Top level LPS

[kichimark]

Frogspawn would be pretty cool up top. I agree on staying away from the jack- o-lantern on the top. Mine never cared for anything beyond the mid of the tank and would get lighter in color until I moved it down. I run t-5's over my system.

 

[PsychoticBeauty]

You have it backwards.

They are more tolerate of flow than light.

How long have you been reefing?

It says you joined Reef Central Last Month.

Are you really calling me out? lol

I have one question for you and one question alone. Can a Leptoseris be done up top? It's a yes or no answer hot shot...

 

[Tweaked]

This is fun, but IME low light and they do best is all. Can they be bleached and unhappy up top, sure. Also need to know lighting etc to truly understand.

 

[Potatohead]

Get some easier sps like birdnest or pocillopora.

I agree

Also IME, LPS do alright in "high" light, but that's also relative, they aren't going to do well 10" from a 400w metal halide for example. I do find the polyps are a little shorter and fatter in this situation.

 

[crossguard]

This is fun, but IME low light and they do best is all. Can they be bleached and unhappy up top, sure. Also need to know lighting etc to truly understand.

So that's a yes?

It wasn't fun btw, it was the truth...

 

[jacksonpt]

Based on my experience (so take this for what it's worth), branching hammers are the only thing that respond well to more light (improved growth, good polyp extension, and a generally good appearance, FWIW). Virtually every other LPS I've had prefers lower tank placement and/or to be shaded from light.

For context, I'm running 4x T5s with 2 hamilton bulbs and 2 ATIs over a 20" tall tank.

 

[AlSimmons]

FWIW, I've seen Xenia thrive right next to an acropora up top. Go figure...

 

[scar79]

If you are going to put something like a Frogspawn or a Hammer up top like that then you might have to do your water changes from the sump. The tissue of these corals holds a lot of weight and if the water level ever drops down too far it can cause the tissue to rip from the skeleton very easily. Be careful.

Excellent point, but also worth noting in general if anybody is doing a large water change for whatever reason or removing the coral from the water. Get in there and **** the coral off beforehand so that it retracts on its own, then do what you need to do.

 

[Gagonzalez]

I have a frogspawn in my 28g nano that has gotten huge over the past 2+ years from a single head frag. It's currently about 14" in Diameter and I have fragged a lot of it off already. In fact, I have 3 frags in my isolation tank now (each with 3-4 heads on them already) because I had to downsize it before it broke thru the side of the glass. LOL!

It's currently the highest placed coral in my tank and I can't do more than a 5g WC or the water level drops too low. It currently pops out about 1/2" when I do a WC.

 

[Moort82]

I'd put a turbinaria there. Lovely bowl shape and can take flow and light.

 

[smatter]

I'd put a turbinaria there. Lovely bowl shape and can take flow and light.

I was going to suggest a turbinaria as well. Side note: The Springeri is one of my all time faves :beer: