How to setup my corals with the right lighting

[Gore15]

I have inherited a tank which I want to make as much good with as I can. So far I have been changing the water as well as setup an auto-top up. I have been measuring the No3, Po4, Ca, Mg, Alk, and salinity as well as ensuring that temperature is at 25 using the heater that was with the tank.

 

- The tank is a shallow reef of 85x35x20cm which the last 10cm of it is allocated to the filteration. There is no sump or skimmer, etc. 

- The light is a maxspect r420r 70w (nano). with 120 degree lens

- There are two clown fish (the most common ones)

- total of 5 snails

- one hermit crab

 

Following are the coral fragments that I want to make some placement for them without losing more of. I think my Milka colony is already dead as I have not seen any polyp on it (which makes me very sad if it is really dead).

 

1. Caulastraea toxic green
2. green star polyp
3. green mushrooms
4. pink sinularia
5. Euphyllior
6. Seriatopora Caliendrum
7. Montipora fire forest 
8. Green Stylophora
9. small Montipora plate 
10. Stylophora milka
11. Montipora plating ultra green
12. Setosa
13. Green leather coral

 

I attached photos of the tank and I wanted to get any advice anyone has on how to arrange them on the two rocks that I have. I have already moved the rocks with GSP to the back and the rock with mushroom as far from the rest as possible since I read they are invasive.

 

Any comment on placement and arrangement is very much welcome.

 

 

PS: I found two crab shells and dropped them for the hermit that is there, he didnt like them and left them after trying them for a bit. It was amazing to watch him/her move so close to the new shell and arrange the entrance and move into the new one. Worth all the time I have spent with the tank so far.

 

Thank you.

[I'm Batman]

Nice set up! Personally since you only have the one light, either center it and make sure your high light corals are under it and either buy or rent a par meter to be sure. 

[Clown79]

Is the water level all the way to the top of the glass? If so the overflow won't filter properly.

 

I'd place high light corals within the spread of the light and lower light corals in the other areas.

[Gore15]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

Is the water level all the way to the top of the glass? If so the overflow won't filter properly.

Could you please explain a little bit more about this? The filter compartment has holes in the lower section close to the bottom as well as some cuts close to the top. Those are only present in the physical filteration compartment. After physical there is the foam (and I added active coal package) and then there is the pump. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

I'd place high light corals within the spread of the light and lower light corals in the other areas.

Do you see any complication if I put these corals close to one another? Or you think they are all friendly with eachother?

[BearTheSquare]

Just want to start by saying you inherited my dream tank, I love shallow tanks.

 

As far as placement goes it seems like you’ve also inherited a good amount of SPS corals. I’d say your best bet would be worrying about the placement of those first as their growth will rely on “high light” more than the mushrooms and soft corals. I’d recommend focusing on building a nice looking stack of rocks directly under the light fixture to place them on, while saving the lower light sides of the tank for lower light corals. 
 

And just as a side note, shallow tanks offer the ability to create depth really easily. Depending on your preference it might be nice to move some individual rocks closer to the front  of your tank, no need to build them up to the water level, to create islands of soft corals like gsp/mushrooms. 

[Clown79]

6 hours ago, Gore15 said:

Could you please explain a little bit more about this? The filter compartment has holes in the lower section close to the bottom as well as some cuts close to the top. Those are only present in the physical filteration compartment. After physical there is the foam (and I added active coal package) and then there is the pump. 

 

 

Do you see any complication if I put these corals close to one another? Or you think they are all friendly with eachother?

The water level in a rimless tank shouldn't be right to the top. At least 1 inch or a bit more below the edge of glass.

 

The top grill cut outs is the overflow where water goes into the filter chamber. If water is to high, it won't work properly. 

The water in the back filter chamber should also not be to the top of the glass, the water will not be properly filtered.

 

I attached 3 pics of examples of proper water level in a rimless aio

[Gore15]

3 hours ago, BearTheSquare said:

Just want to start by saying you inherited my dream tank, I love shallow tanks.

 

As far as placement goes it seems like you’ve also inherited a good amount of SPS corals. I’d say your best bet would be worrying about the placement of those first as their growth will rely on “high light” more than the mushrooms and soft corals. I’d recommend focusing on building a nice looking stack of rocks directly under the light fixture to place them on, while saving the lower light sides of the tank for lower light corals. 
 

And just as a side note, shallow tanks offer the ability to create depth really easily. Depending on your preference it might be nice to move some individual rocks closer to the front  of your tank, no need to build them up to the water level, to create islands of soft corals like gsp/mushrooms. 

Thank you.  I will reduce the water level and adjust the auto top off to adjust to the change. 

 

My plan is to place 5 mangroves, I am cultivating separately, in the right side along with few macro algae.  I will also add two more fish (fire fish and lawnmower blenny).  There are whole crew for cleanup as well which are inbound.

 

My biggest worry at this point is my lack of knowledge and experience with light and flow requirement. I am keeping the water levels in check by water change.

[Gore15]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

The water level in a rimless tank shouldn't be right to the top. At least 1 inch or a bit more below the edge of glass.

 

The top grill cut outs is the overflow where water goes into the filter chamber. If water is to high, it won't work properly. 

The water in the back filter chamber should also not be to the top of the glass, the water will not be properly filtered.

 

I attached 3 pics of examples of proper water level in a rimless aio

My poor quoting skills.

 

Thank you.  I will reduce the water level and adjust the auto top off to adjust to the change.  These last tank looks really really nice. Do you have more information about it? Specially placement of corals?

[Clown79]

2 hours ago, Gore15 said:

My poor quoting skills.

 

Thank you.  I will reduce the water level and adjust the auto top off to adjust to the change.  These last tank looks really really nice. Do you have more information about it? Specially placement of corals?

With the light only being in the centre, the sps corals will need to be within the main spread of the light as they are high light corals.

 

Leathers are listed as low yo moderate but my experience with leathers- they like light and will bend towards it. Sps and leathers don't do well near each other. Leathers release toxins to irritate other corals and sps are especially effected by it.

 

So you will want to distance them away and run small amounts of carbon to reduce effects.

 

Other low light corals you can place where ever.

 

I would research each corals needs and place accordingly.