SPS Under PC Lighting

dgonci

dgonci

Member
I am aware that the majority of everyone will say that SPS can not be kept under PC lighting, but I was curious as to anyone ho has actually kept SPS under PC sucessfully. If you have please share your experiences. Please refrain from posting about how you cant and it is impossible. There are enough of those threads on here. I got to wondering about this after reading several articles online from reputable sources about haveing too much light for corals. For example, deepwater SPS types that people say require MH lighting when there is no way they get that much light in the ocean.
 
jerryatrick

jerryatrick

Active Member
I was given a small frag of german blue polyp digi about 3 months ago. It has doubled in size under PC. I have had it placed at the bottom and the upper half of a 24 inch deep tank. I currently run 130 watts of PC over a 44 gallon hex.
Here is the problem. The type of SPS I have is supposed to have a blue/purple color. It is brown as we speak.
I am one the few PC lighting supporters on this board and I will not suggest SPS under PC. Under PC you can keep all LPS and softies which is very nice IMO.
 
spiderwoman

spiderwoman

Active Member
There's the problem... you can keep SPS under PC's but all you'll have is brown, brown and a shade of brown. The beauty of SPS's is the variaety of brilliant colors that truly come to live under proper lights.
 
keri

keri

Active Member
Yup, you can have many varieties of "Brownopora" :)
I _have_ heard tho that there are a few species of monti that will do allright under PC (probably the ones that are brown to begin with) if nothing else, they will add different Shapes to your tank.
 
fcatch76

fcatch76

Member
just keep them as close to the lights as possible. I have three clams (maximas and derasa) that are doing great. Granted I have the nano 4.36 upgrade for my 29 biocube which puts 144watts to the tank. I have also recently purchased from SWF.com a green Stylophora which is also doing great and green..
HTH
 
m0nk

m0nk

Active Member
I had monti-caps and monti-digita under PC's for about 8 months and they were all going brown. In fact, I didn't even realize that my green monti-caps were actually supposed to be green w/blue polyps until I had them under MH for a few months. They're beautiful now. I agree with everyone else, under PC all you'll have is brown.
 
1knight164

1knight164

Member
Originally Posted by SrgVigil
http:///forum/post/2757111
Hey knight do you know of any saltwater societies around us>?
Nothing in Riverside. I know of one is in San Bernadino County, Inland Reefs, but I believe it's more like Victorville area. The only other one I know that's close is in North County SD, North County Reef and Marine Aquarium Society. I'm not a member of either so I don't have too many details. Would be nice if they had one in our county!!!
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
Originally Posted by dgonci
http:///forum/post/2756817
For example, deepwater SPS types that people say require MH lighting when there is no way they get that much light in the ocean.

you have to remember light is just one variable. particularly the daily supply of appropriate size zooplankton that SPS eat cant be matched in the home. Flow, water quality and probably other elemental factors are involved as well. Light is probably the closest thing to perfect that we do.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
There are several reefers here locally that are switching to T-5 setups. And they have sps dominated tanks.
 
1knight164

1knight164

Member
Originally Posted by SrgVigil
http:///forum/post/2763734
Then Ill be out of the state and in college when you come back

haha
That sucks. There are a lot of local hobbyists (addicts) at SD Reefs. Sold all my stock to 2 guys, one has a 525 gallon (Fallbrook), the other has a 270 (Wildomar). I have 2 guys coming tomorrow for the LR. I went to see the Fallbrook guys 525. WOW!!! He built the stand himself. Anyway, you may want to check SD Reefs out. There are a few Murrieta, Temecula guys there. And good luck in college.
 
dgonci

dgonci

Member
Thanks for all the responses, especially myzislow with the pictures. It pretty much confirms what Ive read other places, that depending on the set up you can keep certain ones. It seems to really come down to doing your homework and determining what the requirements are for teh praticular species. I have two at the moment, an orange digitata, and a green ORA hawkins Echinata which has good color. The latter is a deepwater SPS which would never even have the type of light reaching it that MH would put off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top