Tank conditions needed for coral?

[treg]

What tank conditions are needed before I can start adding Some coral? I would like to add some montipora digitata.
The cycle is complete and I believe I have good lighting. Four 46.5" T5's on an IceCap 660 ballast. Two 03's one 50/50 and one Aquasun.

 

[elan]

i would say that after a couple of months of good water quality, you can start adding hardy corals like mushrooms, leathers, etc...
I belive the following is a decent guideline, but should be varied depending on your particular setup... you will have to do some research on the corals you want, the habitat they come from and see if you can provide a similar environment for success....
or, like me... add and pray...lol...
(NH3/NH4)) Ammonia0
(NO2) Nitrite0
(NO3) Nitrate0
(Ca) Calcium400-450
(KH) Carbonate Alk2.9
pH8.1 - 8.3
Salinity1.023
temp76-82
(PO4) phosphate0
Strontium10 - 16
iodine0.06
(Fe) Iron0
mag
Silicates0

 

[timsedwards]

HI there,
Yes I agree with above, all apart from silicates. Silicates are a necessary part of the reef aquarium, SiO2's are needed in some moderation. You will find if you use RO/DI water that should keep SiO2's at the right level.
BTW Alk should be 9-12 dKH depending on Ca Levels. How will/are you maintaining these levels?
All the best,
Tim.

 

[dburr]

Montipora is a SPS. LIGHTS ARE NEEDED. Metal halide lights.
Not T5's. They are not brite enough. You may get by, but it wont thrive.
After that your water needs to be good. If you are growing coraline you can grow SPS. But, you will to keep up with the calcium and alk.

 

[jarvis]

I would wait a few months. Longer the better. It is important that you get a full understanding of how your water chemistry works.
I was always was under the impresion that montipora was one of the less light demanding SPS that can actualy do pretty well under STRONG VHOs. I could be wrong.

 

[elan]

interesting....i always thought silicates were bad for the tank and should be 0...
Also, with the Alk, i guess there are many different measurments... some by meqs.. which is what i was refering too.

 

[sammystingray]

Even if you say they are watt for watt with metal halides, which I still doubt and haven't seen proven to my satisfaction, then you would need six T5s to equal a couple 150 watt halides on a 90 gallon....90 gallons are deep, and for a SPS tank, if that is what you have in mind, I would have to suggest 400 watt halides on a 90 due to depth.......In my opinion, a 90 gallon would need about 12-15 T5s to have a full blown SPS reef tank. I am merely assuming you are trying for a SPS tank due to the first coral being one. Four T5s won't cut it in my opinion. One point the comparison tests often over look is the "ripple effect" produced by halides. The ripples you see on the bottom when using point source lights, such as halide pendants, is actually the water being distorted......at certain times, the light from a metal halide pendant may actually be magnified to double it's output, and this blasts a coral every few seconds with a magnified beam twice as strong as the halide itself. The jury is still out on the T5s, they are just too new to know long term successes.

 

[treg]

Originally posted by dburr
Montipora is a SPS. LIGHTS ARE NEEDED. Metal halide lights.
Not T5's. They are not brite enough. You may get by, but it wont thrive.
Im curious, Is this from personal experience with T-5 lights and/or M. Digitata?
I am by far a pro at this hobby, I'm just a noob that has done alot of reading in the past 2 months. This is my first experience with a SW tank and any type of HO lighting. Is why I come here and ask questions.
From what I have been reading I have the same impression as jarvis. "montipora was one of the less light demanding SPS that can actualy do pretty well under STRONG VHOs." So that is one of the main reasons I was looking to keep M. digitata. Of course, as jarvis says, we could be wrong. Maybe someone like me needs to try it to see? Im more then willing to try someting new. Its why spent an extra $80 on a T5 retro vrs the VHO.
elan and tim,
Thanks for the reply. I am using Salifert test kits that I bought from this site and testing two times a week if not more. Ive had them for 6 weeks and they are 1/2 used up! Now thanks to you guys it looks like I need to buy a couple more!
Sammy,
Thanks for the input. I have seen MH lighting and would not claim that my T-5s have the same output or the same ripple effect as MH. BTW 48" (54w) T-5's on an IceCap ballast are "Overdriven" and are actually 85w per bulb, according to IceCap. Giving me in the area of 340w with my 4 bulbs. I do believe the T-5's are brighter then the VHO's, that I have seen anyway. They really do put out ALOT of light. Almost blinding light. I almost fell over the first time I fired them up!
Another thought I had was I am able to put the T-5 lights closer to the water (less then 3" right now) then I would be able to do with MH. I do not think that makes them better I just think it could help them some? What do you think? The tank depth is a concern too and I was planning to put the corals up the tank some on some live rock.
Full blown SPS Reef isnt exactly my goal here. I really like the M. Digitata and have read that it can be a good choice for a "first timmer" like myself. If I were to try more SPS afterwards, with out a doubt it would be some of the lower light demanding ones.
I would Love to have two 400w MH hanging over the tank but it just isnt possible right now or anytime soon. So if the T-5 just simply will not cut it... Then I need to find a new coral I like.

 

[elan]

i would start looking for another coral.... (sorry)... SPS are very demanding..
Also, dont bother getting a bunch of test kits yet... you are months away from needing all of that.

 

[bang guy]

IMO a Montipora digitata will thrive under T-5's overdriven by an IceCap with no problems at all.
Treg I believe you're on the right track. From your post it appears to me you have done your homework and know that most SPS will be out of reach of your lights. Montipora is one of the few exceptions and I believe it's an excellent choice. Place it as high as possible right in the middle of the bulbs. It will take some time to encrust on the rock you mount it to but then it should take off quickly from there.
My only concern is the age of your tank. Montipora doesn't react well to changing water conditions and young tank are notoriously unstable. Food is another concern. An established sandbed produces a lot of zooplankton that is readily enjoyed by Montipora. Your odd of success increase with every month you allow the tank to mature.
It will also enjoy a lot of water flow.
Guy

 

[ajroc31]

It is hard to believe taht everyone has these perfect conditions in their tanks. It is virtually impossible to keep them at perfect levels. The zeros that you found are ideal, but I really doubt that they can be accomplished. You will never get the phosphorous completly out of the tank. Same for nitrates. Keep them as low as possible. As for nitrates being bad for your corals, as one person to provide professional research data to support it. Keep it at .20 ppm and it will be ok. Nitites and ammonia are easy to control, and can and should be kept at 0.As for salinity and temp. it all depends on corals and fish. What may be good for one, it may not be for another. That's my biggest problem with this hobby: everyone constantly uses general information. Nature is very specific, especially the oceans.