unexpected corals

So I was at the LFS buying my first guinnie pig for my new tank. When I was there I saw some small peices of live rock with some really good looking algea on then that I thought would be good to help my dry rock along. When I got home 2 days ago andplaced then in the tank I noticed some small polyps. Yesterday they started opening and today well all of them are opening. They look like little green buttons.

Question is, I don't have decent lighting only a basic aquarium light that came with the tank. I know thats not enough to keep any corals so in an effort to keep them going until I am ready to shell out the big bucks for some T5 lighting I propped a 20 watt flourecent plant grow light tube along the side of the tank where they are. Will this help keep them happy and will it wreck havoc in my tank if I keep this there for maybe a month or so while I wait to get some better lighting?

Thanks for all the replys

 

That's a good question. Nearly all corals are photsynthetic to a great extent (with the exception of tubastrea ((sun coral)) and a few others). While there is some differing opinions, the consensus seems to be that NO coral relies 100% on light for its food.

The question you're concerned with is, can you provide food for the coral until you get the cash together for suitable lighting. I'd say it's worth the chance you can. I'd feed the tank brine and/or mysis daily. If you see the polyps closing when you feed, that means they're getting fed. They don't need a lot of food. You might consider shutting down the main return pump during feeding so that the food stays in the aquarium. I'm assuming you have sufficient water movement through powerheads? If you do, then you stand a chance.

I think if you fed them daily, and be careful not to pollute the tank by overfeeding, you should be ok. Just keep an eye on them. If a few days pass where it appears as their health is in decline, bring it back to the LFS. I'm sure they'd be happy to swap it out for uninhabited LR.

 

Thanks, that brings up another question since I never really bothered to read up on corals as I wasn't ready for them at the momment. Let me go ahead and give my tank specs.

55 gallon, 80 lb's live sand, 38 Lbs of dry rock and about 3 Lbs of live rock I'm using to get the dry rock started. I have a fluval 305 filter. No addintional watter movers or sump or skimmer.

will any of the equipment in the tank or missing equipment effect the potential new corals? Hopefully this will help in any advice given regarding corals.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I suppose I made an assumption I should not have. I thought your tank was cycled. Since it's not, there's more chance than not that these polyps will NOT make it. The ammonia that's going to be produced by the inevitable cycle will likely kill them. I retract my last post, and I'd advise you to consider swapping that LR out for some other rock without visible life on it.

 

Only to add on what Sparky has said already, I have found that most corals do better with a combination of good lighting and some kind of feeding. Since you dont have the lighting yet, I would ask your LFS if they can hold your coral until you do.




Luna

 

I think it is acually finishing its cycle if I'm not mistaken. Ammonia spiked once and is low right now, nitrites spiked and although arn't low right now they are dropping. I was under the assumption I'm at the tail end of the cycle.

 

Just a little update. I have not had a chance to make it by the LFS today regarding brine or anything else to feed them. They are opening and closing on a regular basis, some more and faster than others. This is with the house plant grow light about 6 inches away from them and the glass on the side of the tank in between as well.

Should I take this as a possitive sign that the light is working? or that they are in bad shape and I should return the rocks they came on to the LFS?

Thanks for any replys

 

Your description is not indicative of a cycle nearly complete. Ammonia must be 0, nitrites, likewise 0, and nitrates begin to accumulate, and very slowly, abate over time. The timeframe varies, but 12 weeks is a rough figure.

Your corals might be reacting to light at this time; but if ammonia is still present, it's poor conditions. If you happened to have placed the corals in the tank when ammonia was on the wane--when nitrites rise, they might die off. Refer to the posts above.