Will these corals survive in my tank?

[Aynesa]

Okay, don't lynch me, someone I knew is getting out of the hobby, and offered me 4 corals today: A Lobey(something) brain coral (Really pretty), 2 colt corals (One half dead, apparently it had slipped under some live rock), and a rock covered in Green Star Polyps. Yay me, I've been wanting to get into corals and didn't want him to just toss them, so I took them. The economys hard on everyone, and apparently he can't keep his tank anymore. Then once I got home I started wondering...

I have a 100 gallon deep aquarium, 31" deep. Right now I have a fixture with 2 power compact bulbs. 65 watts each. 1 is a bright daylight (10k 6700 dual) and the other is the 460nm actinic. Excuse me for any mispells, typos, or slightly offs, I'm doing that from memory.

I can't put MH on my tank. My living room already has a severe heating problem. It's the hottest room in the house by a few degrees, and attached to the ktichen, so sometimes it gets simply unliveable. Especially in Las Vegas where we have 110 degree afternoons EVERY afternoon in the summer. I got an MH fixture once, but I had to raise it above the tank, it alone raised the temperature a few degrees in the room, and it was so bright we couldn't sit on the couch because it shined over the top of the tank and into our faces when it was lifted off the glass. Putting it on the glass made me afraid the glass would shatter. Lowering it close enough that it didn't shine in our face made it so close and the glass so hot I was afraid the glass would shatter... On top of that it was LOOOOUD! So finally I sold the fixture.

I just changed the bulbs in this fixture like, last week. So, question is, are the two 65 watts enough?

I have a second identical power compact fixture in my garage. It was on the smaller tank that the economy forced me to take down. I don't remember the wattage on that fixture. It's the same Sunpaq fixture, only in 20 inches instead of 24.

So am I good, or do I need to sell these quick somewhere? Should I put the second hood on the tank, because Metal Halides appear to be out of the question in my current house....

Little help? :)

[Aynesa]

Here it is: 2x 65w on my tank currently, and 2x40w in my garage.

[JR's Reef]

The star polyps will be fine and I think the others will be OK also but will let others chime in on those. Ive never had them before. You should check into a T5 fixture and then you would be good so sure

[2006]

I would make sure the corals were half way up the tank and directly under the fixture.

[Aynesa]

Would putting the second hood with the 2x 40w on the tank help or hurt, or should I supplement with a T5. I really am wanting to get into corals, but Megal Halides just won't work in my living room.

[2006]

Yes add the 2nd fixture and you should be good to go for most soft corals and some large polyp stony corals. Place them high in the tank. Most mushrooms should do alright a little lower.

Is your tank 31" tall or wide?

[Ness]

I have 4x65w PC's (1 white, 3 actinic) on a 40g. Plenty of SPS and LPS with great growth. I would add the other fixture and raise the corals up to the top half if your tank is 31" deep.

[Aynesa]

Tank is a cube. 31 inches all around. My sandbed is gradated, so the front is about 2 inches and the back about 4. 100 gallon tank. I have the corals around the middle, with the colts small enough to fit up at the top.

So after this I'll have 2x65w and 2x40w bulbs. The 65s are brand new. Will my tank be alright for LPS and soft corals? I know I can't have clams and such, but every website I look at tell sme I need to add like 400 watts over both of these hoods--and that's alot of light. When MH is out of the question it makes it difficult :(

[Aynesa]

Alright, I broke down (and broke the bank ;) ) one of the many LFS's in this city is going out of business, and they were having such an awesome sale...they had a 150w MH hood there with bulb and all I picked up for 200. I'll be setting it up on the tank tonight, and I'll let everyone know how it works. My last experience with MH was terrible, but I want to say that was a much, MUCH larger, brighter, hotter bulb than this one. This is a Sunpod 24 hour lighting system, and came with both white and blue LED's for moonlighting. I couldn't resist. My current plan is to pair it with my existing 2x65 Power Compact hood.

[Aynesa]

Further good news, that 'almost dead' colt that had slid under his LR is now standing up on it's own, and has moved from an ugly deep bruised purple to a bright, natural color. Go Colt! :)

[Macimage]

Further good news, that 'almost dead' colt that had slid under his LR is now standing up on it's own, and has moved from an ugly deep bruised purple to a bright, natural color. Go Colt!

Excellent!!!

Joyce

[onebadgt]

green star polyps will thrive in any light!! the colt coral will need to go up a little higher in the tank, and the lobo brain will need to up the top level if youve have low light!!!

[sivert55]

colts and star polyps shouldn't really care where they are, as long as they get good flow and some light. the lobophylia (brain) should be half-way up in med-to low flow.
Keep an eye on the GSP. It spreads fast!

[Aynesa]

I hope so, I could use some spread. My live rock looks so bare! So far, they haven't even extended their polyps. I got a new Metal Halide light yesterday, so I have my fingers crossed that it'll help. IT came with 6 blue and 6 white lunar lights that I left on last night, and it made my tank simply stunning. Hopefully the increased light and a little time will do the trick and perk them up.

[Aynesa]

Perhaps I spoke to soon? The two colt corals seem to be doing famously. They have spread polyps, stood up straight and pretty, and are in general beautifying the tank. Delighted with them... then there's the other two.

The brain. I honestly don't know what to look for as far as it's sweeper tentacles go, but I haven't seen any trace of change of any kind, good or ill. It's the same color as when I bought it. I've seen no trace of sweeper tentacles or extending polyps.

The Green Stars...they started extending a little, yesterday stuck a polyp or two out. A zoanthid also revealed itself right on the top...but that's all. There's been no trace at all of any major blooming. When he pulled it out of his tank it had at least 100 open polyps on it waving in the current.... so why isn't it opening up for me?