Which corals actually like "dirtier" water?

[Jason R]

I've been following the AquaVitro Fuel thread and I realized that I am not entirely sure what to think of the issue. I've always been told the goal of any reef keeper is zero nutrients in the water if at all possible. Now I am finding out that this is actually harmful to some corals.

I was hoping my fellow reefers could help clear this up for me and hopefully we could attempt to create a comprehensive list of which corals need nutrients and which ones hate it.

Thanks!

 

[caragol]

Xenia, mushrooms, aiptasia

 

[KeishaKornbread]

Zoas, Palys, Goni, Alveos, Mushrooms, etc. prefer dirter water. SPS are the ones that need low nutrients.

 

[Jason R]

So basically every coral except SPS?

 

[Jason R]

Do Anemones require pristine water or dirty water?

 

[FishBeard]

Do Anemones require pristine water or dirty water?

They require stable parameters and salinity levels.

 

[Jason R]

They require stable parameters and salinity levels.

So stable dirty or stable clean doesn't matter as long as its stable?

 

[FishBeard]

So stable dirty or stable clean doesn't matter as long as its stable?

In my experience with both bta and haddoni, they all do better in slightly higher nutrient water. Not fowlr levels, but above zeovit/Biopellet zero nutrient levels. If that makes sense.

 

[Jason R]

That actually makes perfect sense. They do like slightly dirtier water than SPS do. Would they be comfortable in the same water, nutrient level-wisem, as LPS corals?

 

[FishBeard]

That actually makes perfect sense. They do like slightly dirtier water than SPS do. Would they be comfortable in the same water, nutrient level-wisem, as LPS corals?

Yes.

 

[Jason R]

So what parameter levels would constitute acceptably dirty for LPS, Anemones, Zoas, etc.?

 

[KeishaKornbread]

This is what makes a mixed reef tricky. Especially in a smaller tank.

 

[Jason R]

Check out http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/11/1107_keyholecoral.html

They discuss this very issue. The article talks about how some scientists now believe that sponges play a bigger role in water chemistry than was previously known.

 

[Jason R]

This is what makes a mixed reef tricky. Especially in a smaller tank.

Forcing incompatible species to live in the same space...

 

[KeishaKornbread]

That article was written and published 2001 so I'm interested in seeing the findings that are more recent. I was using bio balls back then.

 

[Lil BamBam]

This is what makes a mixed reef tricky. Especially in a smaller tank.

Yup, certain SPS will do well like your starter SPS or some med level SPS.. Only few that I have known have done well with mixed reefs.. No acro or soft tissues SPS can handle dirtier water..