Encrusting coral with low light needs

[ReefWhatYouSow]

This thread is designed to be an ongoing listing of encrusting corals (LPS and SPS) that like low to moderate light.

Please make sure to add what type of coral and what it's needs are for life and growth. Pictures are always welcome!

I'll start with chalices! One of my favorites for variety, colors, and the fact that they don't need a lot of light. Mine have been doing well between 70 and 80 par. I feed an additional bit of frozen foods (brine and mysis) about once a week. They do have sweepers that range in size so be careful how close you put them to other corals.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

Anybody else?

 

[Stolireef]

I'm not sure I'd rate a chalice as a low light coral. Any photosynthetic coral will need a fairly strong light (not necessarily a 400W MH, but something more than a strip light). What is your light system and how long have they been in your tank?

 

[bigzman]

My superman monti does great in the darker side of tank. Also my warcoral

 

[xCry0x]

Pretty sure my LFS had one of those smaller sized biocubes with trulumen light strips and some decently growing birdsnest and a very nicely plated chalice growing about halfway up.

I can't speak from personal experience though. Before I bought my LED system I had a couple of CFL lights and the softies I had at the top of the rockwork were reaching for the light as hard as they could, was actually funny seeing how BIG a mushroom gets when trying to get every ounce of light it can get.

 

[A sea K]

Picked up a Meteor Shower the other day and everything I find about them says low light low flow coral, low light to the point of being in shade even. Fast grower when happy as well.



Almost forgot, if you ever run across a encrusting gorgonian, RUN away from it. They will grow in most any condition, are very invasive and will require complete tank tear down to eradicate

 

[thorden]

My duncanops was doing poorly under my reef capable marineland leds. It's doing great under single brights though.

 

[Azedenkae]

Wait, how exactly do you define 'encrusting'? Just anything that basically merges and spreads their skeleton onto rock or the likes?

 

[JammyBirch]

ORA Red Planet, it will do well in any condition but if you want the green flesh on it it likes lower light and moderate flow for that. I just got this coral so we shall see how it performs.

 

[cloak]

I've got a few Leptastreas that aren't too demanding when it comes down to lighting and flow. These will encrust on the rocks much like a Montipora or a Chalice will. The two in the foreground started off as frags about the size of a dime. They were place on small pieces of rubble & Voila!

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

I decided to revive this thread as I disappeared on everyone, and I still have a rock wall towards the front of my tank that he's lower light.

I'm not sure I'd rate a chalice as a low light coral. Any photosynthetic coral will need a fairly strong light (not necessarily a 400W MH, but something more than a strip light). What is your light system and how long have they been in your tank?

The chalices have been in the tank now for over a year and they have been doing great on the growth. Unfortunately, they have been buried and stung over the year so they are in recovery mode.

Wait, how exactly do you define 'encrusting'? Just anything that basically merges and spreads their skeleton onto rock or the likes?

For encrusting I'm looking at corals that encrust but don't branch out. I know that acros etc encrust at the base but branch out. In this area of my tank there is no room to branch out. I have been looking at the psammacoras, lithos, and leptastreas. As well as leptos.


Let's see if we can get this going again after a year! Lol...



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sk8r]

An encrusting leather is fairly undemanding, but when it's annoyed it turns all purple and spits nastiness into the water, touching off every other coral. RUn carbon if you have one,

 

[nereefpat]

Cyphastrea