Open brains

[fishy all the time]

I am thinking about buying an open brain (green) nd I was wondering what kind of lighting I would need. My Local store told me that they were low light?!?! I dont know if I agree with this. I have 110 sub compacts (50/50) and two 15 watt blue (just for extra blue lighting). Is this enough? Where should I place it in the tank, near the top or towards the bottom? Thanks a lot!

 

[ak_reefer]

Open brain corals need strong lighting, low to moderate water flow, and perfect water conditions. Hope this helps.

 

[hondo]

Open Brains don't need alot of light but if your tank is a 55 with that lighting you probably need more light. I have a 50 with 220 PC lighting and curently have two open brains and they are doing great after six months

 

[nm reef]

I've seen open brains in lower lighting levels and they just don't seem to be as full and colorfull as those in tanks with higher levels of lighting.....
I would insure above average lighting...moderate/strong current...mature/stable system...additionally I'd keep calcium/alkalinity levels stable around 450ppm/2.8-3.5 meg/l...I've got several types of brains in my 55 reef with 4x65 watts of 10k pc & 2x110 watts of vho(actinic)

 

[mlm]

I keep my green open brain all the way at the top 3 inches from the top of the water. Thats were it gets the fullest.

 

[ubeturwrasse]

Ive found mine to be easy to keep. It does well under PC's.

 

[kris walker]

Hey fishy,
As suggested by Hondo, remember that one of hte main issues with light intensity is the area that the light is used to illuminate. For example, if you are spreading all those lumens from your lights over a 100 gallon tank (assuming standard dimentions), then that is really weak light for most corals. If you are spreading those lumens onto an area like say for a 29 gal, then you are fine for most corals.
Us knowing your tank size is probably not as important for the particular coral you mention because there seems to be a lot of variying opinions about light requirements for open brains. But as mentioned, if your tank is like a 55 or higher, it is probably a good idea to get more light.
sam