The time has come!

N

newtofish

[Well my tank has been set up for about four months now and I think I have everything under control. Lots of purple growing on some of the rocks.
Last set of water parameters were great. It is time to start getting some of these beautiful corals I have been drooling over for along time.
Any suggestions for a first timer?]
 
[Congratulations!
best refresh us on your lighting and if you are keeping a deep sand bed or a deco sand bed and what kind of fish you are wanting to keep...some fish are hard on corals and some are user-friendly...some will eat from your hand and others will just eat your hand...so you might want to make some decisions about that...Faith and James at Dallas Marine had a compatibility chart on their site about what fish played well with others...I wonder if that is still available or if it is available from another vendor...

I think everyone starts with some sort of mushroom and some sort of zooanthid polyps. Zoos are usually slow growing but can be quite pretty.
Whatever you do at first, I'd suggest you follow the same rules as you would for fresh water tanks - buy something cheap, hardy, and you wouldn't mind looking at for a while to get your tank-keeping experience on.
Green chromis are nice - the neon tetras of the salt water world - get along with everyone and change colors with the different lighting zones - schooling fish and quite entertaining.
Royal grammas are a nice yellow and purple and quite hardy as are pygmy angels, which are a deep electric blue.

And it depends on how big your tank is and how big you want your fish to grow - some of them are pan-sized and better and will live as long as you do so (barring tank disasters and Rios) so choose well or be willing to trade them off...]
 
[Rev, Thanks for the reply. I have
42 HEX that has a DSB w/plenum made out of 3/4 PFS and 1/4 crushed coral
60 pounds of rock (Some live some getting there)
I have 2x55w bright kits from AH Supply
2 MJ 1200 pushing water around
Sealcone 100 skimming
40 tiny hermits
20 astrea snails
2 turbos
1 yellow tailed damsel
I do not plan to have alot of fish maybe one or two more smail colorful guys, not sure what kind yet I have plenty of time.

Bill, sent you PM back, Thank You.]
 
[Sounds like a nice setup - whatever you do, I would add a cleaner shrimp now - pretty colorful and useful critter, especially to your fish but is a pretty good scavenger on its own.
Might want to add a couple or several feather dusters, an emerald crab, a peppermint shrimp or two or more. Xenias will overgrow your tank pretty quickly so use discretion and only buy 1 - jeez, from 1 to a thousand in what seems no time flat! You'll be pulling them up and tossing them or trying to swap or sell them pretty quickly.
Maybe one of them sand eatin' blennies or whatever...
maybe a starfish or two - check to see if polyp safe and how danged large they grow! Red stars are nice. Green stars look more gray than anything else...
A Klein butterfly or a copper-banded butterfly will go far in your adventures in aptasia control.
I'm sure others will chip in with their fish favorites...]
 
[Grats!!
Sounds like you have the patiance of Jobe - Unlike myself!! I rushed into it and I commend you for your patiance.I love Royal Grammas, they are very hardy and reef safe.Plus they are just so colorfull.The rev is spot on as usual, any softies will thrive under that lighting.When I 1st started my 55 gal back sooo long ago ( 7 months ago - still a noobie :) ) my 1st frag was a mushroom and It thrived under a single NO 40 watter.Also my zoos seemed to do pretty well then. good luck and congrats.]
 
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