1st coral- when did you add it?

Hi all

in order to help newcomers to the world of reef keeping
this months poll is designed to ascertain, when you added your 1st coral

if you could post indicating what coral it was, when you added, and why you chose to add it at that time, that would be excellent

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

I waited until my nitrates dropped to 20 before I started adding my first coral. It happened to be 4 months old at that point.

I knew bc of my nitrates and my extreme inexperience I was going to go with softies.

A coworker told me he would hook me up with some starters from his tank. So I got:

colt, mushrooms, xenia, anthelia, gsp


I have since regretted the xenia, anthelia, and gsp. Due to spreading.

I have rid my tank completely of Xenia nowadays, anthelia is trapped to one isolated location (both were annoying battles) and I am currently nuking a lot of rock to get rid of GSP. I did move some pieces of GSP to back glass though - wish I would have just done that to begin with!

Anyway, beware those corals spread and spread fast. Plan accordingly.

 

I added a mushroom leather after about month. then a couple of shrooms. Still have them now. I was told they were pretty easy for a beginner.

 

do hitchiker palys count?if so then right from the start. still alive and thriving.

otherwise i waited 2 months after cycle. mainly just to do some reading. decided to start with some mushrooms and zoas for easycare

 

2 weeks my frogspawn! still alive and thriving after 1 year+ !

 

does moving a tank count? if so day one. used new sand and at least 70% was new water.

 

I added my first coral after 3 months. They were gsp and some red mushrooms. The guy at my lfs told me they were easy to keep and now just like Peredhil I regretted adding them to my tank.

 

I got lucky when I set mine up and used fully cured rock from my brothers tank that he was taking down. The rocks came with some mushrooms, palys and zoas. After I put all the rock in a Xenia was first about 2 days later. Then came an elephant ear which I still have. I bought it about the size of a silver dollar and now when it is stretched out it is the size of a large dinner plate. I have to feed it once every 2 weeks 1/2 a large shrimp. It takes up the whole back corner and side of my tank.

 

i added some xenia after my cycle was over
lasted awhile until i got cyano

 

4 months - kenya tree, green hairy mushrooms. They started me down a slippery slope