Coral questions

[nate1633]

Hello I was looking to finally put corals in my marine tank, and was wondering if my aqueon 48 inch t8 32 watt light with mirrors surrounding it would work for any corals, or would I need to buy something else.

Also what are good corals that would not really need to be fed that much since at the moment I don't had a protein skimmer


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[nate1633]

Also my flow is pretty good


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[BigRedsReefs10]

Hello I was looking to finally put corals in my marine tank, and was wondering if my aqueon 48 inch t8 32 watt light with mirrors surrounding it would work for any corals, or would I need to buy something else.

Also what are good corals that would not really need to be fed that much since at the moment I don't had a protein skimmer


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No, your going to need a quality reef light if your looking to get into corals.


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[nate1633]

Also what plants can I keep in a saltwater aquarium under a single bulb fluorescent light that I mentioned earlier.


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[nate1633]

Or can I even keep any?


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[BigRedsReefs10]

There are some macro algaes that may work, but even for some of those you won't have enough light


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[54seaweed]

as I'm becoming a macro junkie I've learned a lot
most macros will not do good under that lighting the only one that would do ok would be cheato but who wants cheato in a display
I like these lights and yes you can find them cheaper
with these you can keep about any coral and all most any macro you want
I am going to post 2 links one for lighting and the other for macros

http://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics%C2%AE-TT-AL09-Dimmable-Aquarium-Seaweed/dp/B0092LXQRM/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1422218936&sr=8-19&keywords=taotronics

Macro Algae: Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae | Gulf Coast Ecosystems

like I said I'm a macro junkie

 

[nate1633]

Would one of these with mirrors around it support and corals or plants


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[54seaweed]

doubtful

 

[mr_X]

Plants(some algae), yes, but not corals. Just because it's called "coral plus" does not mean it's strong enough to handle corals. What size tank is this? A 4' tank would need a minimum of 4 x 54T5HO over it to keep corals, and I'm talking about softies and LPS, not SPS. That's 4 times what you have.
If your budget is the issue, get a hydroponics fixture. They are much cheaper and all you need to supply are the lamps. Plus, they generally have larger reflectors and in turn push more lumens than aquatic fixtures where space saving is important.
http://www.amazon.com/ft-F54T5-HO-Fluorescent-Spectralux-Included/dp/B000AXPUBQ

 

[nate1633]

So does anyone have suggestions for a good 48 inch light that is faily cheap and can keep most corals and plants


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[Pngdave]

I know I am only new at this...but the words cheap and effective coral lighting aren't usually found in the same sentences......


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[Flaxon-Waxon]

So does anyone have suggestions for a good 48 inch light that is faily cheap and can keep most corals and plants


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See the link above Mr X posted

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

I know I am only new at this...but the words cheap and effective coral lighting aren't usually found in the same sentences......


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Actually, there are very basic LED fixtures that are capable of growing any types of coral starting around $80-$100 per fixture that cover roughly a 2 foot section of a tank (a 4 foot tank would require 2 for example). Just so you know and don't get scared by huge lighting costs...

 

[Pngdave]

I find it amusing that even though the Great Barrier Reef is virtually my back yard, any reef aquarium supplies bought locally can be so expensive.....


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[nate1633]

I find it amusing that even though the Great Barrier Reef is virtually my back yard, any reef aquarium supplies bought locally can be so expensive.....


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Lucky I wish I was by the Great Barrier Reef I love to snorkel and dive and yet I am in the middle of the US



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[mr_X]

So does anyone have suggestions for a good 48 inch light that is faily cheap and can keep most corals and plants


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New Dimmable 120W Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank White Blue LED Grow Light US | eBay

See if you can get 2 of these. These are the LED fixtures Flaxon-Waxon mentioned that will allow you to keep whatever you want.

 

[nate1633]

Found this on craigslist and was wondering if this would do good for most corals and algae/plants


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[nate1633]

Also my LFS has this really nice coral tank with lighting I just love but this is a dual lighting thing would that work or not work on my 55 gal


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[mr_X]

The lamps will most likely need replacing, and they are about 20-25 bucks a piece.They will need changing every 9 months or so. I would want to know the brand of the fixture.
To answer your question, if the lamops were new and they were ATI or Giesemann, I would say, yes, you can keep many corals and plants under this fixture.