Ready for a coral?

[ThisCityIsDead]

Hey guys. I really would like to purchase a coral. I have had my tank running for 2 months, going on 3. Parameters are all 0 ph=8.0. Temp 79. I have 4 peppermint shrimps, one sally crab, 3 hermits and one fire shrimp.

These are the corals I've seen that I'm interested in:

Frogspawn
Star polyp
Fire torch

 

[acabgd]

What are your salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium levels? What kind of lights do you have? Water movement?

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

I have a jabeo 40 it is on else. And I also have a hydor 850gph (this is pointing down just to get the detritus off the sand bed)

Salinity: 1.024/25

Lighting: I have a coral life t5 (2 HO tube lights and 2 actinics)

Everything else... I'm clueless. ��

 

[acabgd]

I have a jabeo 40 it is on else. And I also have a hydor 850gph (this is pointing down just to get the detritus off the sand bed)

Salinity: 1.024/25

Lighting: I have a coral life t5 (2 HO tube lights and 2 actinics)

Everything else... I'm clueless.

Your light might be barely enough to support the simplest of coral. As for other parameters, if you really want coral you would need to get test kits for these.

 

[jmareef1022]

There are certain corals that don't mind the t5 fixture you have..

 

[LJA]

op has a 4 bulb T5 fixture, what size tank though?

4 T5's on most tanks <18 inches max will let you support just about all softies, lps and lower light requiring sps like montipora.

edit, you're probably ready. As soon as your become "clued" into the parameters that are important for a reef tank and can test/supplement.

ca, alk and mag are important.

Check out the reef chemistry forum sticky on basic water chemistry.

 

[ThisCityIsDead]

Why wouldn't my light fixture be okay for other corals? Is it the fixture or the lightbulb brand? I was actually recommended that fixture on this forum. . It's a 4 light fixture but uses 2 of each lighting.

I purchased a GSP yesterday and this is what it looks like now.

HO lighting it looks purple.


Under actinic lighting it's neon greenish.

When I brought it home yesterday, it's tentacles were all inside. This morning when the lights went on the tentacles began to come out, and within 30 minutes they were out like you see now. Yesterday they all remained inside.

 

[LJA]

These questions would be more appropriate in the New To The Hobby forum and would likely get more responses.

In very general terms, for T5's, the bulb itself, the reflector(s) and depth of penetration through water are all considerations for what corals will thrive. More information about what tank (dimensions) and fixture (single reflector, individual, 24", 36" or 48" length bulbs) would be necessary for a more defined explanation. Like I previously said, if your tank is <18" tall, a 4 bulb T5HO fixture will be fine for just about all softies, lps and likely lower light requiring sps if so you desire.