lighting and corals?

[seasalt101]

ok i'm looking at corals and everyone says if you have mh lights the sky is the limit, ok i have mh lights (still in box, not quite ready to tackle installation) alot of corals requirements are medium light, i have 5.23 watts per gal. would i just place these types of corals deeper in the tank or just stay away from those corals, i know this is a stupid question, but i need to know the answer don't want to do anything wrong and anyone who responds i will have a similar question regarding flow posted shortly after this one thanks everyone tobin :help:

 

[johnny84]

In my opinion you can't have too much light, the more light the better, so I would place your corals where you want them, see how they react and if you need to move them then do so.

 

[cdangel0]

You're exactly right, lower light corals shoulsd be placed lower in the tank then higher light corals.
I have some that prefer to be in the sahde and have no light - they are placed under overhangs.

 

[reefnut]

What wattage are your MHs and how deep is your tank?
Coral placement is very important but many "medium" light corals will thrive in a high light area...

 

[seasalt101]

my tank is 28 in deep, the lights are 250w 20000k (which i might be swapping out for some 10000k) 785w, 750w are mh the rest of the wattage is in actinics, moonlights, hope that helps thanks again tobin

 

[reefnut]

That's a pretty deep tank... you will need the more light demanding corals in the upper part of the tank. Again a lot of medium light corals will do very well in high light areas... start them at the bottom when you first get them (to get them used to the MHs) and move them up the rock work slowly over a several weeks until they get to the spot you want them. Even low light corals should do ok low in the tank... and as Cdangel0 said, you can place them under overhangs so they do not get direct light.
There is no cut and dry answer. The key is to do research on each coral. Ask around to see what others have had success with... and keep a close eye on the corals to see if any are not doing well... not opening all the way, looking poorly, etc.

 

[seasalt101]

thanks reefnut, where in wy. are you i was working in the rock springs area for quite awhile till i got sick

 

[reefnut]

I live west of rock springs in evanston. lots of work around here right now...

 

[seasalt101]

when i got sick i was at the hospital in rock springs and they ambulanced me and this old guy to salt lake city well the old guy died along the way so we had to drop off the body in evanston at some hospital there, apparently you can't cross a state line without being pronounced dead....sorry for the morbid story tobin