General LPS lighting question.

[jason71832]

OK all you LPS guys. I have a question about lighting and equipment. I'm fixin to buy a setup form a guy that is a 150 (60x24x25) and it already has a fixture on it. the fixture is a 2x250MH HQI DE with 4-54w t5's. I am mostly interested in keeping LPS and softies....not ready to take the SPS jump, plus I really like the colors and movement of LPS. I may have six or eight SPS, but dominant LPS and I don't want the top of the tank barren and the mid to bottom full. My questions are.....can LPS be stocked to the top under halides (are certain varieties high light compatible)? I could run the halides for say 3 or 4 hours a day and the t5's for 10 or so. I know that LPS like more nutrients in the water than SPS, but I'm a die hard skimmer man. Opinions on the skimmer? I tend to like running a skimmer, filter sock, carbon, some form of phosphate remover. This will be my first big tank....I have a 46 bow right now that is all softie/lps except for one monti (who just came down with STN...another reason I'm not much on SPS). I just really thought this a question you die hard lps fans could answer. I would also love to see some LPS tanks and know what lighting you are running on them. Thanks in advance.

[redfishsc]

can LPS be stocked to the top under halides (are certain varieties high light compatible)? I could run the halides for say 3 or 4 hours a day and the t5's for 10 or so.

Sure. Not all, though. I find the ones that don't mind it are Euphyllia sp. I have several euphyllia sitting about 12" under a 250 halide and they seem to love it.


Acans, micromussas, and similar "button" shaped LPS most certainly DO NOT like this light. I nearly killed my micromussas. Had to move them to a different tank for a while to heal (T5 only).



I know that LPS like more nutrients in the water than SPS, but I'm a die hard skimmer man. Opinions on the skimmer? I tend to like running a skimmer, filter sock, carbon, some form of phosphate remover. This will be my first big tank....I have a 46 bow right now that is all softie/lps except for one monti (who just came down with STN...another reason I'm not much on SPS).

Don't change anything unless you see a reason to change. Even with softies and LPS it's better to err on the side of cleaner water. I can grow most softies and LPS even in a system with barely detectable amounts of nitrate and phosphate (using low range kits like Salifert I'm getting 0 and 0 but we all know there is some in there).

[jefathome]

Torch, Frogspawn, bubble corals etc can be placed high as noted above. Another good item for this tank might be a Tyree Taodstool (again, nice and flowy). Not an LPS, but still large and nice. I'm also having good luck with a War coral (similar to Favia) up top near my 400w 20k MH. Blasto's in the mid range, and some chalice's seem that they can handle the higher light as long as you acclimate them slowly.

[Cptn Spaulding]

with all that light certain lower light corals will not do well. blastos will not do well, certain acans might not do well, certain lobophyllia may suffer under that light, etc... if i were you i would take out 2 of those t5 bulbs and see how that looks.. if you want more light add the other 2 bulbs and monitor closely cuz with that setup, thats almost 750 watts of light, which is more than enough for all softies and lps.