seagrams Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Hi, I'm on the verge of having my 10 gal. cycled. And well I'd really like to know what my options are for corals.. I have basicly 118w of light 3 18 inch VHO's and a 28w PC. All suggestions are welcome:) thanks keith Link to comment
2manytanks Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Just about anything 'cept maybe Acropora and clams. My suggestion would be to start with some mushroom corals and/or zoos. Easy to care for. Just take it slow at first, give your tank time to adjust to the addition. Don't add more than one or two at a time. Later, you can add some of the lower light "stonies" i.e. montipora cap. and montipora digi. Just put them up close to the lights, although in my experience, they really don't color up without the intensity and PAR value of Metal Halides. HTH Link to comment
seagrams Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 Well, That puts a damper on things I was aleast hoping for a clam:*( anyway i appericate the response. I suppose I should rethink my lighting scheme as this VHO and PC mixture was more or less from the last time i messed with saltwater. Ofcoarse I do have a couple of 250w mh ballast but for some reason that presents to me way overkill on the lighting I mean I got a simple little 10 gal tank here. It looks to me there would be a big heat issue as well as a evaporation issue that would hinder keeping everything alined. Link to comment
Physh1 Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 A 250 is really a bit much for a 10 gallon. A 175 or IMO a 150w DE HQI would be ideal. You coudl still retain some of your current lighting but you really should have a halide for clams and sps for optimal health. Heat can be an issue along with evap but that isn't anything a properly cooled hood and possibly a top off system couldn't handle easily. Cameron Link to comment
2manytanks Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 have to agree with Physh...you could conceivably keep a clam, up on the rockwork close to the lights, however, it really won't thrive. While a 250 is do-able.. (hanging pendant type about 12" or so above the tank), a 175 or 150 is more manageable in terms of heat control / evaporation rate. One thing to consider the 150 DE that Physh mentioned. The ones I've seen appear to be brighter than a 175. Haven't personally taken any light measurements, just in my eyes they seem brighter. HTH Link to comment
Ike Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Just to be a pain-in-the-ass, I'm going to say use the 250 MH. You already have the ballast & you seem to want a clam, so why not? The clam will love it and you'll also be able to keep anything else you want under it. Use the VHO set-up for actinics. You're lighting goal is to replicate the equatorial sun, especially important for a clam. That's a lot brighter than a 250 watt MH bulb. Just hang it from a pendant or construct a tall hood. If you're worride about heat then just install a fan. Don't worry about evaporation. Evaporation is a good thing. It will keep your tank cool and if you get one of these http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=2366451178 you can hook it up to a jug of Kalk and drip to make up for evaporation. Your clam will love it. Link to comment
2manytanks Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 YAY Ike.. ! ! ! We need more PITA's... Link to comment
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