Help selecting new corals?

[b2bwest]

I've just upgraded my lighting from current satelite duals (compact fluorescent) to halogen.
I have a 180 Gallon Tank with three (3) 250w halogen bulbs plus two (2) 96w CF bulbs.
I'd like to get a frog spawn, torch or long tentacle plate coral - wondering if my lighting qualifies as Strong Lighting or Medium Lighting??
ALso, since I'm new to LPS corals (I have a few soft corals in my tank), I'd like to hear which will be easier to keep and anything else I should know about LPS corals.
I have a Yellow Tang, a Hippo Tang, a Kole Tang, a coral beauty angel, 3 aquacultured clown fish, a peppermint shrimp, emerald crab, serpent star, lots and lots of micro stars, rasta leather, mushrooms, and kenya tree. I also have snails (mixed variety). I'm thinking of eventually getting a mandarin dragonet. I probably have about 150-160 pounds of LR and am continuing to add as I find unusual pieces locally.

 

[nordy]

Do you mean Metal Halide instead of halogen? That should be plenty of light for any of the corals you want to add. With a tank your size, vertical placement can give a good range of effective light levels-softies lower down, SPS up higher. I think your lighting would be classified as "strong" lighting. Regarding the LPS corals, the torch and frogspawn are pretty similar and in my experience pretty easy to keep. The only issue I have had is that my torch coral liked to send out some looooong tentacles to reach out and touch its neighbors and I eventually gave it away because I have too many others in close proximity. I have had a couple of long tentacle plate corals that died because a couple of my clowns decided to host them and they could not stand up to the attention. I gave those clowns away too and got a really cool very large plate coral from my LFS that's doing great. They should be placed on the sand bed only.

 

[mr_x]

i suggest a short tentacle plate, like the one pictured above instead of a long tentacle plate. it has a much better chance of survival.
also, the new light you have is considered "strong" lighting.

 

[b2bwest]

Originally Posted by Nordy
http:///forum/post/2895437
Do you mean Metal Halide instead of halogen?
Yes, I guess they are MH. They are "Mogul" Style.
I got this sytem used. How often do you change these types of bulbs and can you visible see them start to go? I heard 10 months - does that sound right.
I'll check out the plate corals. My clowns are tank raised (aquacultured) and I heard those will rarely host. They like to hang out at the top of my tank all day long - I've never seen them go low in the tank.
I like the look of frogspawn, but the plates look similar.

 

[wangotango]

Originally Posted by b2bwest
http:///forum/post/2895578
Yes, I guess they are MH. They are "Mogul" Style.
I got this sytem used. How often do you change these types of bulbs and can you visible see them start to go? I heard 10 months - does that sound right.
I'll check out the plate corals. My clowns are tank raised (aquacultured) and I heard those will rarely host. They like to hang out at the top of my tank all day long - I've never seen them go low in the tank.
I like the look of frogspawn, but the plates look similar.
10 months for the bulbs is about right. Some people replace them earlier, some later. You can't really notice a significant change with the

[hr]
eye though.
Aquacultured clowns can host, but there is no guarantee. I have a T/R pair of Ocellaris hosting a BTA.
-Justin

 

[b2bwest]

Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/2895641
10 months for the bulbs is about right. Some people replace them earlier, some later. You can't really notice a significant change with the

[hr]
eye though.
Aquacultured clowns can host, but there is no guarantee. I have a T/R pair of Ocellaris hosting a BTA.
-Justin
Thanks.
What is a BTA?

 

[jpkboca]

BTA = Bubble Tipped Anenome