Which corals for my setup ?

Discussion in 'Coral' started by jborlace, Mar 8, 2013.

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  1. jborlace

    jborlace Purple Spiny Lobster

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    I have a 55 gallon that is 48" long and 13" wide from front to back. Not sure how deep but probably 18" to 24". Cycle is finished and I'm about to get a T5 light. I don't have much money at the moment so will probably have to go with a two bulb set for now. If mounted high up on my rock what kinds of corals could I grow. I don't know much about corals at all. Complete noob here. Thanks !!
     
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  3. Nuebie

    Nuebie Peppermint Shrimp

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    If you could hold off for a bit and get a 4 lamp it would save you money in the long run.
    That being said even if you just get the 2 lamp there is mushrooms and zoas/palys you could most likely put at all levels. You just won't get any fast growth out of them.
    Make sure you get good lamps though. Some ati coral plus and blue plus should help. A lot of people here like that combo. Gives you a bluish look with good par value for coral growth
     
  4. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    Honestly, I'd just get a reefbreeders, this will cost you about as much as the cheapest 4 bulb unit and won't require $100 yearly bulb replacements. Also the leds let u change the look of the tank or your color spectrum.

    1 of those will provide enough light for what your tank will be able to handle for the next 6 months, shrooms and LPS, then you can add another unit and be able to grow ANYTHING.
     
  5. HeiHei29er

    HeiHei29er Gigas Clam

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    I think you could grow quite a bit with the two bulb fixture.

    +1 on mushrooms and zoas at all levels. I would think you could also do just about any coral that is happy with moderate lighting. Here is a great site to look at the various corals out there and get a feel for what type of light and flow they like. If your tank just finished cycling, you can start with a few mushrooms to get you going, but I would wait until your tank is at least 6 months old before adding any stony corals (LPS and SPS). This will give you time to stabilize your tank and get your pod population up.

    http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=597
     
  6. jborlace

    jborlace Purple Spiny Lobster

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    I thought about that but don't like the idea of dropping 360 on two of the dimmable units and having to wait a month to get it.
     
  7. Dyonopses1

    Dyonopses1 Skunk Shrimp

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    Is it really a month wait to get a Reefbreeder fixture?
     
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  9. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    It can be.
     
  10. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    IME, I would wait and purchase the right light the first time. It will save you money in the long run. Plus, you won't be limited to the type of coral you want. You can essentially rule out any SPS with 2 bulbs.
     
  11. jborlace

    jborlace Purple Spiny Lobster

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    It may not be the right light. There isn't a whole lot of long term info on LEDs yet is there.
     
  12. Marshall O

    Marshall O Giant Squid

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    I think it has been proven that you can successfully keep SPS corals longterm under LED lighting. The technology is still changing for the better (and becoming cheaper!), but there should not be any question that you can have success using LEDs. Now, I am not saying they are the best for any given tank, just that they certainly can work ;)