I did it, finally.

[kdogg85]

After debating and going one way, then the other. i finally got a few corals. This happened because a lady my wife works with fired up a tank and I made her a deal on the red knob star, and the 2 cowries I had. She cycled the tank and these were the first guys in it. It is a FO tank and she uses ro/di water and IO salt. The livestock is in good hands.

The corals I picked up are a Scolymia button, glove polyps,eagle eye zoas, curvata trumpet, and a sun coral.

The readings are amm 0, trite 0, trate 10 or less, phos 0, calc 500, dkh 10, mag is 1300, sg 1.024. Oh and I use 8x39w t5ho lamps 4 1200k and 4 14000k.

Should I get kits for strontium and Iodine?

Everything seems to be doing fine, have had them for about 3 days and colors look good. I'm most proud of the sun coral because the night after I got it, I seen the polyps opened up, made a cap, and 2 cubes of mysis went bye bye.

I would like to try a clam of some sort, with the lights I have, what would be a good recommendation?

 

[melosu58]

You should be OK with that light system for clams. What type are you thinking about? I have to have moderate light clams as I have VHO lighting. I had a squamosa clam that lasted for a while. Now I have a derasa. Also I would not get test kits fot those. If you are doing at least monthly PWC`s then you should have enough iodine and Strontium in your tank. Sounds like some good pick ups for your tank.

 

[thincat]

Oh, just a note that your sun corals are not dependent on light so they have to be feed or they will die.

 

[melosu58]

Oh, just a note that your sun corals are not dependent on light so they have to be feed or they will die.

 

[David S]

+1,sun corals need to be placed in low light

 

[kdogg85]

I know, the sun coral is on the bottom just under a ledge and I fed it mysis shrimp(hence the bye bye part). I am going to try feeding a cube every two days to fatten it up and then see what happens if I step down to every three days. I don't mind spending 4 bucks every now and then on a pack of mysis.

I change about 60g of water every 3 weeks, the coralline is taking off I think because when I do a pwc, the calcium has dropped from 500 to around the 350 mark, so I may have to start dosing.

As far as the clam goes, I like the maxima's but I am not footing the bill for Mh lights and paying the electric for them. My next favorite is the thin bar Derasa clam. Anything special about one of these?

Should I supplement feed the other coral, or wait and see how they do on their own? Any tell tale signs of bad health to look for? Just in case.

I have the lights on timers, the 12000k come on first, an hour later the 14000k come on, 7hrs later the 14000k goes off, 1 hr later the 12000k goes off. Is this an ok lighting strategy or am I doing something wrong.

 

[melosu58]

I dont supplement for mine. They get all they need from the water column and lighting. Check out the squamosa clam.

 

[kdogg85]

It looks like a great piece. The only thing that concerns me is the moderate to high light requirement. I guess the moderate is bare minimum to survive and high is the optimal light for growth? My lights have 17'' of water to plow through to get to the bottom, that's why I bought 4 14000k bulbs, so I could have deeper light penetration. If I purchase one, I would like for it to be about in the center of the rockwork, kind of the centerpiece of the tank.

 

[thincat]

The K value of the light has nothing to do with the penetration or par of the light, Par is the strength of the light or the power of the light. K value is the color of the light.

 

[kdogg85]

whoops, I was thinkin the k had something to do with it at least. there is a chart on bulkreefsupply, for each bulb, but I don't know how to read it. they are icecap bulbs. I know I won't be keeping any high light corals though with only 312w of total light. with the light I have it's only 1.73 wpg. no wonder you need MH lights for anything highlight required. Anyway, my bad. thanks for setting me straight.

 

[David S]

Have a look on ebay,there some 50w led floodlights going very cheap and could be rebuilt into your lid,they are equivelent of 150-200w MH lights.

 

[melosu58]

My squamosa lived 4 yrs with VHO lighting. They will do fine with moderate lighting.