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Corals and (Low) Lighting - 02/07/08 Hello all, <<Greetings Matthew>> Wonderful site, I have learned so much already from reading daily. <<Excellent>> One question though. <<Okay>> I think I am getting bad info from my LFS. I have a 55 gal tank with 130w PC lighting. I am thinking that I want to get some corals but do not know what kind I can keep with that lighting. Do you have any suggestions for me? <<If you've truly been reading on the site then you should be aware you have several options here. I'm going to guess your lighting configuration consists of two 65w bulbs along the length of the tank. Though this is not an optimal setup in my opinion, if you optimize the available lighting with full-spectrum bulbs (10000K) and avoid the split (half-Actinic/half-daylight) bulbs I think you could keep some of the lower-light requiring organisms (e.g. - Corallimorphs…see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm) near the bottom of the tank and some of the medium-light requiring organisms (some Euphylliid species…see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caryophyllids.htm) higher up in the water column>> I have just purchased everything, so upgrading at this point is not an option. Just wondering what I could keep under my current lighting. <<Try some keyword searches on our site re, and do follow/read among the links on the pages I have referenced>> Thanks, Matthew Diethorn <<Happy to assist. Eric Russell>> Lighting, SW, sel. - 7/23/07 I have a reef tank that is 49" across, 29" front to back and 24" deep. I have 3@400 watt, 20,000 K halides I run for 9 hours a day. I have 6@ T5 bulbs that are 48" long that run for 13 hours a day. I have sps, LPSs corals and 5 clams that are all doing great. I would like to give the best lighting possible to my corals for maximum health. If you could share with me the type of bulbs (brand, size , etc. .....),length of time they should be on and any other pertinent information on lighting that would make them as healthy as possible it would be greatly appreciated. I least understand what type (Actinic.6.5 daylight or ?) <Actinic not necessary...> of T5 bulbs to use. I have heard the Giesemann T5's are best but ? If this is true how many of each type would you use? Thanks Al <... this sort of information "comes and goes" with new makers/re-labelers, and time of course. We invariably refer folks to BB's for wide actual-user input for such gear issues. Please write to "the usual suspects" (wetwebfotos.com, reefs.org...) re. Bob Fenner> Coral selection. New Aquarium- New Lighting Regime! - 06/28/07 Please advise me with some expert ideas on my reef tank. <Yikes! "Expert" freaks me out! How about "Advice from someone who has made lots of mistakes"? Makes me feel better! Scott F. here today...> I have a 20 gal. long tank.(30 x 12 x 13). 13 in. being the depth. It has a 10 gal refugium attached to it with a Remora Nano Skimmer. The lighting consists of 30inch T-5's, 4-39 watts. 2 of the bulbs are 10k and 2 are 720nm actinic. Also there is a 24inch 65 watt 6700k strip light next to the t-5's. <I am a big fan/user of T5s myself, and use them in my current system. They do pack a lot of punch!> My questions are, should I swap on of the actinic bulbs for another 10k and keep one actinic for color or swap out both blue's for 10k. <Glad you asked...In my humble opinion, T5 actinics ahem- suck! From an aesthetic standpoint, they are just plain ugly and not all that visually bright, IMO. Other than creating some sort of lighting effects, I really don't like them, and consider them a waste of a bulb! I much prefer the 10k bulbs (I like the UV Lighting 10ks, myself), the Giesemann "AquaBlue 11,000k", and the Giesemann "Midday Sun" 6500k bulbs.> The lights sit two inches off the tank for air circulation. And please help with some types of corals to keep under this lighting. <Honestly, there are a lot of corals that you can keep under this lighting regime. All but the more demanding "SPS" (I hate that term) corals, such as Porites, etc. can do quite well under T5 lighting. Plan the spectrum of your bulb selection based on the requirements of the corals that you intend to keep, and aesthetics as a secondary consideration (with the exception of the actinics...Don't make me come to your house and yank them out of your reflectors!). Most soft corals and a lot of "LPS" corals can also do well under this lighting. In fact, as with any lighting system, it will be necessary to acclimate you coral additions slowly to this light source. Bleaching caused by "light shock" is entirely possible.> I would like to keep some Montiporas and Millepora. <Entirely possible with acclimation.> I was thinking also of keeping a Percula and a firefish. <That's fine, but add the more timid Firefish first.> The tank seems pretty bright but not like the dappling effect of halides. <Yep...You won't get the "glitter lines" that you do with halide. On the other hand, T5's seem to cast a more even, intense light which is quite attractive. And you gotta love the electrical savings!> I just don't want animals that could not live in this light. Perhaps I should tone it down. The live rock goes halfway up the tank so the rock is about 7-8 inches from the light source. Thank you for you kindness and sharing of your knowledge. The tanks are cycled and ready to go!!!!!!!!! Yeah Yours In the Hobby Bob C. <Honestly, Bob, I think that your lighting system should work for the corals that you select. Just use careful quarantine and acclimation processes, and be sure to place the corals in appropriate positions for the lighting within your system. Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.> Lighting/Corals 11/16/06 Good Morning Crew:
<Hello Jeremy> I have a 75gallon (48"x18"x20")
tank. I just purchased a Coralife Aqualight <Please cap names of
products.> lunar (2x65w 10K & 2x65w actinic PC & 4x3/4 led)
fixture. I wish to maintain softies & LPS (no SPS for at least a
few years). Does this current light strip provide enough light
intensity assuming I keep higher demand LPS near the top of the tank
and considering it is not a deep tank? <On the contrary, 18" is
the starting point for deep tanks.> (I thought I had made sure but
you hear so much conflicting info) I plan to add MH lighting in
addition to this strip in the future if keeping sps but not for quite a
while as I have stated. <Lighting would be borderline and/or under
for corals near the bottom. The upper third of the tanks
should be fine for shrooms, Yellow Polyps, etc.> Currently I have
the strip mounted on the legs provided above an open top tank. (about
3" above water surface). Would it be better to use a glass
aquarium cover and put the strip right on the cover or keep as is.
<If it were me, I'd do the glass top, cutting 3" off your
lighting distance.> Thanks for your time. <You're
welcome. James (Salty Dog)> Regards, Jeremy Coral Lighting 7/7/06 I have a 90 gallon 48x18x24 tank. I was thinking about getting 4x96 watt lighting utilizing 2 white lights and 2 actinic lights and 4 lunar lights. This lighting will be inside of a canopy. Is this sufficient lighting for corals and Anemone? If not, what types of corals, etc. can I keep in this setup? <Jim, you would not be able to keep any SPS corals. With four 10K tubes you may get away with keeping a Bubble Tip Anemone. As far as corals, mushrooms and polyp colonies would fare well along with some types of LPS such as Candy Cane, Plate Coral, etc. Keep in mind it is not advisable to mix corals and anemones. Do read here along with related articles and FAQ's above title bar for more info. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/fixtures.htm Thank you in advance for your help. Lighting/Photoperiod 1/19/06 I've heard a lot of opinions regarding photoperiods. The last I heard was that photosynthetic corals really only require 4 hours of light to obtain the nutritional needs. <I'd like to know your reference.> I run my VHOs(2x110watts) 12 hours and MHs(2x400watts) 8 hours. The lights are about 8-10 inches above the water. The tank is 500 gallons. The stony corals that need the light are about 15 inches below the water. Nothing seems to be dying back, actually the plating Montipora is doing quite well. I've read through the other strings of info on your site, but couldn't find anything on a 4 hour photoperiod. Is this sound and am I in the clear? <Think you are doing fine just as you are. If I were using two 400 watt MH's I'd cut two hours off my VHO's and if the MH's are 14K I wouldn't use the VHO's at all. thanks <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> LPS Reef Tank Lighting 1/13/06 Hello fine people. <Hello fine person.> New reefer here, <Careful now, once you're in you're stuck…very addictive. BUT….very fun.> setting up a 92 corner tank. Want to concentrate on the LPS variety of corals (live rock and sand of course), have seen a few tanks and like the look of MH. <Very aesthetically appealing.> How about a single 150 HQI (10k lamp, ReefOptix 3 with Icecap E-ballast) mounted so the bottom of the reflector is 11" above the surface of the water (11" in the hopes of better spread and no heat issues). <There will still be "some" heat issues, a small fan blowing across the surface of the water should be fine. With just the HQI pendant there will still be some shadowed areas in the corners, edges but I see you mention some PC supplementation to help out with that. > There will be 21" of water to the top of the sand bed. <With his height, and the suspension of the pendant I recommend a 250-watt pendant over a 150 watt.> Assuming the 2x2 coverage of the MH rule of thumb is true <For the most part…> you would be surprised how much of this odd shaped tank that 2x2 square covers. I am assuming that my spread might be a bit more than that since I am mounting at 11" versus the "optimum" 9" height? <Yes, but the lighting will also be slightly less intent.> To provide some light in those front corners outside the box I would mount 2-55 watt PC with say 50/50 10k/actinic along the edges of the tank mounted no more than 4" from the water. <Sounds good, generally I prefer T-5HO or VHO to PC but the space you have may only permit PC.> The center and front of the tank would rely solely on the MH light. <Sounds good.> So what say you, is this an LPS tank or do I need to go back to the drawing board? <No sounds like you have the lighting under control for the most part.> My other option is 3x96 and 1x55 PC for what would be a more even spread of light. I just don't want to mess with the expense/heat of multiple MH units. That and to keep them from blasting all of that expensive light out into the room they would need to be pretty much mounted side by side which seems kind of silly to me. <The HQI, pendant idea with fluorescent (PC) to supplement sounds fine to me. Thanks for your advice have a good one! <You too mate, Adam Jackson.> 12,000K PC light and coral/polyps???'s
1/11/06 Hello crew- I'm eagerly awaiting Bob's book, it
should be here 1/11/06. This site is my ultimate resource
since I started my marine tank the weekend after Thanksgiving
'05. About a month ago I purchased an Odyssea 260 watt
(2x65 watt 12,000K & 2x65 watt actinic) PC light setup for my 100
gallon (24 in. deep) tank with a Wave2K center unit. I'd
like to replace the full actinics with a 12,000K/actinic for more full
spectrum lighting. The problem I'm finding is I
can't find a shop (LFS or online) that carries 12,000K, I only see
10,000K. Is there much visible difference between these two
color temps? <No, most people go with the 14K> Eventually I'd
like to start a reef system with a few "hardy" corals or
polyps, any recommendations? With my light setup mentioned
above what is a good range of depth that I can keep these? I
see general lighting conditions listed, but I can't figure out the
requirements for total wattage vs. depth. I've seen
various watts/gallon ratios but how does depth factor into reef
lighting? <With your present lighting you would be limited to soft
corals only and then only at the most upper region of the
tank. With your tank depth and for soft corals only, I'd
be looking at about 400-500 watts of lighting.> My tank isn't as
shallow as a "reef tank". I'll be adding a 55
gal refugium tank (with plenum? so much back and forth on the issue)
after I move in May and then acquire a metal halide/PC light setup
thereafter. <Ahhh, much better, then you can place the corals most
anywhere. Do research soft corals (or any for that matter)
before you buy so you know their lighting requirements. Some
don't appreciate intense lighting.> Keep up the great work
crew!! <I thank you. James (Salty Dog)> Brenton San
Francisco <The city by the bay mmm> Lighting For
Montipora digitata - 12/31/05 HI Bob, <<EricR here
today...>> Hope this email finds you well. <<I am, thank
you>> You may not remember, but we had discussed the proper
housing of Anthias, in particular the squamipinnis with the purple eyes
(lyre tail) and your suggestion of 1 per 50 gallons or 1 per 15 seems
to be working well! I have 3 females in a 150 and so far
none have changed to male and are fed 2 to 3 times a day and seem to be
doing well. <<Interesting that none have started to
change. I had two females in a 375 and the dominant female
began to change in just a couple weeks...though this was quickly
reversed with the introduction of two full-blown males...but enough
about me <grin>.>> Thank you. That was a little
off the main reason to email you, but just wanted to thank you.
<<That Bob is a pretty smart fella.>> Now here is the
deal. I purchased a couple Montipora digitata in green and
purple. Colors went to brown (though the green which was
aquacultured kept the color to a certain degree) when I
moved to my 150, I know I need to upgrade my lighting to bring out the
colors in these cool SPS. Here is the confusing
part. I have CP that are 8 months old, with 2 10k and 2
actinic. <<Best to go all 10K here, though at 65w (read ahead)
you'll need to keep the bulbs close to the water's surface, and
the Montipora in the top third of the tank.>> I am going to be
replacing them and use the sunscreen method of
acclimation. Now I read that you can just change the lights
at night and in the morning they may all recoil, but adjust eventually.
<<Mmm, no...you still need/is best to acclimate over several
days.>> I thought the light shock would kill them, but I read
they just look crappy for a short time and adjust......your thoughts?
<I don't agree with this. While many corals can/will
make the adjustment, you are submitting them to unnecessary stress that
can kill more sensitive species.>> Next, I wanted to add a
spectrum to bring out the color (maybe new lights would do it) and I
talked to and read a TON of things and the range of advice and
suggestions are so different, I decided to email you. <<And with
all that reading you should have found that more than lighting effects
coral color...though an increase in intensity will likely help you with
the Montipora you mention.>> One person said use a 20k with my
10k and actinic. Another says do NOT use 20K just use a 3rd
03 actinic. Then I read that 6500k is what they want for
color. WHO IS RIGHT????? <<Everybody...nobody...many
times it comes down to the individuals own sense of aesthetics.>>
I am going nuts here! lol! <<Understood>> I am going to
order 2 96w to retrofit with my 2 65w 10k and 2 65w
actinic. I am just moving everything close to the surface (I
do not want to get into MH, or HQI, sorry) <<ok>> What
would your suggestion be to the color temps? <<10K...contains
plenty (more than enough) light in the blue spectrum for the
coral's use without making your tank look like Papa Smurf peed in
it.>> One person said make the 2 96w actinic, one said make them
20K and another article says 6500K! I have a 6500K 500 watt
CF over my Heteractis magnifica and he seems pretty happy. <<Yes,
the 6.5K bulbs generally produce more PAR per watt...are also
considered the best spectrum for coral growth.>> Should I try and
see if putting them under the 6500k would work? (only 84 CRI, so my
anemone is at the surface right under) <<Up to
you>> NOW I did put a green zoanthid under the 6500k
and it turned brown until I moved it away. (obviously the symbiotic
zooxanthellae over producing) <<yes>> BUT it seems that
does not apply to the Montipora........that turning brown/tan means not
enough light? <<Is likely, yes>> I am very confused, please
let me know soon, as I want to put an order in for the right lights.
<<10K gets my vote...>> Take care! Carrie :)
<<Regards, EricR>>
Lighting Question 11/8/05 Hi, So, for the last few hours at work (it could be considered work related, since I work at a LFS hehehe). I have been reading everything I could on your website trying to come up with a more concrete answer, but atlas decided that an email would be better. Anyways, I have a 29 gal (space limitation is a problem) that has been setup for a little over 8 months. I am currently running a 55w PC 10,000k, and a 55w PC Actinic for lighting. I want to upgrade my lighting to something stronger. I originally planned on swapping out the PCs for a 250w MH; however, after some reading I decided that might be a bit too strong. Is this correct? Would I be better off with a smaller wattage or should I shy away from a MH entirely? Currently I have a branching frogspawn, moon polyps, a zoo colony, and a couple of mushrooms all positioned fairly close to the top of the tank. I also have a few fish, and one in particular I know would probably have a problem with the new lighting, a blackcap Basslet. Any thoughts? <250 watts of MH is overkill. A 175 would be great for your corals. As long as you have plenty of rock work (caves and such), the Basslet should be OK. The mushrooms and zoo colony would do better toward the bottom with the new lighting. James (Salty Dog)> Thanks, Danny <You're welcome> Reef Lighting and Kelvin Ratings 10/27/05 Hello and thank you
in advance for your needed help! <Hi Jon, and umm…your welcome
in advance.> I am currently thinking of expanding my horizons of
aquarium size and have a lighting dilemma. The tank that I am getting
is 180 gallons which is 72x24x24. On my current tank I am running one
10k 250w AB HQI with VHO actinic. My livestock is a mixed garden
(including SPS and clams) to say the very least. <Ok, so a
shallow water biotope.> My questions are the following: would one
more equal halide fixture be sufficient on a tank that size; or would
three be better? <Three is the recommended number if you want
to continue with the SPS and Clams. One bulb per 24" of tank
length is a general recommendation.> Also I am considering
moving from 10k to 20k (also in the AB line of products) in order to
achieve a bluish white color. Would my mixed garden corals suffer from
this regiment of lighting; or should I remain on the path that I am
currently following? <Mmm, photosynthetic animals prefer
lighting in the 6.5K to 10K spectrum so out of three of your bulbs I
wouldn't go all 20K. 14K at the most, but honestly 10K with VHO
actinic supplementation is the best way to go in my opinion. Maybe you
could mix bulbs, a 20K on the middle with 10K on the ends. Its your
choice in the end, and you probably could get away with 20K but some
animals may have to be left out and expect slower growth.> Do
you have any further suggestions of how I can achieve the
"look" for my aquarium that I am seeking? <Just the
above.> Thank you very much for your time and expertise. It is
greatly appreciated! Respectfully, Jon <You are welcome, Adam
J.> Some Light Conversation (Light and Coral Growth) - 10/24/05 Hi Anthony, it's Genaro Again can you please help me again. <Hi Genaro- Scott F. in today. Anthony is pretty busy with some other projects at the moment; hope I may be of assistance...> My tank dimensions are 48 x 15 x 18. I have been using one MH14K Hamilton about 10 inches away from water but corals do not grow. <Interesting that you are not experiencing any growth. I was just having a similar conversation with another WWM crew member on a similar topic. Most metal halide bulbs of this spectrum should produce SOME coral growth if positioned in this proximity in a tank of the depth you're describing. Perhaps you could move them in closer (Say, 8 inches to start). Also, I'm assuming that you're growing corals that enjoy higher light intensities. Yes, different spectra provide different results, so if you're completely unsatisfied, you may want to consider a different bulb as well. Other things to think about: Water clarity, competition from other corals, water flow, nutrition, and environmental parameters (alkalinity, pH, calcium, etc.). Lots to think of.> I do have a 660 icecap to add two 110 watts VHO. Can you tell me which of the VHO will be better Aquasun,50-50 or Super Actinic. <They are all nice bulbs, IMO. However, if you're looking for optimum growth, I'd be inclined to go with the "daylight" or "full spectrum" bulbs, unless you're working with corals that thrive under bluer spectrum light. Actinics are great for aesthetics, of course.> And, how long on the hours. <I'd run them at least as long as you run the halide. Lots of people like a "dawn/dusk cycle, using the VHO actinics before and after the halides come on/off for this effect, although it is not necessary, IMO.> Thank you again Genaro. <My pleasure! Regards, Scott F.> Lighting DOWNgrade! 9/30/05 Great site! <Glad you like it! Scott F. here today!> I know there have many question submitted such as what I am going to ask, so I apologize beforehand for redundancy. I have just printed an article by Anthony Rosario Calfo titled, "Reef Lighting Without Controversy". It was a helpful article as were the many WWM FAQ's I tried to sift through. <Yeah, I know that guy...He knows a few things about coral...heh, heh heh...> My scientific vocabulary is weak at best so here are the common names of what's in our tank: Colt Coral, Green Finger Coral, Soft Leather, Hairy Mushroom as well as several other types. Pulsating Xenia and a couple different types of polyp. My wife is 100 times better at nomenclature than I am... but I am the one asking this question. Everything in our tank is/has been thriving for the last 5 years with our current setup. What we want to change is our lighting. Currently we are running two 20000K 400w radium bulbs and two 4' blue actinic VHO's all attached to the lid of a 12" canopy with two 7" fans for ventilation . <Sounds like a beautiful lighting set up for your inhabitants...Must really fluoresce them.> The lights are approx. 8"-10" from the surface of the water (tank dimension are 72x24x24). NO! We are not making lava! <But you could...LOL> This is how it was designed from our former LFS. I realize that this may be a bit much for lighting. We want to down grade to 10000K 175w or 250w. What would be considered practical and efficient lighting for the coral I mentioned? <I'd think that a good "downgrade" would be 150w or 250w double ended (HQI) pendants, like ReefOptix or Giesemann make. Don't fool yourself, though- these pendants and configurations can throw a lot of life that can still shock corals if you're not careful.> Will there be significant shock to the marine life? <Any lighting change-up or down- can be potentially shocking to sessile invertebrates. However, if you are using the same spectrum of bulb, and carefully acclimating the animals to the new light (i.e., shorter photoperiod, possibly using screens to acclimate the animals to the new light source), you should see some good results...and a lower electrical bill!> Is it possible to direct me toward some helpful information or can you easily give me a ballpark answer? <I'd continue to read the writings of Anthony, as well as the many helpful articles by Sanjay Joshi on reef lighting.> Thanks for ANY help you can provide, Jim <My pleasure! Regards, Scott F.> Question About CRI Colour Temperature and UV Filtering 9/17/05 Hi Crew, <Hello Brad> I looked in the posts to try to find the answer to this question. I found the question was asked but I did not understand the answer posted. I am researching metal halide systems and found that bulbs in the 5000 to 5500K range have High 90+ CRI values. When looking at higher temperature bulbs (10000K) I notice that the CRI drops to around 65. These numbers are taken out of manufacturer catalogs for commercial bulbs. It makes sense to me that the CRI will drop the further you get away from the 5500K mark. I just want to ask if my assumption is correct,<Yes> or if there are some special marine designed bulbs in the upper temperature range that have higher CRI values. <A color rendering index of 100 would be equivalent to high noon in the tropics, that is, the most natural color. A lower CRI does not necessarily mean the light is no good for your corals as certain wavelengths filter out very quickly the deeper the light penetrates the water. These high temp bulbs at the proper wattage per gallon (4 to 8) provide enough intensity for the corals to live. The higher temperature bulbs (10K+) are closer to the color you would actually see on the reef. Hope this makes sense. Just got back from the madhouse in Detroit and the mind is foggy.> I also read in one of your articles that unshielded bulbs can put out dangerous UV A, B,& C rays and must be filtered. Is a piece of glass placed on the output end of the fixture adequate to filter these harmful rays, or are there special lenses you need to get for filtering purposes. If you need special lenses do you know of any sources? <Glass works, but acrylic is better, no special lenses needed.> Thank you for your help. <You're welcome, James (Salty Dog)> Brad Lighting combination question part 2 8/28/05 Hello, So there it would not make a difference between if they were actinic or white lights? Thanks WK <The two combinations you proposed would probably not make any difference to the corals, only the appearance of the tank. A lot of people believe that having some actinic helps the corals develop better coloration as well as make the tank look better. If anything, all white light would provide more intensity to the corals, but you may find the appearance of the tank unappealing. Best Regards. AdamC.> New Halide distance over water surface - 8/01/05 Hey guys how are ya all? <Thanks Aaron, we are good, hope you are in good health as well...> I have a question concerning lighting. I have a 29 gal reef tank with 2 Percs right now. I am currently running around 4 watts per gallon of PC lighting. I bought an anemone from my LFS about a month ago because it was looking shabby and they would sell it to my at next to nothing. So now I want to order the Coralife HQI/PC combo fixture. That will give me 9.7 watts per gallon. <150 watt/250 watt? Species of anemone?> I was wondering if I acclimate the tank very slowly to the new lighting will they burn? I want to house a vast array of corals and 4 watts per gallon just wont cut it. I also need to hang the fixture about 6 inches from the surface and was wondering if this would cut back on its efficiency. <Depending on the intensity, I would even recommend raising the bulb 12" and slowly decreasing it an inch every 3-4 days until you reach 6" or so. Do a search on coral lighting acclimation, there's a ridiculous amount of information here.> Thanks for your time, -Aaron <Good luck - Ali> Shining Some Light on A New Tank (Lighting Quandary) 30 Jun 2005 Hey Crew, <Scott F. with you tonight!> I would first off like to thank you for such an awesome site and will apologize in advance for the lengthy question. <No apologies required!> I have a 29 gallon tank (30" long x 12" wide x 18" deep) currently with about 30 lbs. of live rock, 2 Ocellaris Clowns, 1 Banggai Cardinal, 1 Engineer Goby, a few hermits, and 1 Mithrax crab. I would like to add some coral to my tank and I know you buy your lighting around your planned livestock so here goes it. I plan to get medium light level corals that could be sustained by power compact lighting; LPS corals, Zoanthids, and Soft corals. For my tank how much lighting would be enough? I was think about purchasing a 2x65 watt PC Current USA satellite with 50/50 split of actinic and 10K bulb. Would this be enough lighting to allow for the coral to live and ultimately reproduce? <This would be sufficient for many LPS and soft corals. In a tank of this diminutive size, I'd try to "specialize" in one group or another. This amount of water (further reduced by rocks, sand, etc.) is really too small to prevent the potential "chemical warfare" that can arise as a result of mixing LPS, soft corals, and zoanthids.> I was at first thinking about a 1x65 watt but I feel that this is barely adequate at best. <Agreed- the 2x 65watt would be better, IMO.> I was also thinking about starting a 10 gallon Nano reef. <I cringe at the thought of "nano reefs". My feeling is that it's really an attempt to make a tough hobby even tougher...However, many successful hobbyists maintain these types of systems...The margins for error are really slim.> What would be an appropriate amount of light for this kind of setup? <Again, depends on the animals that you intend to keep. Heat is also a factor in such a small body of water...> I am leaving a link to a site I found that has the cheapest PC lighting I have been able to find. The link is to a chart they have on their website that show various tank dimensions and size and tell what amount of lighting could sustain what corals. Does this chart seem to match up with what you think would be good? Any thoughts would be appreciated and thanks much for your great site. HERE IS THE LINK : http://www.marineandreef.com/Info/lightingchart_hood.html With kind regards, Aaron Loboda <Well Aaron...Again- it's easier to simply decide on the types of corals that you intend to keep and choose a wattage that would be appropriate for them. Remember, even though the lights might be small, they can put a lot of light into a very small area, so there are lots of considerations. Research and decide from there! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Lighting An SPS System Hey WWM, <Hi there! Scott F. here today!> You guys have been so helpful in the past I thought I would run this all by you since I am getting mixed stories everywhere I go. I am in the process of constructing my new 40G reef tank. I am just finishing my making my Canopy which is about 10" tall off the top of the tank so lighting would sit roughly 10-12" from the water surface. I would like to be able to house SPS corals/Clams as well as softies and anemones and instead of the just surviving really thrive. Most people have told me the only way to house these type of creatures would be with a MH fixture, some telling me 2 175 MHs, I personally saw the 2 MH fixture as overkill being as the tank is only 36" long. <Well, it's more a function of what types of animals you intend to keep, and the depth of the water. I would not discount the need for metal halides with many SPS corals. It may not be a bad idea to use double-ended HQI bulbs in the 150 watt size. Good "bang for the buck" in terms of energy consumption and lighting capability. Sure, you could perhaps use T5 fluorescents or VHOs, but I think the efficiency of halides makes 'em hard to beat, IMO.> What would be the best route for these creatures to really thrive.? <Again, I'd consider the double-ended bulbs as mentioned above.> I had thought that one 175 W MH in the middle of the canopy would be ample, wasn't even going to supplement actinics, as from what I have read is a more cosmetic thing than beneficial. <That's my personal opinion, too. Besides, some of the metal halide bulbs available now days are especially attractive on their own, such as the 14,000k bulbs manufactured by companies like Hamilton, Phoenix, and Aquaconnect> Please provide me on what you feel would be the best route, thanks much. James <Well, James- you have my take on it. Do consider the need to properly ventilate your system and replace evaporated water caused by heat of these high-intensity bulbs. Also, remember that animals will still require acclimation to new lighting regimes. Do a little research out on the web, talk to some fellow hobbyists, and make the decision based upon your animals' needs. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> SPS Lighting I realize you folks must deal with a ton of questions pertaining to lighting a reef and, of course, here is another one. I have four 175 watt metal halides over my 46 bowfront, 36 inches by 15 inches. Presently I am using two Sun Aquatics 10K and two Sunbursts 12K, however, I read somewhere the idea of mixing much different lamp types to cover as much of the spectrum as possible. My question is whether you feel the 10K with two XM 20K will allow for best coral growth and coloration on SPS? Thank you for your time and the wealth of knowledge that you so freely give. Matt >>>Hi Matt, It's really a matter of PAR more than Kelvin to be honest. Having said that, I see better color rendition the closer you get to 20K. The down side is that you get less PAR with 20K bulbs sometimes. Given your situation, I would run 2 and 2 as you have suggested. :) I run two 250W 20K HQIs (similar to running 400 watt moguls) on my 150 and LOVE it. I'm done with 10K's, they look too yellow for my tastes after a while, and I'm not an SPS nut anymore. Good Luck! Jim<<< SPS tank Hi there, <G'morning> I have a 72 gallon bowfront aquarium, 48" X 18" X 22", I currently have a CSL PC light, with 2 X 65 watt Actinics, and 2 X 65 watt 10,000K bulbs. What Lighting should I add to this tank to light it up so that I can keep SPS corals in it? <Mmmm... could just switch out the two actinics for two more 10k's...> I was thinking a pendant, would that work? <Could> Would it work "as is"? Currently what I have in the tank is a Sailfin tang, and 3 fire shrimp, these are all compatible, correct? <Should be> For filtration, I have a 30 gallon sump, with a skimmer, and I am going to try some Seagel filtration in there, have you used it before, does it work well? Thanks for having the great FAQ site. Thanks, Josh Breeds <Don't have experience with Seagel... Much more written/archived on these set-ups... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm - see under "Set-Up" the area labeled "Reef Systems"... and under "Corals..." the "Set-up" articles and Related FAQs. Bob Fenner> Acropora reef tank Lighting 3/10/05 Hello Anthony, It's me again! Sorry, for asking so many questions, but the advice is just sooo good! haha.. <no worries... my pleasure> Ok... I've been checking up on different types of fluorescent tubes to use and I still can't find the kind you're talking about in VHO format. <just ask the sales rep for a warm daylight colored lamp my friend. If they do not have one around 7K with a CRI rating over 90, then someone else will... do keep shopping :)> I looked on the URI site and they have a "Aquasun" bulb, however, this is rated as a 10k bulb. Are you speaking of a different bulb all together? Anyways, I read a plug in CMA about Vita-Lite Bulbs made by DuroTest. These bulbs sound killer as far as specs go... but they don't offer them in VHO format. <the company is gone... sadly> Do you think if I ran their standard output bulbs on a digital ballast they'd put out enough light? Any suggestions would be great...Sorry to sound so redundant but I want to make sure I'm catching your drift. I mean lighting is pretty important...Wouldn't ya say?!? <actually... corals are highly adaptable over a very wide range of lighting. Within reason, I'd put lighting behind water flow and feeding for coral health and growth> You said Acros need a lot of flow...but GEEEZ!! I didn't think you needed as much flow as you're talking about. 30x turn over?... <actually... for Acropora, many enthusiasts run towards 60X turnover (diffused). The shallow reefs covered in Acropora are very dynamic environments> Well, that doesn't sound ludicrous at all, but in order for me to have that much flow I'd have to add an extra Iwaki 30rlt on a closed loop. That'd be a 70rt and a 30rlt.....Phew that's a lot of flow in there. Oh.. one thing I was thinking of is, if I were to do this extra pump would it be a good idea to have it on a timer to turn off during the night? <it's a terrible idea, mate... most tanks simply don't have anything near enough flow like on a reef> This pump would be on a closed loop so I could turn it off for about 6hrs in the middle of the night. This could simulate gentle nighttime currents? <bull pucky> My concern is that the pump would be garbage in short order with all that on/off hoopla...ooookk I do believe I'm done for today. Once again thanks for the time and sound advice. Chris <always welcome :) Anthony> Metal Halide/SPS Corals After doing a search of your site I do have a question about halides for SPS corals. I have a dual 175 watt metal halide hood that is over a 46 gallon bowfront tank. Presently it has two Sunburst 12K lamps. I have heard quite a bit of mixed opinions on these lamps and would appreciate your opinion. I realize that these lamps have a lower PAR due to their color temperature, but are they satisfactory for the color maintenance of various SPS? I would also like your opinion on using higher Kelvin lamps for color maintenance, i.e. will 10K lamps supplemented with VHO actinics provide the proper mix or are 20K preferred? <A lot of people are just using the 20K's now. Haven't heard anything negative. I personally prefer very little actinic in a lighting system. Here is a link I'll post. Adam Blundell wrote this article concerning coral fluorescence for Advanced Aquarists On-Line Magazine. Think you will enjoy it.> http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2005/toc.htm.> Thanks you for the help and I look forward to your response. <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Lighting Acropora Good Afternoon Mr. Scott <Hello again!> SORRY for so many questions but you give the best advice!!! <Never apologize! Thanks for the undeserved compliment...We have a lot more talented people here on WWM than myself, but I'm happy that I've been able to help you!> Color changing Acropora... I'm running a 10 gall nano reef tank with 24 hour Orbit lighting system with 8 watts per gallon. When I got a Tri-color Acropora from my L.F.S it was nice light brown with dark purple tips and yellow polyps...AWESOME!!! <Sounds hot!> But I have notice when my day lights come on the purple gets real light and the polyps retract. And when my day lights come off the purple gets really dark again and the polyps come out. Is this the norm? What could this be? <Certainly a relatively normal behavior for a coral. Many corals will display day-night polyp retraction. Feeding occurs at night with many corals, and the colony is merely exercising its natural "rhythm". This would be an opportune time to feed the coral..> I have her on top of my live rock close to light as much as possible. Do you think is to close to the light? Should I move her down a bit? My L.F.S. said that is perfectly normal. <I don't think that the reaction you are seeing is a negative one. It's irresponsible for me to generalize, but many Acropora do have very high lighting requirements. On the other hand, it is important to slowly acclimate a coral to its new lighting regime to avoid shocking the coral. Do see Anthony Calfo's excellent piece on acclimating corals for more.> Thanks so much for your time. <You're quite welcome! Regards, Scott F.> Too much Lighting? Every time I buy a frag of a Montipora coral, they turn brown? Too much lighting? What would cause this strange phenomenon? Most are purple to start with. <Several factors could be influencing this color change. High Nitrate levels, which act as a sort of fertilizer for brown zooxanthellae, could easily be the cause, as could old bulbs or low lighting. Hope this helps, mike G> Unhappy Corals at High Noon: New Light Acclimation 12/19/04 Hi Guys, Thanks for the great site and advice :) <Howdy, and thanks :)> In my tank I have two hammer corals (used to be one big one that got too big), an Alveopora, star polyps, and I recently just added a show rock with about 4 different kinds of zoanthids and various polyps. At the same time I added that rock, I doubled might power compact lighting from 95 to 190 watts. This was about two weeks ago. <Hmmm... no mention of an acclimation period and a clear indication in light of the mail title where this is going <G>...> Since that time, every day my lights come on at 10am and all the corals expand and look very healthy. Then at about 12 everything starts to close up and look sickly until 3pm. At this point everything starts to expand again, but not to a large extent. Is it possible that the rock with all the polyps on it has incompatible polyps that are engaging in chemical warfare? <always present, yes... but to the extent that it causes these symptoms already... not sure.> It's obvious that all of the polyps were glued on, <Ughhh...> and thus I'm suspicious because they did not grow together naturally. <if so, they will not stay together, rest assured. They will separate or kill each other sooner rather than later> Or could it be the lighting change is having some effect in the middle of the day for a few hours? <is possible, even likely. Such dramatic changes in lighting require a much more gentle acclimation. Keep the same photoperiod, but add some layers of plastic fly screen for a couple weeks (after new lamp replacements too). Remove a sheet every few days and soon the acclimation is done. Anthony> Lighting a nano for Acroporas - 11/23/04 Hey guys, I have a 10 gall nano reef tank and I'm running it with 8 watts per gal. (PC). Do you think I have enough light for Acroporas and clams. <Well, to be honest there is a lot more to lighting SPS and clams than watts per gallon, for sure. This is a much debated issue. First and foremost, you need a very stable marine environment. (unfortunately in my opinion, a 10 gallon is awfully hard to stabilize) Also, there is the debate regarding useful PAR from Power Compact lighting. I believe there are some PC bulbs out there that do produce useful PAR ranges for light loving Acropora and high light loving clams but I have yet to find any with long term success. I personally have not had a great amount of success with most SPS (Montipora capricornis and Hydnophora are one exception) but you might have some luck with some of the lower light loving clams like Derasa and Squamosa. I am not guaranteeing success but something that might work. Again stability, food, lighting, environment (i.e. water chemistry and flow dynamics) and water maintenance. A very had task but I do think it can and is being done. Do a little research and see what you can come with. Check www.nano-reef.com. Thanks for asking this important question here at WetWebMedia.Com. ~Paul> Thanks for your time LPS, feeding, lighting, water You probably get these questions all the time (and I did check the archives), but I have a couple of questions about LPS corals: First off, I never knew that these things were so cool. Didn't even know that they existed and then in the last month we have purchased a slipper coral, open brain, and a rather large "meat" coral. <What a planet, eh? I'm not leaving!> The fish store guys swear that they are "easy" to keep and from what I am reading, I tend to believe them. So anyway, we noticed that that are very carnivorous and will eat anytime they are offered food. We usually offer small pieces of cut up shrimp, about the size of a match head, and then stand back to watch the fun (morbid fascination - probably goes back to the boa that I kept in high school). So the question is how much is too much meaty food? <Feeding to satiation more than two, three times a week is not a good idea... these animals don't need it, and leads to induced wastes problems> The recommendations in the archives say that as long as water quality is maintained, you can feed quite a lot of food to these creatures. But we have great water quality thus far and use several brands of test kits religiously every week to check it. Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate are always zero. How big should the food pieces be? <What you state is fine> The meat coral looks like he could eat something the size of a chicken wing. Obviously that would be too big. I am thinking more like pea-sized pieces (something just big enough to grab with tongs or fingers). <Smaller> What about blenderized food? Do you just make a sea-food smoothie? <Mmm, not suggested... too much liquid, nutrient gets into the water... if finely cut, it's recommended to rinse (in a net, under the sink tap) the food to remove the "juice"> Can you point me to a good recipe? <Likely in the archives under marine food/feeding: http://wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm (linked in blue, at top), or a book by moi, The Conscientious Marine Aquarist> I assume that the finely divided stuff is easier to for the coral to handle, but it kind of takes away from the fun of hand feeding larger pieces of food. Lighting? We have 2 x 65 watt 10,000K and 2 x 65 watt actinic in a PC hood over a 75-gallon tank. Is that good enough? <Wattage, intensity-wise, just barely... understand that stony corals have a wide range and good-sized adaptability to deriving their nutrition from photosynthesis and non-photosynthetic sources... other species, the generally-labeled SPS corals as the genus Acropora require more intense lighting... some Dendrophylliids like the genus Tubastrea, hardly any at all> Livestock = 2 Percula Clowns, 2 Banggai (sp?) Cardinals, 1 lawnmower blenny, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 brittle star, and lots of hermit crabs and snails. 1 Royal Gramma and 1 small I-forgot-what-it-is called neon magenta colored fish (fish guy said it was small, safe, and colorful) in quarantine tank. Tank Stats:75-gallon display 40-gallon sump 20-gallon refugium 90 pounds LR Big Protein Skimmer moderate flow (7 to 8 turnovers per hour in main tank) thanks, Paul and Judy in Kansas <Bob Fenner> Lighting needs for SPS and LPS? Hello WWM crew. First, thanks so much for all you do for this hobby. You give all of us who love aquariums a vast array of knowledge that enables us to be more successful and enjoy our hobby much more. Now for my question: I have a 55 gallon saltwater aquarium with 260 watts of power compact lighting. Can I only go with soft corals or would my lighting support any SPS, LPS corals? << It will but I wouldn't recommend it. You can have either LPS or SPS close to the top. But really, they won't do as well as you want. >> Are there any I should avoid altogether? << Lots of corals to avoid. I recommend some books like Borneman's Corals or Julian Sprung's Corals. For now, I'd stick with softies. >> Thanks in advance for any information you give me. I have numerous books, including Mr. Fenner's book << The best there is. >> but can't find any definite guidelines on this subject. JD << Blundell >> Low light corals Hi. I love you site, and hope you can help me. I have a 46 gallon bow front and wonder if the 4 55watt canopy(220 watts pc) is too much light for my mushroom corals, toadstool, and xenia. << No way, sounds like the minimum amount I would use. >> Please give recommendations for what or what not too keep, and if my light should be adjusted for the current corals. Things look pretty much ok, except I feel that my mushrooms and toadstool could be more expanded. << I wouldn't couldn't back light on the tank. You could try moving the corals into areas that are more secluded, or lower in the tank. >> Fish in the tank are a bicolor blenny, bicolor angel, maroon clown, and a coral beauty that all seem too get along. << Blundell >> Lighting for corals, placement and the explanation on corals browning 10/21/04 Hi Bob, I have the following set up: a 2.5 footer length by 18 inch wide by 18inch depth tank. 3 x T5 HO 24Watt tubes 20,000k white 1 x T5 HO 24Watt tube Actinic Blue Temp: 26 degree Celsius NH4/NO2 = O ppm NO3 = 20ppm PO4 = 0ppm Alk = 8Dkh <nitrates are rather high here as the real nitrate levels (nitrate ion vs. molecule) is a multiple of 4.4X your test kit reading - this you have something approaching 90ppm - getting rough for inverts> I need some advise on my current placement of the following Corals and whether the following lighting is okay; 1 ) Elegance coral (conical shaped) on substrate btm <correct> 2) Trachyphyllia coral (mid top ) <yikes! never... must be on sand bottom to protect polyp(s) against unnatural abrasion against hard substrates. This coral also has a conical skeleton indicating it is free-living on sift substrates> 3) Green star polyps , yellow star polyps ( top) <OK> 4) Open brain ( low inches off substrate) <sand bottom if conical corallum again> 5) Bubble (on substrate) <adaptable> 6) Mushrooms, ( where should this be placed , currently at the top and refusing to open big) <depends on species/genera: Ricordea need high light... but many Discosoma and the like prefer lower light> I also have a Pink plate Fungia take was very pink when I bought it, also used to have a jewel stone coral (Gonio) that looks beautiful beige in colour. However this two have since turned brown and darker brown day by day. I am starting to worry that my other corals are turning brown too. What is the reason for the increased in Zooxanthellae in this case? Does that mean UV pigment is losing in these corals? Is it due to my lighting ? <it is not necessarily an "increase" in zooxanthellae, but rather the mere increased visibility of them in the absence of UV reflecting proteins that have been shed under your lights which are lower in UV than the coral came from (natural light)... or in he case of low light corals, proteins used to refract (low) light no longer needed in the presence of higher/better light> The photoperiod is all 4 tubes on for 4hrs , then followed by 1 20000k 24W T5 HO + 1 actinic blue for another 2 hrs. Is this okay ? <its not about spectrum but rather PAR and intensity. See the new article(s) in reefkeeping.com magazine by Joe Burger. Part one is out already... part two next month I believe. All on this topic exactly> Thanks and Regards. Alex <kindly, Anthony>
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