Designing a mid-sized tank for softies.

[ThomasMagnum]

Hello Anthony,

How would you set up a tank (30-60 gallons) for soft corals including, alcyonadae,zoanthids,coralimorphs,and xeniids. In reading your published material I have an idea of how you would run these in a much larger tank, but mid-sized is the challenge here.

Thanks!

-magnum-

 

[Krish]

Magnum, I figured I'd post this link here for you just so you don't feel like Anthony Calfo is avoiding you or anyone here. Here is a thread he started to let everyone know what he will be to and why he won't be able to reply much to post for right now.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14401

 

[ThomasMagnum]

Thanks Krish!

 

[Anthony Calfo]

In a tank this size, I'd really only try to keep 4- 6 species and give them at least a 1-2 year window to grow into a reasonably decent size. Any too much more crowded and you will see suffrage from the crowding/competition and/or you will be a slave to water quality (needing ozone, weekly carbon exchanges and very large weekly water changes)

The europeans have this long view and after just a couple/few years have some magnificent tanks with filled in/mature corals that look more like reef corals than reef frags

 

[ThomasMagnum]

hey now anthony,

thanks for the reply. When you say 4-6 species does that mean any corals from these familes...alcyonadae,zoanthids,coralimorphs,and xeniids? So anything from these four families?
Have you ever witnessed a tank long term where there have been many different corals and maybe just one or two ended up killing everything else and took total domination?
I have often thought about just letting a reef go even with competing corals and see who ends up winning so to speak...and just let it develop on its own...and whatever species you are left with you are left with. I guess this could be prevented with your advice above so corals wouldnt have to die and money wouldnt be wasted, but for those of us who have gotton carried away with little fraggie frags...perhaps just letting the tank go would work to achieve the same effect?
So having to worry about carbon and water changes etc... wouldn't be so important...
ahh just thinking out loud I suppose...hehee but what do you think?

-magnum-

 

[Anthony Calfo]

nope ... species. Four to six species. The tank is too small even for these if you choose large Alcyoniid leathers (they will outgrow the tank in well under 2 years if they even make it one year). Many hardy corals will grow very fast and furiously. Do reduce allelopathic aggression, burdens on competitive species and allow less species to grow larger/healthier and make a better presentation IMO.

Please try to have a long view of what these corals will look like once grown in a bit and mature.

Rather than crowding early and watching them suffer, burn and kill one another.

 

[ThomasMagnum]

Thanks Anth!