Corals?

[Tylerman]

I decided(since I will hopefully be joining MARS) to get some corals for my 29gal. I have a 17 watt, 50/50, 24inch bulb. The only thing that worries me is my cherub angel. I am willing to rehome him but first I want to get some corals to "test" him and make sure he wont nip them. Any coral reccomendations? (If any corals can be put in such conditions)
Thanks, Tyler

 

[Tylerman]

you can also email me about stuff at tolesen@pacbell.net

 

[Reefugee]

Tyler,

Before you get any corals, you will have to upgrade your lighting. 17watts of 50/50 isn't much light for a 29 gallon coral tank. The amount and type of light depends a lot on the type of coral you want to keep. However as a very rough rule, you want about 4 watts per gallon (3 watts per gallon at the minimum). So for your 29 gallon, you will want about 120 watts.

To give you an idea, I have a 12gallon nano tank with 24watts. That's 2 watts per gallon. I have a very difficult time trying to keep any coral in that tank. You're at roughly 0.6 watts per gallon.

As far as corals good for beginners, look for soft corals (zoas, leathers, toadstool, mushrooms, ricordea, and so on). LPS are also relatively easy to keep. SPS can be much more difficult. When you upgrade your light, let me know and I will try to hook you up with some corals (leather and mushroom).

Minh

 

[dots]

You look like a mushroom, zoa, softie coral type a guy which are easy to start with. They tend to be plentiful, and easy on the budget. You will be able to find all kinds of colors in the zoanathids, and some interesting variations in mushrooms to get your "feet", but more like "arms wet" in corals.

Minh is correct, you are a tad on the dim side....a Powercompact strip is easy to find......those are fairly common and may be able to find one cheaper used rather than new....but even then aren't too bad........

 

[Tylerman]

I guess the guy on the other forum at CVR was wrong because he said mushrooms and leather and toadstool dont need alot of light at all. ok thanks for the info and sorry to bug you with my newb questions.

 

[dots]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8522366#post8522366 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tylerman
I guess the guy on the other forum at CVR was wrong

Not to say he was wrong per se, and it may be possible....but with you just getting into this I myself would er on the side of giving conservative advice to ensure your greatest odds for success. (I assume that would be Minh's motivation as well) Buying more lighting than you currently need is never a bad investment....as you move up in the coral difficulty level, there will be demand for more and more lighting. So investing in a few more watts now will not be wasted in the long run.

You just realized a valuable thing.....opinions vary and you need to come to your own conclusions based on others opinions and experiences. What I believe may not be the gospel truth because the hobby is still relatively new and only a few things are set in stone.

Ask all the questions you need, your going to have alot....thats why we are here.....just learn as much as you can so when I have a problem, you can help me.....deal?

 

[Tylerman]

ok I didnt really plan to get any difficult corals because I only really like softies and mushrooms anyway but I guess Im gonna return the light and get a more powerful light. Thaks for the info!

 

[Tylerman]

Does anyone know if petco in davis has any lights of the wattage I need?

 

[FunGuy]

Do some research on the types of lights available. Lots of the online places give the best prices. You should consider things such as initial cost, running cost, type of lighting (Mh, T5 or PC), what you plan to hold in your tank, and etc.

What's the width of your tank?

 

[Reefugee]

Tyler -

Even if I was trying to be very generous, 0.6 watts per gallon is really low and probably wouldn't work. The 4 watt per gallon is a common recommendation for an all purpose tank. With 4 watts of PC, you should be able to keep some of the simple SPS. I would still say the absolute lowest amount of light is 2 watt per gallon. Like I said - I have a nano cube with 2 watts per gallon, and corals don't grow very well in it. My work tank has about 3.5 watts per gallon, and corals grow much better in it. Another thing you need to consider is the that light bulbs will have to be replaced every 12 months.

Post some pictures of your current setup, and maybe we can give you more advice for lighting. Do you want a light fixture or do you want a retrofit light? Do you want PC or MH? Last - I would not purchase them from Petco. Petco is way overpriced on products. Check out places like reefgeek.com, Marinedepot.com, or even in the used equipment forum.

Minh

 

[eagleONE]

Maybe. i know they carry a couple of coralife lighting hoods, but they're pretty expensive. I'm sure you can give it a look.

 

[Tylerman]

Do most aquarium stores have lights? I hate ordering things offline

 

[Tylerman]

hold on ill post some pics of my setup

 

[FunGuy]

Stores have some, but usually not as wide a selection. I'd consider doing the homework online and seeing if you can find it locally or used off a local. Lights can be awfully expensive to get.

 

[Tylerman]

how do I post pics! Its really complicated here!

 

[Tylerman]

?

 

[eagleONE]

when composing the msg.

right below where it says size.. it says IMG.


I think you should read up on lighting.. consider what are your options, how much lighting you want, and how much money you want to spend. Davis' Petco doesn't have it all. I think ordering online might be a better option. If not, there are a couple of stores in Sac you can check out.

 

[Reefugee]

Tyler,

Instead of trying to explain how to post a picture, I will point to a thread that does a great job. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=531326

Minh

 

[pbetito]

Tyler, there is a seller on ebay out of the bay area who sells power compacts 260 watts with bulbs for around 115 dollars shipped. He ships next day and they arrive 3 days after purchase max. I have had mine for like a year and they run strong. just search on ebay for power compact 260 and specify within 50 miles of where you live. Hope that helps.
Best of luck,
Paul

 

[Justin74]

That is a good deal Paul but might be a little to long, hey Tyler; what are your tanks dimensions? Do you have a hood or open top?

-Justin