starting corals
- Thread starter jsgreer1
- Start date
farslayer
Active Member
Definately NO lights then. I would not run any coral whatsoever under NO. PC lighting is not very expensive and would allow you to keep softies and LPS. No clams or SPS however. You would only need to worry about maintaining excellent water quality and make sure that your corals are not right next to each other. If you keep softies I recommend running reef carbon as it removes toxins that they release in the water. I have a 46G with PC lighting and I have a lot of softies and LPS and have no trouble keeping them.
farslayer
Active Member
First, you must buy new ballasts as your normal output bulbs have normal output ballasts so to speak; I'd recommend measuring the length of your tank and buying a new setup, preferrably one by Current USA (the Orbit model is schweet!).
LPS means "long polyp stony". These are corals with hard exoskeletons and long fleshy polyps. Good examples are the frogspawn, hammer and torch corals. These corals require PC lighting and low to moderate water flow. I have a tank with nothing but LPS and softies and I run a single powerhead to move my water around. LPS corals typically eat meat and can be spot fed whenever you want; they grow much faster this way, trust me!
Softies are corals with no skeletal base; they are soft. Good examples of softies are zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers, xenis, etc. They do well under PC lighting and low to moderate flow. I have two toadstools, a cabbage, eight types of zoos, star polyps, tons of softies. I think they're cool as can be so I get as many as I can.
If you get a Current USA light fixture (the Oribt model), you will get both blue (actinic) and white bulbs and can keep any LPS or softie you want. Stay away from SPS and clams as they require MH and heavy flow. Hope that helped!
LPS means "long polyp stony". These are corals with hard exoskeletons and long fleshy polyps. Good examples are the frogspawn, hammer and torch corals. These corals require PC lighting and low to moderate water flow. I have a tank with nothing but LPS and softies and I run a single powerhead to move my water around. LPS corals typically eat meat and can be spot fed whenever you want; they grow much faster this way, trust me!
Softies are corals with no skeletal base; they are soft. Good examples of softies are zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers, xenis, etc. They do well under PC lighting and low to moderate flow. I have two toadstools, a cabbage, eight types of zoos, star polyps, tons of softies. I think they're cool as can be so I get as many as I can.
If you get a Current USA light fixture (the Oribt model), you will get both blue (actinic) and white bulbs and can keep any LPS or softie you want. Stay away from SPS and clams as they require MH and heavy flow. Hope that helped!
murph
Active Member
Get a coralife or current (brand names) 30 inch 130 watt fixture with mounting legs. The fixture will be a bit wider than the tank but still mountable with the legs. Fixture will come with two half and half bulbs that you need to replace every six to eight months.
This will give you plenty of light for soft corals and large polyp stony. If you have a good LFS he should have his clams and SPS under halides so just don't shop for anything out of those holding tanks and you should be fine.
Your looking at an investment of no more than two hundred bucks for the fixture if you buy on-line. It will make a world of difference for your viewing pleasure also.
Lighting is about the only area of aquarium equipment I have not had problems with so either of the above mentioned brands should be fine. I would stear clear of the Odysea brand however. They are cheap and you get what you pay for.
I would suggest a few inexpensive shroom frags as a first coral just to make sure nothing is lurking in the tank that includes coral on the dinner menue.
This will give you plenty of light for soft corals and large polyp stony. If you have a good LFS he should have his clams and SPS under halides so just don't shop for anything out of those holding tanks and you should be fine.
Your looking at an investment of no more than two hundred bucks for the fixture if you buy on-line. It will make a world of difference for your viewing pleasure also.
Lighting is about the only area of aquarium equipment I have not had problems with so either of the above mentioned brands should be fine. I would stear clear of the Odysea brand however. They are cheap and you get what you pay for.
I would suggest a few inexpensive shroom frags as a first coral just to make sure nothing is lurking in the tank that includes coral on the dinner menue.
T
tampausmc
Guest
i just purchased the coral life 24" 130 watt 65x2 compact lighting....looks great and i enjoy the 2 LCDs for night time viewing.....very pleased with it
murph
Active Member
Originally Posted by tampausmc
i just purchased the coral life 24" 130 watt 65x2 compact lighting....looks great and i enjoy the 2 LCDs for night time viewing.....very pleased with it
Cool I didnt think you could get a 130 watt,24 inch fixture when I suggested the 30 inch so this is better yet fit wise.
Good luck.
i just purchased the coral life 24" 130 watt 65x2 compact lighting....looks great and i enjoy the 2 LCDs for night time viewing.....very pleased with it
Cool I didnt think you could get a 130 watt,24 inch fixture when I suggested the 30 inch so this is better yet fit wise.
Good luck.
pfitz44
Active Member
Yea.. the bulbs that they use in the 30" fixture are 24" bulbs.
Different people will say different things, and here is my 2 cents:
If you plan on keeping your 20 gallon with corals, you may need to look at what fish you have in there now. Currently, i have a 20 long, and i have just corals in it, and they are all softies. Personally, i wouldnt put anything but softies under PC lighting. SPS, LPS, Clams, and Anenomies definitly need the MH lighting IMO.
My corals include:
Pipe organ
3 types of zoos
3 types of mushrooms
kenya tree
carnation tree
green tree
"Screeming green" tree
orange tree
yellow kenya toadstool
ricordia
green polyp toadstool
xenia
GSP
Sun coral
I think thats it. Definitly doenst restict you at all though.
Good Luck!
Fitzy
Different people will say different things, and here is my 2 cents:
If you plan on keeping your 20 gallon with corals, you may need to look at what fish you have in there now. Currently, i have a 20 long, and i have just corals in it, and they are all softies. Personally, i wouldnt put anything but softies under PC lighting. SPS, LPS, Clams, and Anenomies definitly need the MH lighting IMO.
My corals include:
Pipe organ
3 types of zoos
3 types of mushrooms
kenya tree
carnation tree
green tree
"Screeming green" tree
orange tree
yellow kenya toadstool
ricordia
green polyp toadstool
xenia
GSP
Sun coral
I think thats it. Definitly doenst restict you at all though.
Good Luck!
Fitzy