# How to grow coral



## Amy0824 (Dec 28, 2011)

:fish-in-bowl:
Always see others' growing beautiful coral in their tanks,
I want to have a try, will you kindly give me some suggestions on growing coral?
Thanks*c/p*


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Well, there are alot of factors here. What kind of corals would dictate how much lighting your going to need. A balancing act on your water parameters is also what your going to need.
ALK (dkh), Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate levels, PH. Those must remain level for the most part, there is alot of movement in those areas also, so don't think you have to have them spot on all the time. Also, in a Reef tank, your flow should be up around 20x+ your water volume. Another issue, some need spot feeding, some don't. You have to research each coral you are going to be keeping, then you will have a better idea of exactly whats needed for them. Softies Corals don't need much care, for the most part. Some grow like weeds, like Kenya Trees. Other easy ones are Toadstool Mushrooms. Some LPS(large poylp stonys) are relatively easy to care for, and need no outside interference to grow, others need to be fed. SPS and Anemones would be the most difficult to care for, being they need fed, need stable CA, MAG and ALK levels, and need a ton of light to thrive.
But heres the numbers:
Calcium- 420-480
Magnesium- 1200-1400
ALK- 8-12
Calcium, KH, GH, pH, Electrolytes & Magnesium in Aquariums; Mineral Ions, Cations


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Coral needs very clean water with very low Phosphates and Nitrates. They also need a very stable salinity and a constant high ph. As Corals grow they consume Calcium and low the ph of the water they are in. You need to add Calcium and raise their ph as required to keep them growing. Keep in mind that many fish and crustaceanss eat coral, the Parrot Fish is one of these.




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