Lights for birdsnest coral

[Bobbitworm13]

I am setting up a 30g mantis tank (N. wennerae or G. smithii) and would like to do some corals. What lights should I use for Birdsnest coral. I know they are listed as difficult but that is because of water quality from what I have read. If there is another reason they are difficult please tell me.

 

[Sk8r]

Correct spectrum of intense lighting, very high flow, immaculate water quality (not easy in a predator tank). Could be done, but an expert might have problems. You must also supplement calcium continually (can be done with kalk in the ATO, but you need an ATO).
They are one of the easier SPS corals, but SPS is the bleeding edge of reef care science and equipment.

Let me be a bit more helpful. SOFTIE corals will do quite nicely with lower lighting and flow, and with higher levels of food in the water. Purple mushrooms, kenya tree (branches like a birdsnest, but is totally soft) and doesn't need calcium supplement, just reasonably clean water.

 

[Bobbitworm13]

I like the Kenya tree. What is a good light for that coral? Could I do a rock flower anemone or a Haitian reef anemone

 

[nmotz]

Keeping a birdsnest can be done in a mantis tank, but as Sk8r mentioned, it is difficult. I have several varieties and they all like high flow (greater than 50x tank volume/hour, preferably 75-100x) but have different sensitivities to light. My Seriatopora Hystrix (pink/green variety) likes high light but S. Guttatus doesn't need quite as much light. S. Caliendrum also prefers more light. You'll have to plan out how you want to place these corals with respect to your lighting. Overall I've had the most success/growth with S. Hystrix and S. Caliendrum.

They do need regular additions of Ca/Alk but are especially sensitive to changes in Alk in my experience.

 

[Sk8r]

T5 lighting for softies. Or low LED.

 

[heathlindner25]

Intense lighting is not recommended for mantis tanks. Research shell rot.

 

[Bobbitworm13]

Shell rot only occurs in the deeper water species. Originally I was going to do a peacock mantis shrimp but there aren't as many corals that I liked that could be kept with a peacock mantis because low lighting is a must. Both N. wennerae and G. smithii are shallow water species

 

[Bobbitworm13]

Would my F15T8-AR-FS light work its 15 watt

 

[nmotz]

Would my F15T8-AR-FS light work its 15 watt

Which fixture is it? A 15 watt T8 fixture isn't a lot of light and definitely wouldn't grow SPS. Is it a single bulb fixture?

It is true that high light tanks increase the spread of shell rot, but I would argue that there is currently no scientific link between high light and the occurrence of shell rot. Peacock mantis shrimp frequently get shell rot in the wild where they dwell in relatively low light conditions. It seems more likely that poor water quality causes shell rot that then proliferates in high light conditions. High light is not the cause, but it does enhance the effects of shell rot.

There are researchers that keep Peacocks in full up reef tanks with high lighting, it's just that they maintain great water quality. I will agree that for the average hobbyist, it's probably best to run a low light tank for a Peacock just to be safe, but it is doable to keep a Peacock in a reef tank. I have one!

 

[Bobbitworm13]

Yes it is a single bulb fixture but I have two. Sk8r scared me from sps and instead I'm doing softies like a Kenya tree. Would two of these be enough for softies or do I need to get different lights/more lights? Also could I keep a rock flower anemone?

 

[nmotz]

Sk8r is probably right, I think that softies would be a good place to start if you don't have a lot of experience with coral. Trust me, I started with SPS and lost a lot of coral trying to figure things out.

You'll probably be ok with just the one fixture for most soft corals, but make space for the second one just to be sure. Best of luck to you!

 

[Bobbitworm13]

Thanks for all the advice

 

[heathlindner25]

The Kenya Trees will grow in a 5 gallon bucket with a Coleman lantern. The Rock flowers are anemones, and need Reef lighting.

 

[Timfish]

Here's a picture of Birdsnest showing the variation of color influenced by light intensity for your reference. This picture was under MH, with the more intense blue spectrum in LEDs the pink and purple coloration will develop at a PAR roughly 20% lower.



In my experience over the years Birdsnest is very tolerant of phosphates and nitrates so should do fine with the higher nutrients in a mantis tank. (The above system has no filtration and can be seen here: http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA ) What it is not nearly as tolerant of compared to most other stoney corals is exposure to air and it has a lower acceptable temperature range.