Lighting

[Utah tank]

So I have a aquatop 48 gallon it comes with a 40w led yes I know I need to upgrade so what kind of corals would be ok for this lighting Zoas and acans do good sps? Thought and opinions be great

 

[Reeferdood]

Nice looking tank, corals look happy. FWIW, all of the corals could benefit from better lighting and I would not attempt SPS just yet. The torch you have should be out of the sand and up on the rock work a little closer to the available lighting you presently have. From the picture I would guess the flow in your setup is pretty minimal. SPS corals are a completely different animal as far as their success in a closed system, they require a LOT more than just lighting.
Can you tell us more about your entire setup?

 

[Ron Reefman]

With your current lighting I'd stick with zoas, softies and easy lps corals.

As Reeferdood said, more info would be helpful. How long has this tank been set up? Getting past the nitrogen cycle is just the start, like giving birth. Your tank has a lot of growing up and maturing to do. IMHO a new tank system isn't mature until it's a bare minimum 6 months and it can take over a year. Do you have a sump? A refugium? What pumps do you have for flow and how many gph do they pump?

I have a 40g cube (24"x24"x20") and I use a Reef Breeders Photon 16" V2 led fixture. It has lots of controls and is well made with Cree, Osram and Semi leds and 115 watts. I have some sps corals but I prefer the more colorful zoas and rock flower anemones that fluoresce under blue leds. But I used the same fixture over my old 120g tank that was 80% sps branching and plating corals (recently sold it). This photo shows both tanks running together.

20170223_155902 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr

 

[vetteguy53081]

Softies, zoas/palys, mushrooms and leathers should do well under this lighting. I'd put if possible, $50 away per payday for the next 9 months. You will have saved enough to buy the ultimate light choice for your tank

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If the coral you have are doing well and not usually considered low light coral. Your lighting is fine.
Zoas and soffits btw are not low light corals. They are equipt with generalist zoanthalle. I have def hurt zoas zoas with not enough light.
A fwiw, I can grow Xenia in my sump and at the top of my display at 700 par.

Lower light and generalist sps can include , montipora , stylpophora , cyphasteria and leptoceris. Many lps fall in this range as well. Torches frogspawn chalices.

 

[Reeferdood]

If the coral you have are doing well and not usually considered low light coral. Your lighting is fine.
Zoas and soffits btw are not low light corals. They are equipt with generalist zoanthalle. I have def hurt zoas zoas with not enough light.
A fwiw, I can grow Xenia in my sump and at the top of my display at 700 par.

Lower light and generalist sps can include , montipora , stylpophora , cyphasteria and leptoceris. Many lps fall in this range as well. Torches frogspawn chalices.

Im glad you are back bud...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Im glad you are back bud...

THanks Dood!

 

[Utah tank]

 

[Utah tank]

K upgraded to 2 ai hd primes and relocated torch thanks for help guys

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have Primes and love them

 

[Utah tank]

Nice looking tank, corals look happy. FWIW, all of the corals could benefit from better lighting and I would not attempt SPS just yet. The torch you have should be out of the sand and up on the rock work a little closer to the available lighting you presently have. From the picture I would guess the flow in your setup is pretty minimal. SPS corals are a completely different animal as far as their success in a closed system, they require a LOT more than just lighting.
Can you tell us more about your entire setup?

Tank is 2 years old 14 gallon sump with skimmer and chaeto doing good lots of isopods I do have two 425gph Wavemakers as of today upgraded to 2 ai prime hd