Coral Compatability Questions

[FLESHY]

Hey guys, Ive been looking at some new additions for the reef, and was wondering if I could get a couple other opinions.

I have a 75 gallon reef, with about 80# of sand, and 90# of live rock.

I have 2x 150w 10K metal halide bulbs.

My tanks SG is between 1.022 and 1.025 and I keep the temperature at 78-80*F.

There are currently no fish in the aquarium, but there are:

4 peppermint shrimp/various reef safe snails (turbo and nassirus mainly)
2 leather corals
3 small colonies of mushrooms
1 medium large zoa colony
1 large turbinaria
1 torch, 1 anchor, 1 frogspawn (torch and frog spawn are frags yet, the anchor is "large")
1 trumpet coral
1 encrusting monti frag, and 2x 3" montis
1 danae frag
1 birdsnest coral

Now heres the issue. I would love to have an amemone, with a pair of clownfish, and I would also love to have a blue coral. The problems are as such. Does my tank have enough room to add an anemone without it tearing down the tank, and moving around stinging everything, AND is there a hardy blue coral (blue is mainly found in the acros) that can withstand the ammount of soft corals I have in the tank. Less important than the coral being hardy is whether or not you think it could survive in an aquarium with the above corals. Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Pufferpunk]

75g is definitely large for a BTA but you need to keep the more SG stable, at around 1.026. There is never a guarantee that the nem will stay put.

There are plenty of blue zoas, mushrooms, chalice corals, brains & candycanes.

 

[FLESHY]

I am going to go take a picture when all the corals open up...(the lights just came on at 4) and then I will also post a picture. A lot of my corals have a lot of growing out to do, and so some people have told me that I cant have anymore...But I would like to round it off with a couple other things as I mentioned.

Pufferpunk, you dont think that brains would sting my other corals?

 

[Pufferpunk]

I like to keep my brains in the substrate, so as long as they don't touch other corals, they won't sting them. Make sure corals above them are glued in well--if they tumble onto the brain, they are toast.

Also, be sure you run carbon or Purigen (my preferred), if you're gonna keep a mixed reef.

 

[FLESHY]

So their "sweeper" tentacles arent an issue? My candycane/trumpet coral is fairly small only about 5 heads...and I would say the sweepers extend about an inch when the lights go off. I currently am using matrix carbon/ phossorb mix from seachem. I really dont know the effects is having on controlling coral wars though.

You think that a BTA would work in that tank?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yes, their feeding tentacles reach about 1". No reason you can't keep other corals that far from it. Always keep in mind, you can never plan where your BTA will decide to stay.

 

[FLESHY]

That Im okay with...I was just concerned that as the BTA grew to full size that it would get to large or emit chemicals that might damage my other corals.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I don't know of then emitting chemicals. Leave that to the leathers... Hence, why I use Purigen. They do eventually get quite large though. Here's my 12"er:

 

[mr.reef24]

The anemone is a bad idea since all the corals are there and housed an anemones LOVE to move constantly around the tank which will sting and kill your corals most likely.

mr.reef24

 

[FLESHY]

Having one really big leather, a small leather, and a accidental recent frag of the large leather, I think I will leave that alone. I am going to try to upgrade my filtration pretty soon to 110 gallons worth on the 75. Ive decided to stay away from the anemone just based on what Ive been reading on WWM. Seems like you are just waiting for a disaster...

Any opinions on coral stocking levels? Sorry for no pictures yet, but soon. Last night was hectic.