clean. It is now covered with Xenia again. I keep my alk pretty high (12 dKh) and I do a 6 gallon water change every few weeks. The only things I add are: kalk, B-Ionic and food for fish. I do have some Korralinth additive that I use when I think about it (at most once a month). I might get an alk test kit (Salifert) and add either baking powder or other buffer to raise alk and add iodine or something like Kent Coral-vite every once in a while. I have some extra Xenia too if you want some. I live off D.I.P. near the interstate.

~Scott

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:50 pm

i'm supposed to get some from Snakeman this weekend so i think that will be enough for now. i do aprreciate the offer though.