cicadae
New Member
I am new to this. I am interested in ensuring the correct lighting for my corals. I think what I have is wrong. When I read on lighting, I struggle with the complexity. I would like to tell you about my tank and what I have and if you would be so kind as to advise on anything you read, I would be grateful.
Tank = 90 gallons. This 90 gallon tank has been fishless and cycling for a month.
fish = 5 ocellaris clowns and one goby (the clowns are tank bred and raised together and so far get along fine) These have been in the tank for 2 days.
LR = lots and lots of it (sorry, didn't measure)
filtration = two marineland canister filters, one 50 gallon and one 100 gallon. Protein skimmer died and I am saving for an octopus over the back as advised by this forum.
Corals = top of tank: blue anthelia (doing well because I feed it daily), various zoos and palys as well as some interesting russet colored mushrooms (all doing relatively well).
Middle of tank = More zoos (doing relatively well but some do not open very often), a new red flame blastomussa colony (not as bright as when it came in but seems ok), a superman montipora (crossing my fingers here but seems not to have changed..its not as bright and amazing as I thought it would be but seems not stressed), and two rhodactis mushrooms (placed into the shaded areas but still look totally miserable folded over onto themselves).
ricordia mushrooms seem to have lost some of their color but are multiplying.
bottom of tank = purple and green mushrooms (seem happy), a few zoos doing well, and a wellsophellia brain (sometimes looks good, sometimes looks bruised. Just when I think I should never had added something so complicated, it perks up)
Lights = new light that came with new tank when I switched from the 55 gallon ...coralife 50/50 48' long t8 32 watt
Two 18 inch lights = 1. coralife 15 watt 10,000 k
2. coral sun 420 actinic 15 watt
and finally two 12 inch LED strips purchased by my pet shop man (box had no details) appear to be "stunner lights" at 6 watts each. These did not come mounted and get VERY hot so I have them resting on small rocks to keep them from the glass top of the tank.
Water parameters = 0 ammonia
PH 8.0 (i have been dosing using the proper PH 8.2 for the last three days but am tired of adding chemicals into my tank. My pet shop owner says continue to add the purple up daily and it will adjust itself).
nitrites 0
salinity 1.026
These are the only things I have been advised to test for.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts
Karen
Tank = 90 gallons. This 90 gallon tank has been fishless and cycling for a month.
fish = 5 ocellaris clowns and one goby (the clowns are tank bred and raised together and so far get along fine) These have been in the tank for 2 days.
LR = lots and lots of it (sorry, didn't measure)
filtration = two marineland canister filters, one 50 gallon and one 100 gallon. Protein skimmer died and I am saving for an octopus over the back as advised by this forum.
Corals = top of tank: blue anthelia (doing well because I feed it daily), various zoos and palys as well as some interesting russet colored mushrooms (all doing relatively well).
Middle of tank = More zoos (doing relatively well but some do not open very often), a new red flame blastomussa colony (not as bright as when it came in but seems ok), a superman montipora (crossing my fingers here but seems not to have changed..its not as bright and amazing as I thought it would be but seems not stressed), and two rhodactis mushrooms (placed into the shaded areas but still look totally miserable folded over onto themselves).
ricordia mushrooms seem to have lost some of their color but are multiplying.
bottom of tank = purple and green mushrooms (seem happy), a few zoos doing well, and a wellsophellia brain (sometimes looks good, sometimes looks bruised. Just when I think I should never had added something so complicated, it perks up)
Lights = new light that came with new tank when I switched from the 55 gallon ...coralife 50/50 48' long t8 32 watt
Two 18 inch lights = 1. coralife 15 watt 10,000 k
2. coral sun 420 actinic 15 watt
and finally two 12 inch LED strips purchased by my pet shop man (box had no details) appear to be "stunner lights" at 6 watts each. These did not come mounted and get VERY hot so I have them resting on small rocks to keep them from the glass top of the tank.
Water parameters = 0 ammonia
PH 8.0 (i have been dosing using the proper PH 8.2 for the last three days but am tired of adding chemicals into my tank. My pet shop owner says continue to add the purple up daily and it will adjust itself).
nitrites 0
salinity 1.026
These are the only things I have been advised to test for.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts
Karen
