Everyone loves fish tanks, they are always so pretty and colorful. You can get all kinds of fish and beautiful decorations however when you want the most colorful tank you want to choose a salt water set up. When you use a saltwater tank you have the opportunity to purchase the most beautiful fish and coral.
Picking the fish is not really that hard but picking the coral and the right kind can seem overwhelming because there are so many different kinds to choose from. Here we will give out some advice and tips on buying coral for your first saltwater tank.
First off you will need to know the size of your tank and how many gallons it is. This is very important because corals come in different sizes and some will grow in their environment becoming even bigger. Some corals will need to be placed in certain areas and not beside some corals because they will kill other corals. Placement of the corals are very important.
Next you will want to make sure the water is just right. Ammonia and nitrate are naturally in the water however, coral are very sensitive to the level changes in these two chemicals.
To make sure the water stays at an even level you will need to put live nitrifying bacteria, even though you have live bacteria in there you will need to check the levels of ammonia and nitrate to make sure it stays stable and will not kill the coral. After the nitrate and ammonia levels have stayed level for at least 2 weeks you can begin the process of buying coral.
To choose the coral you are looking for you will want to choose coral that is good for first time fish tankers. One of the best types of coral you can try is the Star Polyps. This type of coral is basically indestructible but it is seen quite often and easy to find they are also very hardy.
Leather corals are much bigger and have a mushroom shape about them. These will look wonderful as the centerpiece of your saltwater tank.
The base of the leather coral is mostly brown, the tentacles can turn green making them beautiful to look at. Not only will this coral look very nice as your centerpiece but it will also clean itself and you will not have to worry about cleaning it.
One of the most popular and one of the most indestructible corals out there is the bubble coral. Bubble coral requires basically very little care, as long as it stays in a calm area of the tank. It must stay away from currents that might be present in the tank such as the filter system. This type of coral must be placed near the bottom of the tank where they receive little light.
The open brain coral consist of one huge, fleshy polyp on a very small body. It is content to lay on the very bottom of the tank on the pebbles. It is most known for it is very vibrant red color.
When you are first starting out with your saltwater tank adventure there is a lot to learn but in the end it will all be worth it.
Once you get the tank ready simply look for saltwater corals for sale and do some research on which corals will be best for you and your tank. Once you have the coral simply add the fish and sit back and enjoy.
