What Corals can I mix

[Almondsaz]

I currently have a 70 gallon AGA with 24 gallon sump and run Charcoal in a sep filter in the sump. I have three mushrooms (ricordea) and a couple of clove and stary polyps. Also have xenia (2 kinds). I would like to have a stag or other branching sps but have heard that it isn't wise to mix the soft corals with the sps. Is it ok since I rund charcoal? or is it ok regardless.

Thanks for the help.

 

[redvipe2010]

It can be done.

 

[morgan]

heaps of people have mixed reef tanks the thing to rember is that when u start mixing softys and sps it slows their growth rates down rather then just having a soft coral dominated tank
i keep 2 tanks and try to keep one stoneys and one softys but i still have some softys in my stony tank i just cant help it

 

[Sparks]

To make most sps and other stony corals just survive and retain their color, you need lighting so much that softies populations explode. To keep them both in the same tank, growing at similar speeds, you'd have to have stoneys high up and softies down low with great lighting. imo if you're going to try for that, for your 70g, a 250 or 400w mh in the middle with a pair of 175s or 250s on the side or somehow lower positioned PCs or T-5s on the side.

If you, like most people, want your corals to grow as fast as they can then it's generally an either/or situation, because you can't put insane "great for quick acro growing" lighting on a softie tank, unless it's a very tall tank and you keep softies down below.