LED Question HELP

[kilralpine]

Acroholic;975696 wrote: You made a good move. One saying everyone eventually hears in the reef hobby is "buy cheap, buy twice." Applies to a lot of different areas in life, but is so true in this expensive hobby. :yes:

So true, especially on lighting and skimmers IME.

 

[oceandeep85]

Thanks for the help, everyone. It was the reason I called and cancelled my order. Will post pics when I get it all set up.

 

[oceandeep85]

in the meantime.. I'd love some input on corals to start with.

I'm not the hugest Zoa fan, although I could be persuaded..

I LOVE tentacled corals like Torches and Frogspawns. Obviously space is a concern, I'm working with 20"X12"X10" so, I need bang for the buck in terms of appeal.

Also interested in covering at least one wall (probably the far 10" side wall) with GSP

The ultimate, long term goal is to have a nice, lush LPS and softie garden that could be transferred to a 29 gallon and then a 40 down the road.

 

[ringo®]

Euphyllia doesn't always play nice with other corals. Figure out what you want and plan accordingly.

 

[oceandeep85]

Ringo®;975704 wrote: Euphyllia doesn't always play nice with other corals. Figure out what you want and plan accordingly.

I've heard that they play nice with each other, however... and that they can be placed in close proximity without worrying about them stinging each other. I wouldn't mind a Euphyllia specific garden, or dedicating half the tank to Euphyllia only and giving any other livestock a wide berth on the other side of the tank.

 

[jdavid]

You've seen my ten gallon lol.. You can fit plenty of euphyllia in one

 

[acroholic]

You are gonna have to be very careful because of the small volume of your tank. Pick and choose carefully, taking adult size and growth rate into account. Lots of research on Nanoreef.com and the nano sections of this and other Forums will probably give the most popular choices. I would consider slow growing corals and small fish, etc. Some things you can keep up with via pruning, but I hate pruning corals, as almost every time I try to trim something the entire colony breaks away from the rock, and is a PIA to reattach.

I would think twice about GSP in a Nano, and think twice about GSP in any reef. It can be invasive. But every new Reefer seems to have GSP in their tanks, including me when I started.

 

[kilralpine]

Branching types will take up alot of space in a little amount of time if they are thriving. I started with 1-2 heads and ended up with over a dozen like a half a year later. Golf ball size to something a little larger than a softball. Euphy will sting the crap out of anything that isnt a Euphy (Hammers, Frogspawn, Torches). Euphy will also want a fair amount of flow. GSP apparently grows really fast for everyone except me? Just attach a frag to the wall you want it on and let it do its thing. Good thing about the wall being covered is that it is extremely easy to frag off of glass from what I am told.

 

[oceandeep85]

very cool. Thanks, guys.

I think I'm pretty much set on wanting a torch or frogspawn first.

 

[kilralpine]

Both of which can be had at about 10$ a head from local peeps.

 

[oceandeep85]

kilralpine;975710 wrote: Both of which can be had at about 10$ a head from local peeps.

sweet. I'll be more than happy with just one for a month or two just to get acquainted and then move forward. I'll have to post some pics of my current setup so maybe folks can weigh in on placement.

 

[kilralpine]

Placement on LPS can be tricky, odd shapes usually have to leave them room to branch. Starting from a frag for a little while it will look empty. Water flow direction has a direct effect on which direction they will grow; something to keep in mind. Same holds true for nearly every SPS colony.

 

[acroholic]

In a Nano, euphyllias, which is a genus encompassing torches, frogspawn, hammer, octo*****, etc., there are two types, branching and wall. Try to get branching in whatever euphyllias you buy, as they trim pretty easy, just cut the head off like a stem on a branch. Wall types grow in continuous ridges, and don't frag very well. Branching stuff would be so much easier in a Nano, from a maintenance perspective.

Sorry, the word editor took something out. Think kitty cat or the james bond movie!

 

[jdavid]

You're telling me we can't say ***** now?

 

[oceandeep85]

hahaha..

Fortunately I like the branching types, so that's good to know that they'll be more maintenance friendly. Personally speaking, I really don't mind if a lot of space is taken up by a torch or frogspawn since I find them so appealing.. however, I understand how it ends up making the setup appear when they become huge.. a lot like a model train layout where you have buildings and people of varying sizes.. just doesn't look right and may actually end up making my setup look smaller than it is if I have softball sized specimens growing in there. Further, I prefer something I can frag and share with folks on here who've been so good to me. I'm looking forward to that.

In my research I've noticed that there are a million options on coloring, etc. for torches and frogs.. any suggestions? I tend to prefer greens and purples..

anyone have any experiences with torches and frogs and have any advice about care/placement?

 

[oceandeep85]

also, I forgot to add ***** for good measure.

 

[jdavid]

The green/purple tip variety is standard, other variations are more desirable (by rarity)

I had a sweet highlighter yellow/green frogspawn that melted for reason beyond me

 

[oceandeep85]

The girlfriend and I are going to petsmart after work later to get some food and treats for our monster dog. I noticed they are also having some pretty legit sales. If I was going to wait and really save for a nice LED lightbox, what should I look for in the meantime in the fluorescent lighting category that I could use to get myself started? I hear people throwing around terms like T5 or T8, etc. but I'm really not sure what to look for or get. The puny led setup I got with the tank is already starting to burn out, so not only am I looking for something to get started on Coral, but lighting in general.

Are there particular fixtures and bulbs I should be looking for? This whole lighting thing is uncharted territory for me.

reminder: Dimensions I'm working with.. 20" long, 12" tall , 10" wide. Probably 9" total water depth with rockwork that would bring corals up to within 2" or 3" of water surface.

 

[oceandeep85]

Also, are there dimming options available for Fluorescent setups?

 

[ringo®]

Dimmable T-5's are tough to come by and normally quite pricey.