Frequently Asked Questions
Coral Care
- GRAVITY: 1.024-1.026
- TEMPERATURE: 75-78 DEGREES F
- PH: 8.1-8.4
- CALCIUM: 380-450PPM
- ALKALINITY: 8-9dKH
- MAGNESIUM: 1300-1450PPM
- NITRATE (NO3): 30PPM
- PHOSPHATE: 0.1PPM
- NITRITE (NO2): UNDETECTABLE
- AMMONIA (NH3): UNDETECTABLE
Being able to tell if your corals are getting too much or too little light can be tricky. The best way to tell is by the change in the coloration of your coral. If your coral begins to lighten or even bleach, chances are your coral is getting too much light. If your corals on the other hand are browning out and have poor coloration, you might want to try moving up your corals or increasing your light intensity. If corals do not receive enough light, they often grow and a slower rate as well.
We recommend running around a 10-12 hour total light schedule for coral. 3 hours of blue light, 4 hours of white and blue in the middle of the schedule, and 3 more hours of blue at the end is a general method. It can be beneficial to have the intensity fade in and out of the schedule if you have a controller, simulating sunrise/sunset.
Too much light right away can bleach coral so until you know how corals react to your lighting system it is best to start off with a short schedule or low intensity and gradually ramp up as you see the corals respond.
Keep in mind that all tanks are different and you might still need to make some adjustments to the schedule according to your aquarium.
Make sure you’re using quality adhesive products for this task. Saltwater can be highly corrosive, so you’ll need to use materials designed to withstand some of the toughest conditions. Tank builders often recommend using a gel-based superglue as well as a water-resistant epoxy putty. Using both together is crucial to creating a quality seal within the rock and raising your success rate.
In order to glue coral frags to rocks the right way, you’ll need to apply your glue and putty properly. First, make a ball of putty large enough to fill the gap in the live rock but small enough to limit the amount of excess left over. The putty will fill in any nooks and crevasses in the rock and create the seal. Apply glue to the plug, and stick the soft putty to it. Next, use more glue on top of the putty. Once you’ve completed these steps, press the plug into your desired position and let it cure.
Coral Types
There are two main classifications of Hard Corals. One is the Small Polyp Stony Corals or often referred to as SPS Coral. The other classification of Hard Corals are Large Polyp Stony Corals, also known as LPS Coral. LPS are often identified by their soft fleshy body with large polyps or mouths. Each mouth or polyps is its own organism but grows together to form a colony.
Some of the most common types of LPS corals are Blastomussa, Euphillia, Chalices and Favias
There are two main classifications of Hard Corals. One is the Small Polyp Stony Corals or often referred to as SPS Coral. The other classification of Hard Corals are Large Polyp Stony Corals, also known as LPS Corals. SPS corals are often identified by their smaller polyp size and hard calcified internal skeleton. This identification method does not always hold true for all SPS corals, however. When people think of reefs found in the ocean, they often picture SPS coral. SPS coral are often referred to as the architects of the ocean because of their intricate growth patterns and structure.
The two main types of SPS corals are Montipora and Acropora
Soft coral, unlike hard corals, do not grow a hard carbonite skeletal structure. This allows soft corals to move and flow with the water movement. This type of coral is particularly popular with newer hobbyists because of its ease of care. Soft corals are not as susceptible to parameter changes in your water and often do better in a dirtier tank. this makes them the ideal choice for anyone testing out a new tank or looking for low-maintenance corals.
The most common types of Soft Corals include Zoanthids, Anemones, Mushrooms, and Clove Polyps.
General
We are able to ship across Canada. If you are located within the Maritimes and located near a Maritime bus station we can ship with them