Lesser light demandidng SPS

[Craig Lambert]

I'm wondering if there is such a thing. I have VHO, but I have a ton of it. I have a 75G w/dsb 100 lbs lr, and 630 watts VHO. I run twin icecap ballasts with 2 110 watt 50/50's, 2 95 watt 50/50's and 2 110 watt super actinics. I have space available pretty high up on the rocks and was wondering if I could add a monti cap, or any others that you would recommend. TIA.

 

[SunnyX]

A monti cap, if kept high up will do fine. Monti Digi's should also be fine.

If you have a friend with an SPS tank see if you can grab a couple small frags of some stags and try them out.

You may not get the best color or growth but it is feasible.

 

[Wiskey]

I think stylophora will also do well, along with policipora.

Whiskey

 

[Maxxumless]

Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m no expert, but I know people that have some of the more [light] demanding SPS under a 100 less watts VHO in 80 & 90 gallon tanks and have been doing well for years. A monti would be no problem.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Pocillapora, Montipora, perhaps non-pink Seriatopora.

I've seen some Acropora do fairly well under VHO, but a stable tank with great water quality would be essential for good growth/color results IMO.

With great water quality, good flow - you can grow most of them. I'd be a little wary of some of the colorful Acropora [esp wild/ocean corals] as IME they can be tougher to color under strong MH. But - that doesn't mean there's not some captive ones that might do great.

I would consider changing some to daylight bulbs - I'm unsure of a source for VHO PAR information - but based on other bulbs would guess that a more `white' light would give off the most intensity/output. Just a guess, though - but perhaps worth consideration.

I'd start with a couple Montiporids [a digitata, a cap], Pocillapora - and get those guys thriving. See if you can find a reef club, a frag swap, some local SPS keeper to get them from. Ask them for corals that do well in medium light or lower in the tank, ask what's hardy ... it's nice to have real advice, instead of a LFS

Once you have new growth tips - add another variety ... growing a nice SPS reef is a long-term commitment - take it slow, look a year down the road. Even just cost-wise, it's wise to get a few frags, let them settle and grow and get your water quality perfect before getting more - nevermind the longer I'm in this hobby, IMO the better my taste in corals gets. I'm glad I left some space for future corals - as some of the corals I added last are the nicest of all.

Or so my opinion is. Your experience might differ.

 

[Craig Lambert]

Thanks for the input guys.

SunnyX, I think I'll go for the Caps.

Middletonmark,

I take water quality seriuosly. I run an AquaC EV-180 on a 75G and also have a fuge w/cheato. My pH swing is .1 from AM to PM. A,N,N are zero, and I use a Spectrapure 5 stage RODI. TDS is 0, and my tap water tds is only 35 to begin with. Calcium is 435, and I maintain Alk at 10.0 dKH, and Magnesium at 1350. I dose b-Ionic daily, half in the AM, the other half in PM. I change 10% of my water per week, and sometimes a bit more, mainly through daily water changes.

This is my second SW tank, and it's increadably stable. (I attribute part of that to having a home office which allows me to keep a close tab on things). I will drip kalk or get a reactor when fully stocked, but Kalk is a bit tricky when you're still adding things to the tank. I have kept lps with great success, but thought it would be interesting to add in a couple of SPS, even though mixed tanks aren't the easiest thing to do.

Your lighting comments reminded me that I do have some AquaSun bulbs around here. I know some of the vho clam keepers think highly of them, so that might be something to experiment with.

Thanks!

 

[MiddletonMark]

The clam people know a few things, indeed.

Sounds like being a coral in your tank is pretty good :thumbsup:

IMO, if you have LPS thriving in your water quality, don't get too hung up on polyp size.

I would strongly, strongly consider a QT tank or some practices for all new Acropora and Montipora. There's a couple pests that can be devastating, and it's become kind of a pain to be safe ... but I lost a number of grown-out Monti's in the last year to nudibranchs, once you've got a couple, play it safe.

Your first couple frags - probably not an issue, but worth knowing. Once you get a couple, keep in mind.

But I don't see a reason you can't keep most `SPS', and get pretty good color/growth out a few. IMO, Monti digitatas are a very rewarding first SPS as they quickly start encrusting, then growing - often fairly easy to color. In 6 months that frag is a nice little colony - in a year it grabs your attention. For plating Montipora - figure out it's space, get a nice one fairly early - and give it a few years.

At least at first with frags - good flow is not that tricky. Once the colony gets larger - flow will become something you'll need to consider more. Compared to other corals, IMO Acropora/Montipora/tightly branched digitate stony corals require more consideration of flow when they grow larger.

If you haven't checked out the stickied threads [`lets talk about __ in a sps tank'] ... they're a great read.

Sounds like you've got quite a handle on things. Use any locals you can - they often have some nice frags, good advice on their care too.

Anyway, I'm rambling ... I'll shut up now.
Keep us posted, with pics