Some corals good, some not!

[rickzter]

Originally Posted by Birdlady

I chose my corals somewhat carefully so as not to get in over my head here....

I have lost one Pagoda coral (looked great in the store, and never ever opened at home) There was a small sps hitchiker on it that is fine, I fragged it off before tossing the pagoda...

and one Cynarina...it just wasted away.


From the same store I bought a Lobophyllia which is outta this world! When I feed, it extends feeder tentacles and the like.

I also have a red zoanthid colony that is multiplying, A great big huge xenia that was a tiny little frag two months ago, a big green star polyp colony, and one beautiful Crocea Clam.

I was at my local reef club meeting last week, and posed the question. I was told, Oh, if your clam and xenia are doing well, then you have nitrate problems.

I do not understand that. I have a Seachem and a Salifert kit that both read zero for nitrate (even the high res with the salifert)

I was given the advice to rip out the sand and go barebottom etc.....

Does anyone have any opinions?

pH is 8.05 - 8.2
SG 1.026
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate - 0
Ca - 350 - 400
Temp 79 - 80F
Iodine .06

It caught my attention what was said about the Xenias and clam. I just recently lost a stalk full of xenias and have no idea why. All my params seem to be fine and am starting to think the water params are too good.

Ugh, I have seen barebottom reefs, they look horrible.

[Monacle]

nice pic Jay. Looks good.

[nemo79]

I wouldn't remove your sand bed. There are alot of myths in this hobby as well as opinionated sticklers. I had a few people tell me to remove my arogonite crushed coral and replace it with sand. I like the look of the small bed of arogonite CC and I have never read anywhere that it's a bad choice. There are fads in every hobby, right now deep sand beds are advised well in 3 yrs people will suggest other options. I don't think the sand is the problem, and if you have 2 tests showing 0 nitrates, I highly doubt they are incorrect.

[amcarrig]

Hey Nemo. I think you meant this post for the "Should I Remove my Sandbed" thread? If you'd like you could copy and paste the test of your your message into the appropriate thread and then I'll delete this one?

[Tangster]

I'd say if its an extremely deep sand bed then I'd remove it.. as for bare bottom not my cup of tea either never liked the looks . What I find is moderation with it has always been better in my experience. After 35 + yrs I have ran them and also have seen them all come and go with every new expert and their books.
I have ran them in every different depth from 8 inches to bare bottom Plenum's U/G's and reverse flow U/G's and in the long run I have always had more success and less aggravation and far less labor and time exhausting using a little C.C or sand mixed I just like that look IMO about 1.5 to 2. inches level in the tank when its set up. That way you get the best of both worlds and not be stirring sand all the time.
I laugh every time I read a DSB person saying that they add sand sifter's and stick stir there sand on a weekly bases LOL Just tells me they are handling a snake they have no concept of how it works and what it can do. But long term 1 to 2 inches of a bottom media will be fine any deeper Naw Not for me nor is Bare bottom either.. Why pigeon hole and limit your tanks ability to be far more diverse and more trouble free ? But your mileage may vary