Coral can be a great addition to any saltwater fish tank. Before looking for saltwater corals for sale a person needs to know about the different types of coral and how to care for them.
Toxic
Coral can be very toxic. These creatures have nematocysts located on their tentacles which can give off a toxin when they string. The toxin is used for protection, to help the coral capture food, and to establish dominance over other coral. Coral can have tentacles that will give off a toxin. If a person puts the wrong types of coral in the same tank they can both release toxins and these chemical levels will kill them and other life in the tank. Coral can be aggressive so a person needs to carefully introduce them to the aquarium and make sure they will not harm the other fish. This is important to keep in mind when searching for saltwater corals for sale.
Water Requirements
There are several requirements for saltwater coral in the tank. A person will need to change the water often to keep the tank healthy. There are some other requirements that a person should be aware of. The tank will need to have water that flows in several directions so the coral is not harmed. The temperature will need to be at a constant 80 degrees. A person will need to check the acidity levels in the water as well. The alkalinity levels will need to be between 2 and 2.5 meq/L and this is something that a person has to have experience with and understand. There are some gases and chemicals that should not be found in the tank. This includes ammonia, nitrite, and phosphate. These levels need to be at 0 parts per million. There is a level of calcium that the tank will need to contain. It will need to contain 425 parts per million. The magnesium levels need to be around 1,300 parts per million. There is also a specific gravity need in this tank. This gravity level should be around 1.024.
Feeding the Coral
The different types of coral have different feeding needs.
Hermatypic
This is the most common type of coral and they need light to carry out their basic functions and to grow. This coral does not require regular feeding as they will eat the algae and other microorganisms that are found in the tank.
Ahermatypic
This type of coral is usually found in the deeper see where there is not as much light. This coral will need to be fed. Certain feeding regulations need to be used with this coral. The coral is fed when the lights in the tank are turned off and the coral can fully open. This will allow the coral to take in the food and will not release it into the tank.
Lighting
Coral likes to be in the light. Soft corals enjoy the light while hard coral has intense lighting requirements. A person will need to make sure their tank is well lite for the coral to complete the photosynthesis cycle. Hard coral is also going to need T5 and metal halides to make sure it is getting the proper amount of light.
These are some things that a person should know when they purchase coral for their saltwater tank. While coral is pretty to look at a person needs to be prepared to put a lot of time and effort into taking care of their coral.
Sign in to leave a comment.