(602) 254-8252

Corals

Corals at The Ocean Floor

Corals are a marine invertebrate belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. They are colonial in nature. Each piece of coral is a group of smaller organisms that live together symbiotically.

Through this symbiosis, they are able to share resources. One is zooxanthella (an algae that produces much of a corals food supply via photosynthesis).

Another are nematocysts (stinging cells that protect from predators and chemical warfare with other corals).

With advances in technology, coral has become a fantastic addition to marine aquariums all over the world. The love many hobbyists have for their tank inhabitants, help implement these changes.

New species and color variations are becoming available every day. In addition, many mariculture (farmed in the ocean) and aquaculture (farmed in captivity) facilities are becoming the most prevalent suppliers of coral to the ornamental marine aquarium industry.

These corals are every bit as beautiful as the wild-harvested corals. They come with the added benefit often times being hardier.

A Reef Tank

Corals in captivity are mostly housed in reef tanks. Reef tanks are an attempt to recreate a wild coral reef and providing all the things that corals need to thrive.

At The Ocean Floor, we have everything that is needed to create the reef tank of your dreams!

purple reef

Reef-Ready Tanks, Stands, Sumps, and Plumbing

A phenomenal reef setup begins with picking the correct tank, stand, and filtration for you. The Ocean Floor carries a tremendous variety of Reef-Ready tanks in all shapes and sizes.

But wait… I don’t see the exact shape and size that I want! No problem. We can have a custom tank created to fit the vision you have for your future reef.

Once you have picked out the tank and stand that your heart desires, let us help you find the filtration needed to keep your tank thriving. A sump is widely regarded as the most successful filtration method for reef keeping.

A sump is a low point tank that will house your filter socks, protein skimmer, heater, return pump, and any other equipment you employ to keep pristine water quality in your reef.

An Ocean Floor Sales Associate will guide you to a sump that will work best with the dimensions and needs of your reef tank. Custom sumps can also be created if you don’t find exactly what you had in mind.

Just let us know the specifics and we will work with you to create the sump of your dreams.

Coral Tank Assembly

Now that you have your tank, stand, and sump you need to get everything put together! Plumbing can be a hassle, but with some help from the staff at The Ocean Floor, it doesn’t have to be.

We carry a huge selection of plumbing supplies specific to aquariums. If you let us know what you are trying to accomplish, we can find the plumbing accessories that you need to get the job done the first time.

No more inspecting all the fittings at the hardware store for hours trying to find the piece that you need to get your tank going.

Of course if you REALLY, REALLY hate plumbing we can take care of that too! The Ocean Floor offers delivery and installation on all of our reef tanks (pricing varies).

You don’t have to be super handy to enjoy your very own piece of the ocean in your living room.

Lighting

What light you choose for your reef tank is extremely important! Most corals receive the vast majority of their nutrition from photosynthesis. They convert light into food.

Without proper light, the corals will starve to death. There are literally hundreds of options for lighting on the market right now.

What lighting you will need for your corals will depend on what types of corals that you are trying to keep. The size of the tank matters as well.

If you’ll let one of the sales associates know the specifics of your tank we can show you the perfect lights for your needs. We carry a variety of T5 and LED lighting options (preferred lighting for corals).

Saltwater

Once you have your tank ready you will need to fill it with saltwater. We do not recommend using tap water for this.

Water for a coral reef needs to be high-quality water commonly referred to as RO/DI water.

This water has been specially filtered to have extremely low TDS (total dissolved solids). High TDS water such as water directly from the tap can have numerous negative side effects.

These include coral death from Chlorine, excessive algae growth in the aquarium, and poor coloration and growth of the corals. The Ocean Floor sells RO/DI water by the gallon and we even carry containers to take it home in!

After the tank is initially filled with RO/DI water, a synthetic salt needs to be added to the tank and mixed to the correct salinity (1.024-1.026).

We carry a variety of synthetic salt brands at The Ocean Floor. Some of our brands are:

  • Instant Ocean
  • Red Sea
  • Fritz

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of having to buy RO/DI water and mixing the salt, our Catalina Water may be just for you.

Catalina Water is saltwater that has been pulled from the ocean, filtered, sterilized and shipped to our store. We use Catalina water on many of our tanks with absolutely tremendous success including great polyp extension, color, and growth.

Our Typical Inventory

Acan

Acropora

Alveopora

Birdsnest

Blastomussa

Brain Coral

Bubble coral

Candy Cane

Carnation coral

Chalice

Cynarina

Cyphastrea

Duncan

Elegance

Euphyllia (Hammer, torch, Frogspawn)

Favia

Favites

Fungia plate

Goniastrea

Gonipora

Leather

Lobophyllia

Milipora

Montipora

Mushroom

Palythoa

Pavona

Pectinia

Pocillopora

Porites

Scolymia

Stylophora

Trachyphyllia

Trumpet coral

Tubastrea (sun coral)

Turbinatia

Wellsophyllia

Xenia

Zoathid

Acan Lord Feeding

Assorted Coral Frags

Green Plate Coral (Fungia)

Scolymia

Zooanthid Combo

EMPLOYMENT

 Want to work with us?

Fill out our employment application and email the completed form to dan@oceanfloorstore.com.

LOCATION

2347 West Thomas Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85015

Phone: (602) 254-8252

One block east of the I-17 on Thomas Road
See our store on a map

STORE HOURS

Mon-Fri 11am-7pm
Sat 10am-7pm
Sun 11am-6pm

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