🪸 Reef Care Guides
Comprehensive care information for corals, fish, and invertebrates
General Reef-Keeping Fundamentals
Baseline principles that apply to almost all healthy marine tanks
💧 Water Chemistry & Stability
Salinity / SG
1.025–1.026
≈ 35 ppt
Temperature
24–27°C
75–80°F
pH
8.1–8.4
Stable is key
Alkalinity (dKH)
8–12
For mixed reefs
Calcium (Ca)
380–450 ppm
For stony corals
Magnesium (Mg)
1250–1350 ppm
Supports Ca/Alk
Nitrates (NO₃)
1–10 ppm
Low but not zero
Phosphates (PO₄)
<0.03–0.05 ppm
Keep very low
🌊 Flow & Circulation
- Good circulation prevents detritus buildup and delivers nutrients
- Use multiple flow sources to avoid dead zones
- Aim for 10-20x tank volume turnover per hour
- Create chaotic, random flow patterns for best coral health
💡 Lighting
- Spectrum, intensity, and acclimation matter greatly
- Ramp slowly when introducing new corals or increasing intensity
- Track PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) when possible
- Most corals prefer 8-10 hours of light daily
- Blue spectrum (420-480nm) penetrates deepest in water
🛡️ Quarantine & Dips
- Always dip corals before adding to display system
- Use approved coral dips to reduce pests and hitchhikers
- Quarantine new livestock for 2-4 weeks when possible
- Inspect carefully for flatworms, nudibranchs, and other pests
Zoanthids & Palythoas
Colorful, hardy polyps — perfect for beginners
⚠️ Safety Warning: Palytoxin
Always wear gloves and eye protection when handling zoas and palys. Some strains contain palytoxin, one of the most toxic non-protein substances known. Never handle with open wounds, and always rinse tools after use.
📍 Placement & Conditions
Lighting: Moderate (50–150 PAR)
Flow: Moderate to strong, indirect
Placement: Mid to lower tank
Difficulty: ⭐ Beginner-friendly
- Too much light can cause bleaching; too little causes stretching
- Avoid stagnant zones where detritus settles
- Brief pulsed flow helps flush the colony
🍽️ Feeding & Nutrition
- Primary nutrition: Photosynthetic (via zooxanthellae)
- Supplemental feeding: Fine particulate foods, phytoplankton, rotifers
- Diluted coral feeds can boost growth and color
- Feed 1-2 times per week (optional but beneficial)
✂️ Propagation (Fragging)
- Always propagate underwater to minimize toxin exposure
- Wear gloves and eye protection
- Use super glue gel or cyanoacrylate to attach to plugs
- Avoid crushing or squeezing polyps
- Rinse all tools and surfaces after handling
- Zoas spread naturally and can be cut into sections
🐛 Common Issues
- Closed polyps: Check lighting, flow, water chemistry
- Brown/fuzzy growth: Nutrient imbalance or algae
- Pests: Zoa-eating nudibranchs, flatworms, fungi
- Melting: Bacterial infection or extreme stress
LPS (Large Polyp Stony) Corals
Fleshy polyps with hard skeletons — the perfect middle ground
🦴 Popular LPS Species
Euphyllia
Hammer, Torch, Frogspawn
Acanthastrea
Acan Lords, Micros
Favia
Brain Corals
Blastomussa
Blasto, Wellsi
Lobophyllia
Lobo Brains
Trachyphyllia
Open Brain
📍 Placement & Conditions
Lighting: Low to Moderate (30–150 PAR)
Flow: Gentle to moderate, indirect
Placement: Lower to mid tank
Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediate
- Avoid direct strong flow that tears fleshy polyps
- Acclimate slowly to lighting — LPS can bleach easily
- Maintain stable calcium (380-450 ppm) and alkalinity (8-12 dKH)
- Slightly elevated nutrients more tolerated than with SPS
🍽️ Feeding Protocol
- Feeding type: Opportunistic — photosynthetic + meaty foods
- Foods: Mysis shrimp, chopped seafood, coral pellets
- Method: Target feed directly to polyps
- Frequency: 1-2 times per week
- Tip: Pause local flow for a few minutes during feeding
⚡ Sweeper Tentacles Warning
Many LPS (especially Euphyllia) extend long sweeper tentacles at night that can sting and damage nearby corals. Give them 6-12 inches of space from other corals.
✂️ Fragging LPS
- Cut skeleton + fleshy tissue with bone cutters or saw
- Make clean cuts and allow healing time (1-2 weeks)
- Use reef-safe glue or epoxy to secure frags
- Keep flow gentle during recovery
⚠️ Watch For
- Tissue recession: Skeleton exposed, usually from parameter instability
- Bleaching: Loss of color from too much light or heat stress
- Algal overgrowth: High nutrients or insufficient flow
- Pest infestation: Flatworms, nudibranchs, red bugs
SPS (Small Polyp Stony) Corals
The pinnacle of reef keeping — stunning structures, demanding care
🌿 Popular SPS Species
Acropora
Staghorn, Table, Mille
Montipora
Caps, Digitata
Pocillopora
Cauliflower Coral
Stylophora
Cat's Paw
Seriatopora
Bird's Nest
Hydnophora
Horn Coral
⚠️ Advanced Care Required
SPS corals demand precision. Alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium must remain rock-solid stable. Small swings cause stress, tissue recession, or death. Not recommended for new reefers.
📍 Core Requirements
Lighting: High (200–500+ PAR)
Flow: Strong, chaotic turbulent
Placement: Upper tank areas
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced
- Chemistry precision is critical: Test daily during acclimation
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm (stable)
- Alkalinity: 8-10 dKH (±0.5 dKH max swing)
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Nutrients: Ultra-low (NO₃ <5 ppm, PO₄ <0.03 ppm)
💡 Lighting & Acclimation
- High intensity, full-spectrum lighting (LED, T5, or Metal Halide)
- Acclimation is CRITICAL: Start low and ramp up slowly
- Place new frags at 50% target PAR for first week
- Gradually increase over 2-4 weeks
- Monitor for bleaching; back off immediately if it occurs
🌊 Flow Requirements
- Strong, chaotic, random flow patterns
- Both laminar and turbulent eddies needed
- 20-40x tank volume turnover per hour
- Multiple powerheads on controllers for random modes
- Prevents tissue necrosis and ensures nutrient/waste exchange
🍽️ Feeding SPS
- Primary: Photosynthesis (99% of energy)
- Supplemental: Amino acids, rotifers, phytoplankton
- Some species accept fine particle feeding
- Broadcast feed weekly for best coloration
✂️ Fragging SPS
- Use bone cutters, diamond-bladed tile saws, or coral cutters
- Cut branches or sections cleanly
- Seal cuts immediately with reef-safe glue or epoxy
- Mount securely to avoid falling
- Frag during stable parameter periods only
🐛 Common SPS Issues
- Tissue recession (STN/RTN): Rapid Tissue Necrosis from parameter swings or bacterial infection
- Brown jelly disease: Bacterial infection, treat with lugol's or antibiotic dips
- Algae encroachment: High nutrients or insufficient flow
- Red bugs: Small crustacean pests that irritate Acropora
- Bleaching: Light shock, heat stress, or chemistry crash
Marine Fish & Invertebrates
Compatibility, care, and reef-safe guidelines
🐠 Reef-Safe Fish
✓ Clownfish
Hardy, peaceful
✓ Gobies
Sand-sifters, nano-safe
✓ Wrasses
Peaceful, active
✓ Cardinalfish
Nocturnal, docile
✓ Firefish
Shy, peaceful
✓ Small Dottybacks
Colorful, territorial
⚠️ Caution: Not Reef-Safe
⚠ Large Angelfish
May nip corals
⚠ Butterflyfish
Corallivores
⚠ Triggerfish
Aggressive, eats inverts
⚠ Pufferfish
Eats corals & inverts
🦐 Invertebrates — The Clean-Up Crew
- Snails: Trochus, Nassarius, Cerith — algae grazers
- Hermit Crabs: Scarlet, Blue Leg — scavengers (watch aggression)
- Shrimp: Cleaner, Peppermint, Coral Banded — beneficial
- Sea Cucumbers: Sand-sifters, detritus eaters
- Starfish: Sand-sifting, Serpent stars — avoid Harlequin (eats corals)
- Urchins: Excellent algae control but may knock frags over
🍽️ Fish Feeding
- Variety is key: Pellets, frozen, live, algae wafers
- Frequency: 1-2 times daily, small portions
- Tip: Feed multiple small meals rather than one large
- Avoid overfeeding: Excess food increases nutrients
🛡️ Quarantine Protocol
- Always quarantine new fish for 2-4 weeks minimum
- Observe for disease, parasites, or stress
- Treat prophylactically if needed (copper, prazi, etc.)
- Prevents introducing disease to display tank
🪴 Macroalgae & Refugiums
- Chaetomorpha: Fast-growing nutrient exporter
- Caulerpa: Beautiful but can go "sexual" and crash tank
- Halimeda: Calcium-consuming, decorative
- Red Gracilaria: Slow-growing, good for display
- Provide moderate-high light and gentle flow
- Prune regularly to remove nutrients from system
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Quick reference guide for diagnosing and solving issues
🔍 Diagnostic Table
| Problem | Possible Cause(s) | Action / Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Corals not opening | Poor light, flow, water chemistry shift, stress | Adjust flow/lighting, test chemistry, acclimate slowly |
| Bleaching (white coral) | Too much light or heat stress | Lower light intensity, reduce temperature, provide shade |
| Tissue recession (STN/RTN) | Parameter swing, pests, aggression, bacterial infection | Test/stabilize params, inspect for pests, isolate or frag |
| Algae overgrowth | Excess nutrients, poor flow, low competition | Improve flow, reduce feeding, increase CUC, nutrient export |
| Pest infestation | Quarantine failure, hitchhiker introduction | Coral dip, manual removal, implement quarantine protocol |
| Brown corals (loss of color) | Too little light, excess nutrients, stressed zooxanthellae | Increase light gradually, improve water quality, test nutrients |
| Fish aggression | Territorial behavior, overcrowding, incompatible species | Add more hiding spots, rearrange rockwork, remove aggressor |
| Cloudy water | Bacterial bloom, overfeeding, insufficient filtration | Reduce feeding, increase water changes, check equipment |
| Low pH | High CO₂, insufficient gas exchange, low alkalinity | Increase surface agitation, open windows, check alkalinity |
| Equipment failure | Age, power outage, malfunction | Have backup equipment, regular maintenance, test regularly |
🚨 Emergency Actions
- Ammonia/Nitrite Spike: Large water change immediately (50%), stop feeding, add beneficial bacteria
- Temperature Spike: Float ice bags (in ziplock), increase surface agitation, turn off lights
- Coral Infection Spreading: Remove affected coral immediately, quarantine, consider antibiotic dip
- Fish Disease Outbreak: Quarantine sick fish, treat with appropriate medication, don't medicate display
- Power Outage: Battery-powered air pump, insulate tank, don't feed, monitor temperature
🔬 Testing Schedule
- Daily: Temperature, salinity (refractometer)
- Weekly: pH, Alkalinity, Nitrate, Phosphate
- Bi-weekly: Calcium, Magnesium
- Monthly: Nitrite, Ammonia (established tanks)
- As needed: Trace elements, heavy metals