Corals for a FOWLR!!!

[britfish]

I have a 215G FOWLR with various Butterflys, Tangs and a Blue Face Angel and hate looking at all that bare rock. Are there any corals that will survive in this environment? What about GSP or Xenia or some Leathers? Anyone have any corals in their FOWLR?
Any ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[captexas]

It's not that it's a FOWLR tank that will narrow down what corals you can keep, it's the type of livestock and lighting you have. You probably need to research your specific butterfly and angel fish and see what corals they are known to dine on. Then try to avoid those. Of course nothing is guaranteed. Your butterflies might eat a coral that someone else's ignored and vice-versa. Also, what type of lighting are you running on the tank?

[britfish]

I know my Butterflys and Angel like Zoa polyps as I feed them these if they go on hunger strike and the Angel loves them also. I have some Xenia, which grows like a weed in my reef tank, and put a large rock covered with it in my FOWLR and they don't touch it (wish they would!). I also have several rocks covered with GSP in my FOWLR which was doing great for about 3 months. Then about the same time I added a pair of Golden Butterflys it no longer opens yet I haven't seen them nipping at it! I've just put one of the GSP covered rocks in my reef tank to see if it comes back to life!
I've got 4 x 72" VHO lights which should be OK for something like GSP, mushrooms, leathers, etc. I'm not planning to add any hard corals.

[barderer]

you might want to try some mushrooms

[Zoofan]

Ricordia might do well also. I guess it just depends on what the fish like to eat.

[sly fox]

Ricordia might do well also. I guess it just depends on what the fish like to eat.

i bought some beautiful rics a while ago, put them in the tank and came back to there being none there...i suspect my magnificent foxface ate them...hes never touched sps, lps, mushrooms, zoas but he digs the rics!

[britfish]

I also have a Foxface and he doesn't touch anything! I guess its a matter of trying various corals to see which survive. I have tried a Colt Coral and a Kenya Tree but they nip those. The only thing I have found so far is Anthelia. None of them touch it, I wish they would as it grows like a weed and I can't get rid of it! I'll get some mushrooms and give them a try. At least the fish are getting a varied diet!
Anyone know of a fish that WILL eat Anthelia?

[nikitapita]

It has been my experience that what you are up against is board em. If you are able to keep all of the fish from getting bored by adding constant sources of algae and other foodstuffs you dramatically reduce the chances your fish picking at what they shouldn't.
For some reason our powder blue tang starts to pick at the bottom (of course) seams of silicone when we fail to provide him nori.
Just a suggestion

[sly fox]

dont some butterflies?


I also have a Foxface and he doesn't touch anything! I guess its a matter of trying various corals to see which survive. I have tried a Colt Coral and a Kenya Tree but they nip those. The only thing I have found so far is Anthelia. None of them touch it, I wish they would as it grows like a weed and I can't get rid of it! I'll get some mushrooms and give them a try. At least the fish are getting a varied diet!
Anyone know of a fish that WILL eat Anthelia?

[britfish]

I doubt its boredom as butterflys and angels are not reef safe as they are known to nip at corals. I'm just trying to find some corals they don't like!


It has been my experience that what you are up against is board em. If you are able to keep all of the fish from getting bored by adding constant sources of algae and other foodstuffs you dramatically reduce the chances your fish picking at what they shouldn't.
For some reason our powder blue tang starts to pick at the bottom (of course) seams of silicone when we fail to provide him nori.
Just a suggestion

[britfish]

I can't find one that does! I have golden, pearlscale, falcula, banner, copperband and pyramid and none of them will touch it.


dont some butterflies?

[sly fox]

haha, thats a fair selection, i think the ones more likely to tho are more likely to eat any soft corals you have, like the beautiful blackback, lined or threadfin..

i know some large angels may, but tbh you dont hear many people saying blah blah ate my xenia <grin>