Lighting help.

[jwsfisher]

I have a 29 gal marineland eclipse saltwater tank. In it I have 3 anemones and about 10 mushroom corals and a couple ones from the wild. The tank they were in before broke so they got transferred into there currently I have a 15 watt actinic T8 bulb and a 15 watt 10,000K T8 bulb. Is that the best I can do without going to metal halide or is that the best I can do for corals.

 

[melosu58]

That`s no where enough lighting for an anenome or any coral to be honest. I dont know how to modify the lighting in that system but something needs to be done.

 

[jwsfisher]

That what I and everyone else thought but so far it's been three months since the tank was set up and all the corals are still alive and looking good and the same for the anemones. Also correction its a 35 watt actinic bulb and I checked and for 18 inch bulbs 15 watts is the max for 10,000K bulbs.

 

[melosu58]

It wont just die right away. It will take a few months. If it is two 35 watt bulbs then you might be OK on the mushrooms.

 

[jwsfisher]

Ok thanks for the info. One last question. I observed last week two of them detach themselves from the rock they were on and float around my tank. But they won't reattach when I put them on a rock. There still alive and HUGE but I don't know what to do. Is there a special glue that I need to use or how does that work.

 

[nxb161]

I wonder if they are simply hoping to find a better light source, or else you had them somewhere they didn't like the water flow. I think generally just net them onto a rock, and they'll attach and you can remove the netting (something like bridal veil)

 

[melosu58]

They`ll usually float around till they find a spot they like. You can use super glue gel but I have found just tying them down with fishing line usually works.

 

[jwsfisher]

Ok thanks I'll try that to see if it works.