Zoo Lighting?

[reefnewbie54321]

Tank is

48" long 24" wide 17" tall

3-4" sandbed

I havnt decided yet but I think I am going to try a LPS dominated tank but I also want to keep zoos and shrooms in there along with a few softys.

I was just wondering if zoos will do good under a VHO setup or should I definitly get a MH set up? I know MH is a definite in an SPS/Zoo tank but the tank is going to be mostly low light needing corals .... will the zoos do bad unless under a halide?

What would you suggest for a lighting setup?

 

[smp]

Of all the tanks I've seen, zoos always look best under higher K metal halide lighting .. 14k and up.
I find any kind of fluorescents just don't provide enough contrast.

 

[reefnewbie54321]

The thing is im keepin shrooms ... mh is to strong

I was kinda going for a ric/zoo tank, The to tanks that I have seen as TOTM were all lit with florecent.

Thanks for teh input though

 

[omni2226]

Im running 260 watt power compacts. 2 10k and 2 03 actininic and the zoa do fine as long as they are in the bottom half.

I tried moving em up toward the top and they promptly closed up. Moved em back to the bottom now they are smiling.

I have a 18 inch deep tank with 6 inch sandbed and the lights are mounted 2 inches above the water, so about one foot from the lights seems to be the happy spot. Small polyp stonys can be kept too if you make sure to buy deepwater ones and feed em meaty foods.

 

[DesertBandits]

I like my zoos/soft/LPS under T5. High intensity, but wont burn the hell out of shrooms. My tank is 18in deep with Tek lights.

 

[omni2226]

Oh ya wanted to add there may be some problems keeping some stonys with certain softys. The softys are beleived to excrete chemicals that can stunt stony coral growth.

I have no firsthand expereince with this,just what I have read while doing research. So if you liike softy corals but want to add some stonys be aware they may not grow super fast. Well at least not as fast as a dedicated stony tank with metal halides and all the dosing toys.

 

[reefnewbie54321]

I might keep some blastos and some green stars, will they have chemical warefare?

 

[omni2226]

Im not sure as I dont have any stony corals. Just what I have read.

Maybe ask in the general forums or in the stony coral forums how people keep soft and stony together?

 

[omni2226]

As far as I know you can keep most zoanthid, mushroom and "polyps" together with out to much trouble.

 

[infrared69]

toadstools and leathers release growth stunting toxins (saycrophytons sp?) when too close to other corals. i keeps zoas and shrooms in my 55g with 2x250w 14k MH and they are reproducing like mad. also very colorful. had more growth in 6months then 2.5 years of 4x65w 50/50 PC.

 

[infrared69]

and ill even drop a pic to show you positioning....

and ill even drop a pic to show you positioning....