Nanos and coral

[radamsk1]

What do you believe is the maximum amount of coral (including softs, polyps, mushrooms, and LPS) that can be held in a nano tank, for example a 10? What about a 20 gal with proportional rock, sand, etc. What type of stocking limits exist with corals in a nano environment provided they're in an excellent environment with proper temp, pH, alkalinity, trace elements, water movement, live rock (~10 lbs), live sand (16 lbs.), strong lighting, and necessary separation between the coral?

I know it's hard to determine and say how many since there are different frag sizes and polyp amounts. I'm looking just for a general limit, if there is any possible way to state one.

 

[wayne]

There isn't a way to say this. You have to, for a start match differing flows and lighting needs. But then you have to deal with alleopathy between the different corals. So if you want the maximum amount, only keep a few weakly alleopathic species like some sps.
If you involve mucous secreting softies, or lps with long sweeper tentacles then you will have problems. Be aware that you can keep more softies, and more things generally if you are willing to run carbon 100% (not a bad idea anyway) and be prepared to big water changes (also a good idea).
Note that things may or may not be ok at the start, but when growth starts the alleopathy will increase markedly.
So how much work are you prepared to do? Personally I much prefer larger numbers of a few species to 'fruit stall' dosplays of lots of different species perching on a pile of live rock.

Inc I see in another thread you are struggling to get your pH above 8.3 with normal kH buffers, which is understandable as they won't push it any higher - to get higher try dripping kalk

 

[radamsk1]

I have no problems with the water changes, once per week a minimum. I also understand the lighting and flow placements for each species. As with the allelopathy, I wouldn't put any mucous secereting/sweeper tentacle corals due to the space constriction in a nano tank and allow ample separation of different species.

A good idea may be running 100% carbon, but what are the cons of this besides removing some good traces out of the water? By the way, I add a trace supplement daily, I seem to get good very polyp extension and growth.

My main fear is I don't want to overcome the biological filtration in the live rock/sand by an excess of coral.

 

[DustinKeating]

In my 20 i have:
horn coral
hammer coral
galaxy (pain in the ***)
poccilopora
candy cane
open brain
green cup coral
cabbage coral
zooantids (alot)
mushrooms, ricordias
toadstool

and there's still tons of room, it really depends on how your rock is arranged and what kind of light you're able to provide.

 

[wayne]

Well if you exclude heavy mucous secreters and criturs with powerful sweepers, that's a lot of stuff eliminated. You should try to think about allowing for growth if you plan to have the tank up more than a couple years.
How big are youe colonies Dustin - you have some things there I wouldn't like to try to match up, especially when they start getting larger.

As far as carbon goes, I think it's benefits far outweigh it's reputed disadvantages. I suspect you are rather hung up on trave element additions - personally I don't do any any more except kH buffer, and will likely start with kalk again

 

[DustinKeating]

They're all a decent size. The galaxy is one coral that's particularly annoying to arrange. But other than that i've managed to make it work, and i could definately throw some more lps in their somewhere.

Check out the post "20 gallon saltwater" in the saltwater general thread to see a bad pic of my tank.