Coral selection for a 75 gal with 385 watts of PC lighting

[born2chill]

Just got my lighting fixture the other night and am looking into purchasing corals. I just want to doule check, but I am assumong that I will be able to house any corals except SPS corals. For instance, I see that hammer corals have high lighting requirements, but I think that my lighting should suffice. Am I correct?

 

[Jonathan G.]

people here and many other forums will say go with halides. but i too have 4x96w pc's on my 75 gal and plan to add either a hammer or a bubble coral. i would make sure you put it closer to the lights if you can.

 

[Phyl]

I have a 120 (4'x2'x2') with 260w of PC over it and I've had frogspawn in my tank since January that's doing really well. I have it perched high atop my rock pile. My pulsing Xenia does really well as do my mushrooms. I even have some SPS that aren't supercolored but they're doing well too. 2 months isn't exactly a track record or anything, but they're doing ok so far.

 

[MT79]

that I will be able to house any corals except SPS corals.

Actually, IMO you could even keep some types of SPS. Moderate light needing SPS like Montipora, stylopora, pocillopora, should do fine under your lighting. Be sure to keep them higher in the rock work of your tank though. At the very least halfway up your tank. I think the main issue, among a few others, is fluorescent lights don't penetrate water very well compared to a HID lamp like MH, and 75gal bowfront's are fairly tall if I remember right. Keep in mind SPS also require high water flow. With the lighting you have most LPS should be fine, including hammers. HTH

 

[lando]

With that lighting you have lots of options. Various soft corals and many LPS corals. As mentioned, some SPS corals as well.

 

[born2chill]

Thanks for all of the replies. I was just making sure I didn't waste $400 on this fixture because I am very interested in building a reef. So far I am interested in Candycane/trumpet corals, supercolored zoos, a toadstool mushroom leather, blue striped mushrooms, and possibly a hammer coral.

I was also wondering if you should add corals to your tank one at a time or if you could add 2 or more at a time. Do they add large bioloads to a tank? TIA.

 

[MT79]

Inverts generally don't add to your bio-load. That being said, I would add a few at a time, 2-3, and wait a week or two just incase you have a problem. That will also give you some time to get comfortable w/ your tank and it's inhabitants.

 

[lando]

The lighting should work just fine for the items listed. $400 on a fixture is not a waste of money at all (well, to most on this site is isn't). Enjoy!