PDA

View Full Version : what can i support?


rhysiboy
02/17/2007, 05:20 PM
hi in my fish tanks stock hood it has 36 w (2 x 18w) power compact t5 tubes. They are in correct spectrum and have reflectors but my main question is what sort of corals can i have in my tank? I would like to have things like toadstool leathers, GSP and xenia and was wondering if this would be enough. Also any other sp that are worth a glance please tell me (bearing in mind the corals will be in a 23 gallon tank)

killark
02/17/2007, 09:08 PM
Power compact and t5 are two completely different light bulb styles. But aside from that. With what you have, the corals you mentioned should do fine. I would stay away from any coral with a calcium skeleton.

dendro982
02/17/2007, 09:17 PM
I have 6g tank with combo PC (10,000 and actinic, total 18W), the total depth 8-9". You can make estimations for yours twice more light and twice more tank depth.

The corals, that are grow in the upper 2/3 of the tank height, are:

GSP (on the top only), red mushrooms (upper regions will be better), white xenia (middle to the top), 2 kinds of hammers and frogspawn, neon-green candycane (other kinds - cold green and bicolor - prefer more light), yellow star polyps (upper 1/3), hairy mushroom (green base, pinkish hair), blue macroalgae ochtodes.

On the bottom - what was sold as white lemnalia and non-photosynthetic corals (sun, chili, gorgonian). Beware that the last 3 will require feeding, that will compromise water quality - make a good filtration (like micron pads) and skimming.

In an year will appear bright yellow sponges and before that - dark red coraline.

rhysiboy
02/18/2007, 05:00 AM
kl so i should be able to have a hammer head or frogspawn coral? the euphylla genus are my favorite :D

dendro982
02/19/2007, 05:27 AM
Yep. Some time for adaptation to a new conditions and, if you want faster growth - place them closer to the top. Better place them downstream from other corals, they have a long tentacles.
Pardon the mess:
http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/53/753/9/32/23/2316932230081040121ZBoJKW_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2316932230081040121ZBoJKW) http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/57/557/3/24/5/2271324050081040121rbWuvu_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2271324050081040121rbWuvu)
And they can be close to each other:
http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/44/45/9/9/5/2027909050081040121bTSzcq_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2027909050081040121bTSzcq)
Others:
Ochtodes
http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/12/12/5/67/92/2065567920081040121qvTCzW_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2065567920081040121qvTCzW)http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/53/453/2/1/50/2946201500081040121atAxAR_th.jpg (http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2946201500081040121atAxAR)

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Soft%20corals/Jan17hairy.jpg
Same hairy mushrooms just from the store:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Soft%20corals/Mar29hairy1stday.jpg
I was told, that they will grow to the 10".

White lemnalia, high flow, was good at the bottom (now is good at the bottom of 90g tank), in tank and how it looks like in store:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Soft%20corals/Jul13NCLemnbest.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Soft%20corals/May9Whitebest.jpg
I have impression, that is should be whiter in the clean water, just like white xenia.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g78/dendro982/Xenia.jpg

rhysiboy
02/19/2007, 11:49 AM
wow they really are lovely colours. Now to find them in the uk lol easier said then done :D also any chance that you could pm me some information on the Ochtodes as they ahve the best algae colours ive ever seen

dendro982
02/20/2007, 07:21 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9280090#post9280090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rhysiboy
wow they really are lovely colours. Now to find them in the uk lol easier said then done :D also any chance that you could pm me some information on the Ochtodes as they ahve the best algae colours ive ever seen

I had found most of them (frags and algae) online - some small scale frag sellers are willing to answer questions and generally willing to sell. I had seen the piece of macroalgae on the photo of the frag, asked about it and about other colorful pieces he may have - and received a bunch of photos! It helps to ask specifically. May people posted about this blue ball algae, it should be not rare. My supplier known it under name of purple bush algae.

What I know about it:
Ochtodes, bushy rootless red (blue actually, but classification gives choice only red, green or brown) macroalgae, fluorescent under aquarium light and the sun, grows even under 18W combo bulb in 6g.
Possibly edible, and possibly turbo snails are eating it (there was post about this and I had seen too - the turbo in a bush, then bush become smaller).
Have to be pruned when fills the available space, I'm pinching it. The small pieces may float to the water intakes, that's inconvenient. No other problems, that I'm aware of.

The other colorful macroalgae, but requiring more light, are: the Dragon tongue (flame-like shape, cold red), feathery red kelp (roots, branches, needs calcium, cold red too), bubble red macroalgae. They refused to grow in my tanks. The red kelp is still alive, though.

Only now is a cold weather to order with shipping, unless you are in a warmer climate.