noob looking for advice

[JJ21]

Hi everybody! I have a 29 gallon Biocube with stock lighting, and the stock pump(I believe it is around the neighborhood of 294gph). I already have a neon green candy cane coral/caulastrea and a ricordia yuma. Both of which are doing great and seeming to grow each and every day! What I was wondering was the care requirements of LPS corals, since I was going to make this an LPS dominated reef with some ricordeas and maybe some funky mushrooms in there as well. I was interested in Acanthastea, micromussa, echinophyllia/chalice, scolymia, fungia, lobophyllia, symphillia, and favia corals. I also like brains and tounge corals, as well as the euphyllia family. What can you guys tell me about the care and requirements of these corals?


thanks for all of the help

 

[Justin74]

They all hate funky mushrooms Or, any for that matter! All those corals sound like good candidates for you to try. However, im not familiar with your stock lighting. What is it? Euphyllias like a moderate light so depending one what that is.... Most of your list is moderate light corals with some in there that can handle high light, but even then would want to acclimate them to a high position in the tank if dealing with an intense lighting system. All these corals save a few like to be fed frequently, but also equally demand good water chemistry, hence the challenge

But to reiterate, be carefull with the shrooms, they can burn every coral on your LPS want list down to the bone if not cautious.


-Justin

 

[JJ21]

it's a 36watt 10k bulb with a 36 watt actinic. I was looking for a higher k PC bulb to keep the colors on the prisms and acans and such, but i cant find any out there.


edit: as for the mushrooms I have a few blue mushrooms out on an island so they couldn't take hold if i decide I want them or not. Also, would that be the same for ricordeas killing my LPS?

 

[Justin74]

Honestly I wouldnt recommend that lighting for euphyllias. It might allow them to live but there coloration would more than likely be very poor. Acans, chalice, candycanes, and blastomussa could tolerate the low light and then theres always tubastrea (sun coral) which doesnt need any light. As far as the ricordea, they pretty much get bullied by everyone

-Justin

 

[JJ21]

crap...so i guess I should spend the money on a 150 watt MH upgrade kit for the Biocube hood? I don't know how that would workout in the summer cause I don't have AC in my house. *sigh* guess i'll have to get a chiller.

 

[Justin74]

I think if you got the 150w you would be much more content and would provide you with more choices of corals that would do well. I personally have a 175w SE w/ a 24w T5 supplementing it on my 29g and suits my purposes very well, and can even keep a couple low light demanding Montiporas in there. I tried using it just as a standalone with a 20k bulb but found it to be just not enough for my bubble so I upped it to a 14k w/ supplement. What you want to keep plays a big role though.

I was gonna suggest fans but if you dont keep the house cool fans wont really help much at all. But if you do, fans are a great way to work around the hot months paired with frozen bottles of RO incase of emergencies

-Justin

Btw heres a link I just looked up on a DIY:
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/?showtopic=142027&view=getnewpost
and someone mentions theres a (4)36w upgrade? This may be enough to keep alot of the things you mention alive, and some with great color and growth. But of course I think the 150 upgrade options would make it just that much better in terms of coloration and growth.