Looking for LPS or Soft Coral Frags

[reefburnaby]

Hello BCReefer,

Lighting...another one of those unsolved mysteries that everybody has a different opinion about. 29 Gal...let me guess, 30x12x18 -- or something like that.

Well...it really depends on what you keep. Suppose the tank has a properly built 20W 2' NO lamp (say F20T12s from Home Depot), then it should be enough to keep undemanding mushrooms and low light corals at the bottom of the tank. They will grow very slowly...but they will usually stay alive. If you have a deep sand bed (something like 4 to 8 inches), then the mushrooms will grow better because they are closer to the light (i.e. more light). Sadly, the frags mentioned above (the leather, the hammer, sps and etc), require more light than a single 20W lamp -- even if you placed it near the top of the tank.

What would I do if I had this tank and I wanted to keep some of the frags mentioned, I would either go for 1 X 96W PowerCompacts with 10000K lights for about $200 CAD. 96W are 3' long, so you'll have to place the lights diagonally. OR...250W 6500K or 10000K Metal Halide -- about $250-350 CAD (see Hydroponics shops). Those are DIY prices -- 1.5x to 2x the price if you want a professional package. Go for the metal halides if you can afford it.

Lighting and water movement are very important in coral keeping. Try not skimp on essential supplies, like lighting, because you'll end up paying more due to lost corals and buying useless/inadaquate equipment. If you are still not sure...buy a good book and visit a good lfs (say, j&l or Animal house).

Just remember to have fun [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] ...

- Victor.