I know I just feels so permanent hah I was just thinking 5his.... but on the other hand every morning I have to pick up my frags cause snails and hermits knocked them off the rock!
I went a step further and asked which is the problem – the frags or the snails and hermits?
Turns out the snails and hermits are all too big (and the hermits too nasty) for most tanks. Try smaller snails like Ceriths and keep hermit populations to zero or the minimum.
The only frags I glue to plugs are the ones that are too small and that might get lost in the live rock if they get moved. Anything big enough to wedge into a space I wedge, but most corals will affix themselves in place in due time.
I've had to glue very few frags....birdsnests are a common one since they don't encrust, but they are also quite wedge-able.
That Tunze Coral Gum (the newest product....I could be getting the name wrong) is pretty phat.....I might do things differently if that was around when I started.
I also don't typically move corals once they are in place.....they need to be allowed to adapt to the conditions they're in and A.S.A.P. is better than later. Don't stress about it, but try to minimize the number of moves.....eventually you will know enough to place them on the first or second try.
we know we eventually want to grow atleast LPS and need/want real good lights for this (yes, we want Radions) but we can not afford them yet and are saving until we can get the best lights possible.
Saving Is Good, But...
Look at more affordable fixtures.
"Best" like you've defined it carries a ton of unnecessary (so far as the corals are concerned) extras which jack up the cost to about x5 what it needs to be.
For a comparison, I run two displays on my system: one gets about 14,000 lux (low light) from a DIY blue+white LED system; the other gets about 50,000 lux (fairly bright) from a Maxsprect Razor.
It's possible the corals are growing faster in one tank than the other, but I can't tell and all the corals seem very happy.
My point? The DIY fixture has no creature comforts at all (no dimming, no extra colors, etc) and only cost me $75 in LED bulbs and sockets. The Razor, which is great and has sunrise/sunset, etc, cost me around $500.
The Best Light
Now if my corals (almost all stony corals) are happy in both scenarios I described, how "best" can a light be that costs from $400-$900? Get them if you want, but I'd be careful about over-selling yourself on them
In particular for a long, skinny tank like your 150 (60" x 18" x 30H"?) the lights you're looking at are not a great fit....much better for a cube-shaped tank, though they still create a lot of shadowing for what seems like many peoples' tastes.
Your EcoXotic strip is better at lighting your tank - adding more wouldn't be the worst way to go. There's
nothing wrong with blue+white fixtures.
If you want something with a few more human features, I'd look at the CurrentUSA Orbit Marine Pro. A single 4'-5' strip would be all you need to add. I'd probably keep your current LED strip too.
so essentially we have no clue as to what PAR we have going in there but do not want to expend any money to figure it out because we are saving for Radions. We are just assuming...
My 11th grade English teacher had a great saying about assuming....I'm sure everyone has heard it by now though.
Start by downloading a $free [HASHTAG]#lux[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#meter[/HASHTAG] app (like "galactica luxmeter" for IOS) for your smartphone. It uses your camera's light meter and some software trickery to generate a usable lux reading. While you are downloading the app, go to
amazon or eBay (etc) and order an inexpensive handheld lux meter (search for the "LX-1010B"). Better readings, safer to use around your tank and only $15, delivered. Sometimes less.
Anything around 15,000-20,000 lux on up is fine. Usually there's no need for more than around 50,000 lux.
I hope this helps!!
