Quick Biocube 14 question

[DGabbs]

Hi,

I was going to start on an 8 gallon, but i took it back and ordered a biocube 14.

I heard that the stock coralife 14 lighting was ok, but if you want really nice reef growth its best to upgrade to a powerful LED setup.

I saw the Ecoxotic Panorama Pro LED Module, and i was wondering if one of these modules would be enough for growing a nice looking reef. Or would i need two modules? Im brand new to salt so i don't know much about the whole reef thing.

Also, it may sound like a dumb question, but i see all these really nice reef in biocubes (example listed below). Do all of those cool corals and anemones grow on their own over a long period of time or do you need to seed them some how? Obviously my first reef wont look as good as these, but you get the idea of the question.

Thanks guys!

 

[Toddww1]

no reason you cant have a tank that looks like any of those 3. have u gotten any books or magazines and researched reef tanks? your LFS would have the corals. u can buy grown or fragments and place them around live rock. the lighting should be ok, not sure if it has led or T5 lighting, again research will help.

 

[Chirp]

I used a ecoexotic panorama pro 6500k on my saltwater tank that I transferred from my freshwater along with my 14000k led lights. My bubble coral and my frogspawn seemed to like it. My tank is only 15" deep so I think the 6500k was reaching them. However, I stopped using them because it caused really bad algae growth. If you buy the lights, make sure they're the 10000k or the 14000k ones.
One thing I was really happy with the panorama pros is that I once dropped them in the tank and they still work.

 

[Chirp]

The first and second biocubes don't have stock lights. I have a biocube 14 as well, and the lights aren't strong enough for sps coral.

 

[DGabbs]

Thanks guys! I've done some research and I would hate to buy an 80$ coral to put in the tank and then have it die. I like the seeding with coral rubble idea if that works.

I think the panorama pros are 12k which must mean 12,000k right? So one of those panorama pros would do the trick?

 

[DGabbs]

no reason you cant have a tank that looks like any of those 3. have u gotten any books or magazines and researched reef tanks? your LFS would have the corals. u can buy grown or fragments and place them around live rock. the lighting should be ok, not sure if it has led or T5 lighting, again research will help.

I believe the stock lighting is power compact. From what i read its not powerful enough for a nice reef.

 

[Jacobsal91]

They make an HQI 14g.. Sooooo worth it. If you dont like the compacts (im not a fan but i got em). I would get an LED upgrade or maybe you
Can buy the hqi separatly

 

[Starchar]

The second picture I believe is the hqi model which is able to support the the more light dependent corals. No reason at all why you couldn't make your tank look like number 3 given that those corals are all mushrooms and zoas that I noticed (well minus the frogspawn).