lighting for 55g reef (no hard corals )

[drdre]

I bought my tank set up used and i'm not sure if my lighting is sufficient for soft corals. I have a 55g about 18 inches deep. With two 65W 6700k compact coralife lights. Is this enough? :?

 

[sdellin]

I have four 65w bulbs in mine, two are daylight, two are actinic. that's what my lfs recommended. Mine is also 55G of 18 inches deep.

Some soft corals can tolerate dim lighting, some need bright lighting. It depends on the animal. (I have "A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates" and it gives lighting requirements.) But what I usually do is ask the lfs each time I buy coral and remind them of my lighting, sometimes they say, "nope, not enough light." Sometimes they say my lights are okay.

 

[lando]

Well, it is on the low end for almost any coral. If you have enough LR that you can place the coral high in the tank you my be able to keep some mushrooms or low-light zoos/polyps.

 

[AMANIQU77]

hey sdellin.

We have the same lighting setup. I just bought me an Obrit 48" 4x65watts power compact fixture. It has 2x65watt daylights and 2x65watt actinics. And whoa, the moon lights are white. It's amazing!

What corals do you have in your tank? What can I put in mine?

 

[drdre]

thanks

thanks for the info i am now shopping for 4x65 watts with 2 10000k an 2 actinics.

 

[hackteck]

what about a 55g with 260 watts what kind of corals can i keep later down the road

 

[sdellin]

Re: thanks

thanks for the info i am now shopping for 4x65 watts with 2 10000k an 2 actinics.

Right now I have anchor corals, candy cane corals, orange mushrooms and a bunch of zooanthids and polyps. I can tell you that those that I have are doing fine with the lighting I have. I know that acropora needs stronger lighting, so I wouldn't do those. That's just what I have so far, I'm not sure what else I can do yet.

Here's a pic, I did have to move the candy canes to the bottom recently, they were, apparently, too close to the light. Their opening up again and seem happier on the bottom in the sand as opposed halfway up on the rocks.

Lando, any recommendations on corals for the lighting we have? Is our lighting on the low end (4X65 watts), or were you talking about the original post (2X65 watts).

 

[AMANIQU77]

I will get rid of my trigger quite soon.... ...that fat bugger's the lone survivor of the itch that happened twice in this FOWLR. Oh, the hurt....

Sorry for the double image.

 

[sdellin]

hey sdellin.

We have the same lighting setup. I just bought me an Obrit 48" 4x65watts power compact fixture. It has 2x65watt daylights and 2x65watt actinics. And whoa, the moon lights are white. It's amazing!

What corals do you have in your tank? What can I put in mine?

hee hee... I quoted the wrong person. For answer to this question, see previous post!

 

[sdellin]

AMANIQU77,nice tank pics. Do the regal tang and the trigger get along? Just curious, seems we also have some of the same taste in fish... had to have a Dori.

 

[flanque]

Well, it is on the low end for almost any coral. If you have enough LR that you can place the coral high in the tank you my be able to keep some mushrooms or low-light zoos/polyps.

Well in my tank I have 2x30w fluros and I have been keeping coralamorphs for well almost a year now. Some of my other inverts have reproduced from one to four or five as well.

 

[AMANIQU77]

Sdelin, thanks for sharing me the possible corals I can have. I am so pumped up by what I can put in there now. So excited. I will probably donate the trigger once I have saved enough for the next wave of purchases (corals).

The trigger's been in the tank for more than a year now. The Tang has been in the tank for more than 6 months now. It's weird because I think my Picasso is the sissy Picasso. It's friendly to everyone, including the small maroon who bullies it, and the tang. The tang and the trigger swims together everyday. They're doing follow-the-leader games (just like in the pic) or side-by-side swimming. The trigger swims and the tang follows along. So far so good.

Your tank is natural and amazing. I may have a different restriction in specimen than you because I noticed that you have a very good viltration.

I will definitely keep in touch with you, though, since it looks like we coincidently have a similar setup (if corals aren't considered)....except the filtration ofcourse.

 

[sdellin]

Please do! PM sent.

Flanque, nice avitar pic! Whadacutie!

 

[flanque]

He's my wee Otis. We had to put him down a few weeks ago. Very sad.

 

[sdellin]

I'm sorry about Otis. I'm sure he was loved and felt loved. Sad they can only be in our lives for such a short time.

 

[flanque]

Very much. He was my best friend. Always happy to see me and be with me.

I read on another forum an analogy that your departed dogs are waiting on the other side of the bridge, patiently, for you to cross over and enjoy each other's company again.

 

[AMANIQU77]

Dogs are exceptionally passionate. I have a Bichon Frise. His name is Cooper and he is 2 years old. For 2 years now, he's always given me this undivided excitedness whenever I come home from work. Every day, not a day is missed, he is consistently excited to see me which makes me feel very special. After a 7 - 10 minute excitedness, he goes about being a normal dog, playing with his toys.

I learned from Buddhism that some spirits who had a sinful previous life becomes dogs in present life. And their mission is to truly be loving and passionate to others in order to earn a peaceful and wealthy human life in the next life time. So whenever I look my dog, it gives me this idea that he's not only doing it as a reward in the next life time, he really wants to mean it in order to deserve a better next life time.

Otis, in reference to the Buddhist belief, may well be reincarnated into a loving individual now who will become a very special person to one of your future loved ones (children perhaps).

May Otis have a wonderful life time.

 

[flanque]

Well if there is such a place after this world/life I really look forward to seeing and playing with him again.

 

[sdellin]

Funny, I was going to comment on the fact that Otis may already be back and you may see him again, but as something/someone else, but wasn't sure about posting about my beliefs here. Didn't want to offend, but I do truely believe that, I don't know Buddhism, but my religion believes basically the same.

I've kind of decided that when my Simba leaves me, he'll come back to me in some way.

 

[flanque]

It'd be nice if you knew where and in what form.