fishkiller
Active Member
I'm getting another light soon, but I would like to know what will grow, or at least stay alive under 2 wpg for now? I know ricordias and some polyps will survive under low light, but i need a list.
What will survive under 2 wpg?
- Thread starter fishkiller
- Start date
fishkiller
Active Member
WPG?
j21kickster
Active Member
sponges- gorgonians-tunicates and other filter feeders but i wouldnt suggest them unless you are an experienced reefer - but by the question i dont think you would be ready for them yet- <---honest, not meant to be mean statement.
fishkiller
Active Member
GOTCHYA!! Can't say WPG anymore.-thanx
kelly
Member
What kind of lights are they? Kelvin rating, and wattage? What size tank?
There a quite a few things that will survive under 2 wpg if using the right spectrum. They may not flourish, but will survive. The list includes gorgonians, mushrooms, ricordia, green star polyps, button polyps, frogspawn, yellow polyps, some sinularias, sun polyps, some sponges, etc.
If you have 2 bulbs, I would recommend one be a 10,000K triton, and the other an actinic. If possible use a good reflector to enhance the light output. I have raised all of the above except the sun polyps on less light than 2 wpg, and they have lived several years that way.
I think that xenia do not require a lot of light either. I'm sure there are others that are not photosynthetic or do not need much light, but I cannot think of any at the current time.
Best wishes
There a quite a few things that will survive under 2 wpg if using the right spectrum. They may not flourish, but will survive. The list includes gorgonians, mushrooms, ricordia, green star polyps, button polyps, frogspawn, yellow polyps, some sinularias, sun polyps, some sponges, etc.
If you have 2 bulbs, I would recommend one be a 10,000K triton, and the other an actinic. If possible use a good reflector to enhance the light output. I have raised all of the above except the sun polyps on less light than 2 wpg, and they have lived several years that way.
I think that xenia do not require a lot of light either. I'm sure there are others that are not photosynthetic or do not need much light, but I cannot think of any at the current time.
Best wishes
xxvietxjustinxx
Member
I have 300 watts of lighting in a 180 gallon tank. I have mushrooms, polyps, and some leathers. They all seem to flourish, waiting for my 3x250 watt MH / 4x60 in. VHO actinic!
fishkiller
Active Member
So I really do not even need to buy a light huh? I should be ok.
but i need an actinic. Do they make em for NO's?
but i need an actinic. Do they make em for NO's?
fishkiller
Active Member
Lebowski- I have a 29 gallon also. Is the light 30 or 32 in.? I don't have a d_mn tape measurer here. I lost it.
radge69
Member
I don't mean to flame Kelly's opinion, but xenia need more light than that. You need at least a decent power compact setup to grow xenia. I also wouldn't do a frogspawn under anything below a PC setup. Just too risky on the animals part and also on the owners part in investing a good chunk of change into a coral only to watch it slowly die off. Just my opinion of course.
hairtrigger
Active Member
How about we cram your ugly scorpion fish looking a$$ into the tank and see if you survive? How's that sound buck tough nutz? Hmmmm? How would u like that?
NO NO PEOPLE, I'm not being rude. I know him. Sorry. I'm retarded. Late night at work.
Anyways, fish, when I come up there next, we can go to the crappy LFS and I'll show you some of the things these folks are talking about. No worries. Lata yall.
NO NO PEOPLE, I'm not being rude. I know him. Sorry. I'm retarded. Late night at work.
Anyways, fish, when I come up there next, we can go to the crappy LFS and I'll show you some of the things these folks are talking about. No worries. Lata yall.
hairtrigger
Active Member
PS--- I just got some sun polyps. You need to see them. Youll definitely like them for sure. But, they are a little more high maintenance than some corals. And depending on the size, they're expensive.
kelly
Member
Lebowski,
Yes, Frogspawn, the one that I have I have had for several years. A year ago Christmas, I added my 3rd 40W NO light, bringing up my lighting to a whopping 1.6 wpg. (a 75 gallon tank) Before that I ran 2 40W NO lights, being a approx 1 WPG. Yes the frogspawn did live, it did not recede, and it was getting new heads (it is a branching frogspawn). It has been fragged twice while growing under less than 2 WPG.
This year for Christmas, I upgraded to 4 65W PCs.
radge69,
The comment about the xenias was from one that I thought LOTR made a while back, saying the xenias do not need bright lighting. I did not recommend the xenias, but I stated the I thought that they did not require alot of light.
FishKiller,
I am not recommending that you do not upgrade you lights, if I were you I would seriously consider upgrading them. You asked what would survive, I gave you a list, although some may disagree, it does not change the facts.
Some corals may not flourish well under NO lighting, others will. Yes they do make actinics in regular fluorescent bulbs. I know coralife & blue moon both make them, and I am sure others do too.
There are many facts that alot of us are unaware of... This is a quote from LOTR: " many sps corals will thrive under vho lights. i have even read of a person who propagates them with normal output lights." I heard that Anthony Calfo has propogated SPS using NO lighting too. Find & provide the right conditions for the corals you wish to keep, and they will do well.
Water quality, current, calcium, alk, trace elements and temperature are just as important as proper lighting. Again, provide your corals with their needs, and they will do well regardless of what other think they know.
I hope no one takes offense to these comments, it was not meant to come of that way. No one thing is going to make your tank. Listen to what other have to say, do more research, sort out the good from the bad, and make a well informed intelligent decison.
Best wishes
Yes, Frogspawn, the one that I have I have had for several years. A year ago Christmas, I added my 3rd 40W NO light, bringing up my lighting to a whopping 1.6 wpg. (a 75 gallon tank) Before that I ran 2 40W NO lights, being a approx 1 WPG. Yes the frogspawn did live, it did not recede, and it was getting new heads (it is a branching frogspawn). It has been fragged twice while growing under less than 2 WPG.
This year for Christmas, I upgraded to 4 65W PCs.
radge69,
The comment about the xenias was from one that I thought LOTR made a while back, saying the xenias do not need bright lighting. I did not recommend the xenias, but I stated the I thought that they did not require alot of light.
FishKiller,
I am not recommending that you do not upgrade you lights, if I were you I would seriously consider upgrading them. You asked what would survive, I gave you a list, although some may disagree, it does not change the facts.
Some corals may not flourish well under NO lighting, others will. Yes they do make actinics in regular fluorescent bulbs. I know coralife & blue moon both make them, and I am sure others do too.
There are many facts that alot of us are unaware of... This is a quote from LOTR: " many sps corals will thrive under vho lights. i have even read of a person who propagates them with normal output lights." I heard that Anthony Calfo has propogated SPS using NO lighting too. Find & provide the right conditions for the corals you wish to keep, and they will do well.
Water quality, current, calcium, alk, trace elements and temperature are just as important as proper lighting. Again, provide your corals with their needs, and they will do well regardless of what other think they know.
I hope no one takes offense to these comments, it was not meant to come of that way. No one thing is going to make your tank. Listen to what other have to say, do more research, sort out the good from the bad, and make a well informed intelligent decison.
Best wishes
sammystingray
Active Member
A.L. BrianDs sig....."Always strive for the optimum environment, not the minimum"
j21kickster
Active Member
well said sammy
j21kickster
Active Member
you can also keep a person locked in a room and give them a bowl of beans a piece of bread and some water and they might live- but seriously what kind of life is that?
salty rick
Member
All right, I am offended about all of the NO lighting bashing going on. (only kidding, but I think some under estimate what you can do with NO lighting). I barely have 2 watts per gallon on my 55. My signature has a list of corals that I have. I think I have a pretty good reef tank that is thriving. Check out my webpage to see. I have had this one up and running for five years. Some of us don't have the bucks to sink into the preferred set up but I think you can start out slow and upgrade as you can afford it.
Lights are 2 40 watt 50/50, a 40 watt 10,000K and a 30 watt actinic bulb. A few months ago I only had 120 watts and the corals that I had were doing fine. Granted you are limited to mushrooms, polyps and other corals like Colts but you can enjoy these as much as the SPS's, clams and other high light corals. I have a frogspawn and it is doing fine.
I enjoy my tank and love the hobby. Yes I would like to have stronger lights and will probably upgrade sometime in the future. However, I think I have a NO lighted tank that is as enjoyable and as good looking as one with the strongest lighting in the universe.
This is my opinion and I apologize in advance if I have offended anyone.
Lights are 2 40 watt 50/50, a 40 watt 10,000K and a 30 watt actinic bulb. A few months ago I only had 120 watts and the corals that I had were doing fine. Granted you are limited to mushrooms, polyps and other corals like Colts but you can enjoy these as much as the SPS's, clams and other high light corals. I have a frogspawn and it is doing fine.
I enjoy my tank and love the hobby. Yes I would like to have stronger lights and will probably upgrade sometime in the future. However, I think I have a NO lighted tank that is as enjoyable and as good looking as one with the strongest lighting in the universe.
This is my opinion and I apologize in advance if I have offended anyone.
fishkiller
Active Member
Thanx yall!!! Thanx kelly, but I think you made some people a little upset. It's ok, they'll get over it... I just bought a 55W PC. Then my wonderful friend HairTrigger dumped it into my tank 5 hours after I bought it. Thanx .....idiot..
It's ok, they'll get over it... I just bought a 55W PC. Then my wonderful friend HairTrigger dumped it into my tank 5 hours after I bought it. Thanx .....idiot..