Coral Suggestions?

Cahooligan · 04/11/2010, 04:18 PM

Ok. So I have a 29 gallon reef currently cycling. I have a 4 bulb t5 that produces 96 watts(3.3 watts per gallon). I know I can keep all kinds of zoanthinds, mushrooms, leathers etc, but I would like to know examples of LPS I can keep(along with placement and water flow requirements if possible) and SPS(if I'm even capable of keeping them without MH lights). Any info is appreciated. Thank you.

Cahooligan · 04/11/2010, 04:49 PM

Also if I could keep any clams with this light id like to know. Thank you

jenjen · 04/11/2010, 04:51 PM

With T5 lighting you should be able to keep most anything you want. But in a 29g space is limited. I'd suggest choosing a couple of things you really want, and then filling in the rest of the space with less agressive softies. Both LPS & SPS need space between specimens or they'll sting eachother, so not a great idea IMO to load the tank up with a bunch of different species.

Cahooligan · 04/11/2010, 04:55 PM

Yea I know what you mean with the sweeper tentacles and such. I've set the rock work up that everything is pretty spaced apart

zachfishman · 04/11/2010, 07:51 PM

You could keep plenty of LPS like frogspawn/hammer/torch. For sweeper tentacle free LPS - Blastomussa is very nice. As for SPS, you'd easily be able to keep Montipora digitata and M. capricornis.

Cahooligan · 04/11/2010, 08:32 PM

Thank you. I really like the look of hammer coral so ill be definitely getting one of those I think.

gonpostal · 04/11/2010, 09:55 PM

Acanthastrea is a colorful and easy to keep LPS. Candy Cane is another easy one.

Cahooligan · 04/12/2010, 09:39 AM

yea acans can get pretty expensive though also.

Cahooligan · 04/12/2010, 04:00 PM

What about clams? Anyone know about clams under t5s?

Reverend Reefer · 04/12/2010, 04:11 PM

you can pretty much keep anything as long as you have good T5s with good reflectors.

you're going to rearrange everything anyways, trust me. i love lps corals as my tank is dominated by lps. problem with lps is, well, they get really huge! i have a couple different types of euphyllia (torch/frogspawn/etc) and when you pick them up at LFS, they seem small, in a month they take up 4-5 times the space as when you bought them. when they deflate at night, you can see how small they can be. same goes for my acans, octo bubble coral, different brains, and especially my elegance coral, which blows up massively during the day!!

my tank is only 65G and i feel like ive got no more real estate on account of how large they get, and they sting. chemical warfare for real. ive lost at least 4 pieces on account of chemical warfare. spacing lps out is very difficult, since their sweepers can really sweep. so be careful, go slow. especially with a 29G.

Cahooligan · 04/12/2010, 04:23 PM

Yea I'm going to try to give everything the best spacing I can especially with the more aggressive ones and such, and I'm going to go for smaller frags to account for growth etc...

04/11/2010, 04:18 PM	#1
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	Coral Suggestions? Ok. So I have a 29 gallon reef currently cycling. I have a 4 bulb t5 that produces 96 watts(3.3 watts per gallon). I know I can keep all kinds of zoanthinds, mushrooms, leathers etc, but I would like to know examples of LPS I can keep(along with placement and water flow requirements if possible) and SPS(if I'm even capable of keeping them without MH lights). Any info is appreciated. Thank you. Last edited by Cahooligan; 04/11/2010 at 04:53 PM.

04/11/2010, 04:51 PM	#3
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,600	With T5 lighting you should be able to keep most anything you want. But in a 29g space is limited. I'd suggest choosing a couple of things you really want, and then filling in the rest of the space with less agressive softies. Both LPS & SPS need space between specimens or they'll sting eachother, so not a great idea IMO to load the tank up with a bunch of different species. __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal mixed reef (Apr '09) - 200lbs LR, 2x250W & 1x400W MH, 40gal sump

04/11/2010, 07:51 PM	#5
zachfishman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 2,159	You could keep plenty of LPS like frogspawn/hammer/torch. For sweeper tentacle free LPS - Blastomussa is very nice. As for SPS, you'd easily be able to keep Montipora digitata and M. capricornis. __________________ Lead Aquarist - St. Petersburg Pier Aquarium. Seasoned algae grower. M.S. Marine Biology Current Tank Info: Thousands of gallons at work, 0 gallons at home :/

04/11/2010, 04:49 PM	#2
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	Also if I could keep any clams with this light id like to know. Thank you

04/11/2010, 04:55 PM	#4
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	Yea I know what you mean with the sweeper tentacles and such. I've set the rock work up that everything is pretty spaced apart

04/11/2010, 08:32 PM	#6
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	Thank you. I really like the look of hammer coral so ill be definitely getting one of those I think.

04/11/2010, 09:55 PM	#7
gonpostal Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 535	Acanthastrea is a colorful and easy to keep LPS. Candy Cane is another easy one.

04/12/2010, 09:39 AM	#8
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	yea acans can get pretty expensive though also.

04/12/2010, 04:00 PM	#9
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	What about clams? Anyone know about clams under t5s?

04/12/2010, 04:11 PM	#10
Reverend Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 829	you can pretty much keep anything as long as you have good T5s with good reflectors. you're going to rearrange everything anyways, trust me. i love lps corals as my tank is dominated by lps. problem with lps is, well, they get really huge! i have a couple different types of euphyllia (torch/frogspawn/etc) and when you pick them up at LFS, they seem small, in a month they take up 4-5 times the space as when you bought them. when they deflate at night, you can see how small they can be. same goes for my acans, octo bubble coral, different brains, and especially my elegance coral, which blows up massively during the day!! my tank is only 65G and i feel like ive got no more real estate on account of how large they get, and they sting. chemical warfare for real. ive lost at least 4 pieces on account of chemical warfare. spacing lps out is very difficult, since their sweepers can really sweep. so be careful, go slow. especially with a 29G.

04/12/2010, 04:23 PM	#11
Cahooligan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jersey Posts: 338	Yea I'm going to try to give everything the best spacing I can especially with the more aggressive ones and such, and I'm going to go for smaller frags to account for growth etc...