2 new corals...

[payge]

Hello I just purchased 2 small small corals..Not sure if they fall under this coral section or not..

1 is a smal rock piece with several "braches" of Toadstool coral..quite cute

1 is a polyp of some sort..they weren't sure.looks sorta like a xenia top but its pink with like bright green tips...

I put them in my tank after acclimating them--floating bout 20min and a few dips to get them used to the salt levels-like the fish-- but once they got in the tank they sucked up closed.

I was wondering if this is normal?? I'm not sure if I put the tiny polyped one in right side up as it closed so tightly..its soo small I can't see which end is up..will it right itself if its upside down?? lol

Thanks for your time

 

[payge]

Well the toadstools are opening up and are a very pretty orange ..now if the polyp one will just start to open so I will know if it needs to be flipped..

Anyone have any suggestions on lighting?? the Shark Reef says we need around 240watts....

tank is 80gal and as deep as my arm is long..not that that will help lol...maybe 2ft or so deep...I know depth affects the penetration..we've also "painted" the back panel of glass-on the outside with non-toxic acrylic paint...don't know if that affects it or not..but we want good coral lighting with a somewhat low cost..tho the guy said it will prob run 200+ just for the bulbs and what not...

thanks

 

[dpaynter]

It's pretty normal for corals to close up for a while when they are moved to a new tank. I don't know what the second coral is, but it sounds like neither of the ones you have added require much light.

What kind of lighting do you have now? Good lighting for other kinds of corals (MH or VHO) requires some money, even for DIY projects. You will find lots of threads on this subject if you look around.

 

[payge]

Right now its just a basic light... CoralLife 40watt 50/50 48" light..

We're looking at gettin more Coral specific lighting..the one we have now is daylight 6000k and actinic blue 03..says ideal for salwater reef systems and for coral growth...its says this lighting thing befuddles me lol


so im up for suggestions lookin not to go over 200 bucks

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
For keeping low to medium light corals I would recommend either PC (power compact) or VHO (very high output) lighting. They are both florescent type lighting can deliver enough light intensity for the corals you describe. For a 48"x18" (typical 80 gal dimension) the cost would be about $215. On sale maybe you could save $25 or so off that price.

Regards,
Kevin