my going-to-be-hopefully 15 gal. sps tank

[Derek_setter]

well i am planning on setting up a sps/lps tank (with some zoas maybe, but i doubt it beucase my 75 gallon is going to be a big zoa tank ) any ways. I have a 70 watt 10k mh light and a 32 watt pc 10k/act. bulb. that is 102 watts of light in a 15 gallon tank. I would like to have an sps/clam only tank (i can keep up with calcium costs wiht b-ionic and kalk with such a small tank)

 

I have re-done my scaping to a way i like it, and ihave since added my clean up crew. I want to start adding my croal, and was hoping for a little help with coral placement. Flow is very good througout the entire tank, and i have a fuge with chaetomorpha. I have provided a picture wiht different zones hoping for advice on diffrent types (genus or species) that would do best in them (light accordingly)

 

I also want to keep an rbta in one of the darkter areas, to host my pair of clowns. tell me your ideas please!!!?

 

do you thinkt his is enough light for n e thing i want if i add a 65 watt pc actinic?

 

THanks, Derek

 

[FAC_WNY]

Define "very good" flow? What are you using? (can't see much in the pic..lol)

 

 

Cheers,

Fred

 

Edit: I'm in the process of setting up a 15 gallon SPS tank myself..and my flow is provided by a Mag 9.5 (roughly 800 gph after head and flow loss) split through 2 X 3/4" returns.

[Derek_setter]

lol... sorry, i know that there doesnt seem to be much there, because that pic was taken before i got it all set up. aquaclear mini, aquaclear 150, (mini is made into a fuge) and two minijet powerheads.

[Derek_setter]

what are you doing about chilling your nano with a 400 wtt bulb above the tank, i was thinkig a out getting one?

[FAC_WNY]

Its going to be in the basement of my house, in my rec area, and I've got central air. I'm suspending the hood (on risers) so that the 400w bulb is about 10" off the water surface with about 4" of open air between the tank and the canopy. I'm running 2X4" fans in the canopy as well. Considering my basement never gets above 68 degrees, I shouldn't have too much of a cooling issue.

 

As far as your flow goes...you may have enough..you may not. Start out with something on the easier side of things (Montipora, Seriatopora) and see how it fares. You'll then know better if you need to bump up the light or the flow or both or throw a skimmer on there..a lot of variables that go into maintaining SPS. You need to keep a good eye on the water quality with that small a volume of water too, it can get out of whack fairly quickly...thats one of the reasons I always run my tanks with sumps.

 

Anything else?

 

Cheers,

Fred

[Derek_setter]

well no i think that just about covers it.. I know there are a google different ways to run an sps tank, and I know i could fair a lot better with a sump and skimmer, but i also dont beleive in skimming so much on a smaller tank.. I only run it every other week on my big tank. anyways.. Yeah i think i wil start with something pretty easy, see how it does. If it grows a healthy color i will eventually go with some acros....months and months from now

 

mine is in the basement too and sometiems it gets around 72 or 3 degress but that is the hottest, with the 70 watt plus the actinic on there it doenst get over 78 degrees, with everything being a few inches above the tank

 

Thanks for the input

Derek

[FAC_WNY]

Not a problem, boss.

 

 

Cheers,

Fred

[SSMangrove]

Not enough light. only 4 or so watts per gallon is mH, and depending on what kind of stonys you want to do, a lot wouldnt work. Montipora digitata, montipora capricornus, pavona, merulina (if its low flow) etc would do just fine but pocillopora, acropora, etc.. will probably die. if they dont, growth will be painfully slow. I have 19w per gallon over my 15g and my montipora is doing well. sounds like a lot of light, but actually its only 11 watts of metal halide per gallon. Halides have the best similarity in spectrum and intensity as with the sun, so i suggest if you want to keep high lighting stonys, you notch up the light a little. Just use kalk for calcium, a skimmer would be nice, if not, have a good sized refugium with plenty of that chaetomorpha!