SPS Newbie - Any Advice?

[bdare]

Hello all,

A 250W MH fell into my hands for my 40bdr. Any advice on what I can keep in the center of my tank with this much light? I would like to keep LPS there if I can, but I get the feeling I'm going to need SPS.

I will have about 40X flow in the tank all with wave makers so the current should be very random. Are there any easy SPS I can keep?

Thanks in advance,
Ben

 

[rustybucket145]

With 250w over a 40 breeder you can keep anything you want... anywhere in the tank. I'd suggest using a good reflector to get good even coverage.

You idea of LPS and SPS seems slightly skewed.... There are SPS that require low light and LPS that require high light..... So saying "I have tons of light I'm gonna go with SPS" is not a very accurate statement. Do research on the individual corals you wish to keep. You will find that their requirements vary and that the words LPS and SPS hold virtually no value when actually describing the needs of specific corals.

IMO, water quality plays a MUCH larger role than lighting when it comes to corals. If you have poor water quality you're gonna have trouble keeping anything, no matter how much light you have over the tank.

Best of luck with your new setup! Do your homework!!

 

[plyle02]

Do you have an auto top off device? What type of skimmer will be used? How do you plan on keeping CA/ALK/MAG up, reactor, dosing, kalk reactor, etc. SPS need very stable conditions to thrive with growth and color. They also need plenty of nutrients, but heavy skimming to remove the nutrients before they turn into phosphates and nitrates. If you meet these standards, then I would imagine you could get really anything to grow under 250 watts of halides, temperature will probably become an issue, shoot for below 80 degrees stable if at all possible. Not trying to throw you any curve balls or anything, just want to help you in advance before you throw away alot of $. However, aquacultred sps corals like monti, digi, and millis are releatively easy to keep. Good luck!

 

[bdare]

Hey guys,

Thank you so much for all the quick responses and advice. I have successfully kept corals for about 2 years now so I feel pretty comfortable with my tank husbandry skills.

I will have a sump with a skimmer and a fuge section where I'll grow Chaeto. I will also have an ATO. At this point I haven't decided if I will top off with Kalk or just use RO/DI and add two part additives.

Which LPS corals could I keep with 250W of halide? Most of the LPS I've been looking at have "moderate" light requirements. I also have a few buddies who said thier LPS have not faird too well with too much light.

I'll be running a Reeflux 10K with 2x39w of T5 atinic supplementation. I haven't bought the bulbs yet, but I'm planning on a single B+ and a true atinic.

Thanks again for your advice and I hope you'll post more corals I can keep in the center!

Thanks,
Ben

 

[Python73]

Unless you hang the 250 in a different room, you have enough light for any coral you could want. I'd be willing to bet that more people kill coral from too much light / UV burning than they do by not having enough light. And contrary to what you hear, you can grow SPS under shop lights. Sure, they will look like hell, but they won't necessarily die.

So the real question you are asking, I think, is "what SPS will I be able to keep successfully under my new 250 halides." The answer to that is, experiment. Get cuttings of different SPS that strike your fancy, and see how they grow and color for you.

S !

 

[m2434]

research and experimentation is great advice. The only thing I would add is - use the rockwork to create some shady areas. That much light will inhibit the growth of some corals and you will need a shady spot for them.

 

[bdare]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11033883#post11033883 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m2434
research and experimentation is great advice. The only thing I would add is - use the rockwork to create some shady areas. That much light will inhibit the growth of some corals and you will need a shady spot for them.

Thanks for the reply.

I will definitely do some research, but I'm not a big fan of experimentation. I hate paying $50 for coral to watch it die. I'm hoping with a single MH over 36" I'll have some shady spots on the edges of the tank for lower light animals.

Ben

 

[rustybucket145]

Definitely don't have the halide close to the water surface. I'd suggest 10"- 12"+ from the surface of the water to the bulb, Hell you could probably hang it 3' off the surface and still do just fine.

 

[bdare]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11034220#post11034220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
Definitely don't have the halide close to the water surface. I'd suggest 10"- 12"+ from the surface of the water to the bulb, Hell you could probably hang it 3' off the surface and still do just fine.

I have the Reef Optix 3 reflector. From the rim of the tank to the top of my canopy is 12".

 

[Python73]

I will definitely do some research, but I'm not a big fan of experimentation. I hate paying $50 for coral to watch it die.

Simple solution, don't buy corals that are $50. I have many fantastic corals in my tank, and 95% of them came as $10 frags. Hell, many of them were free.

I think buying colony sized acros is dumb in general, but even if you are set on doing so, you can find a frag of what you want to try on the cheap, and see how it does. Then when you buy the colony, less surprises.

S !