Recommendations for Lower par sticks?

[LRT]

I can probably max out around 200 par atm. Have a slimer sitting around 175 that seems to be doing OK with it but gonna try to bump another 25 par for it this weekend.
What other sticks would do good around 200 or lower?

 

[Dkmoo]

Anacroporas actually prefer lower light..as are the green birdsnests

montipora digitata can also do ok at 200 par.

those are "stick-like"

if you truly only want acropora i think your options are limited. Not so much that other acroporas won't live, its more that they won't retain their color. High end acroporas like the Walk Disney's, strawberry shortcake, after party, dream catchers, etc only achieved those crazy colors bc they are under 400PAR+ of wide spectrum blue/purple lights. At 200PAr, mostly only the green/cyan fluorescent proteins will activate, causing a lot of the sticks to color shift into basically green slimers.

this is also partly why green slimers are the "noob friendly" acro.

 

[Dolphins18]

Seriatopora is a great choice for lower par sticks.
For Acros, red planet is a good choice but it does look a bit different under lower par, still very pretty.
Oh also digitatas should do fine, fast growers too.

 

[ccole]

Miyagi torts are green and purple and look the great under lower lighting! Some deeper water acros might work too, like Hawkins Echinata.

 

[LRT]

Seriatopra is a great choice for lower par sticks.
For Acros, red planet is a good choice but it does look a bit different under lower par, still very pretty.

What would you reccomend as far as anacro or seriatopra. I did snag a green goblin anacro that seems to be doing well. I got both the beginner sticks haha. Slimer has started to encrust rack for me in last 10 days so looking to explore more options.

 

[Dkmoo]

FWIW, I had a POTO red diablo that completely green shifted when I had it at 250PAR, before I upped my light game.

At the store this is what its supposed to look like:

What it looked like in mine after 3 weeks of 250 par.

 

[LRT]

Anacroporas actually prefer lower light..as are the green birdsnests

montipora digitata can also do ok at 200 par.

those are "stick-like"

if you truly only want acropora i think your options are limited. Not so much that other acroporas won't live, its more that they won't retain their color. High end acroporas like the Walk Disney's, strawberry shortcake, after party, dream catchers, etc only achieved those crazy colors bc they are under 400PAR+ of wide spectrum blue/purple lights. At 200PAr, mostly only the green/cyan fluorescent proteins will activate, causing a lot of the sticks to color shift into basically green slimers.

this is also partly why green slimers are the "noob friendly" acro.

My bad meant to ask you about the anacros

 

[LRT]

Miyagi torts are green and purple and look the great under lower lighting! Some deeper water acros might work too, like Hawkins Echinata.

Had no idea about the torts. I do see some nice ones! Which would you reccomend?

 

[ccole]

I have a huge chunk of miyagi that I love. They are colorful and fast growers. I’ve never had the Hawkins in my tank but my dad does and it’s a nice coral too.

I also have a piece of what I believe is purple tip nana that looks decent under lower light. It’s also a very fast grower, but would probably look the best at closer to 200 par. It has increased from a tiny frag to a good sized colony in only about six months though, even kept under lower lights. I’ll try to get some pictures when I get home.

 

[Dolphins18]

What would you reccomend as far as anacro or seriatopra. I did snag a green goblin anacro that seems to be doing well. I got both the beginner sticks haha. Slimer has started to encrust rack for me in last 10 days so looking to explore more options.

I am not a huge fan of anacropora but have a few, I think one I have is called "the thing anacropora"
There is a beautiful pink Seriatopora
This could be a good choice as many of the Acros that will keep color in that par range will be greenish in color.
Nice thing about birdnest is it comes in a huge variety of colors, theres pinks, purples, greens, purples with green tips, etc.
If slimer is encrusting and keeping color I imagine the Birdsnest will do quite well.

 

[LRT]

I have a huge chunk of miyagi that I love. They are colorful and fast growers. I’ve never had the Hawkins in my tank but my dad does and it’s a nice coral too.

I also have a piece of what I believe is purple tip nana that looks decent under lower light. It’s also a very fast grower, but would probably look the best at closer to 200 par. It has increased from a tiny frag to a good sized colony in only about six months though, even kept under lower lights. I’ll try to get some pictures when I get home.

Miyagi tort looks great. Alot of the torts i found on quick search look good. Def looking for color variation and brighter more vivid colors or corals just kind of blend together with my color blindedness.

 

[ccole]

I’m not sure if all torts are lower light, you’ll have to look at the requirements for each specific one. I just know it is true for the miyagi.

 

[homer1475]

oregon tort will retain it's deep blue in lower par as well.

 

[LRT]

oregon tort will retain it's deep blue in lower par as well.

I'm going to have to have this one!
Any pictures in lower par?
Very nice.

 

[homer1475]

My avatar sits at about 200ish par. It normally has very hairy PE, but since my wife wanted another angel, all my corals have pulled in their polyps.

 

[ccole]

This is my miyagi. It’s getting probably 150(ish) par

Here is my purple tip nana:

Sorry about the bad photo quality.

 

[LRT]

This is my miyagi. It’s getting probably 150(ish) par

Here is my purple tip nana:

Sorry about the bad photo quality.

I could see both of those sitting in my reef!
Whats that guy lower left hand corner in the nana pic?

 

[ccole]

I could see both of those sitting in my reef!
Whats that guy lower left hand corner in the nana pic?

The green coral? I’m not sure. I bought it from my LFS and I don’t think it has a name. It used to be a lot more colorful but it’s lost color because my tank is currently under lit.

The nana started off as a tiny green frag in January, so it’s a fast grower.

 

[LRT]

The green coral? I’m not sure. I bought it from my LFS and I don’t think it has a name. It used to be a lot more colorful but it’s lost color because my tank is currently under lit.

The nana started off as a tiny green frag in January, so it’s a fast grower.

Yes the little green one almost resembles the goblin i have. I was told it was more on the finicky side.

 

[Dkmoo]

Keep in mind its not just about the par number... the right spectrum is just as, if not more, important for acro colors. Not all blue light is created equal. You will want as broad a range as possible that covers all the peaks from 480nm-500nm all the way down to 380nm-400nm. Compared to, for example, the common "actinic" blue which is only a single peak at around 420.

Goal here is that different fluorescent proteins have peak activation at specific par AND spectrum so you will want cover as many basis as possible to give you the best chance to maintain color.

Not sure what light you have, but most high end reef leds should have that covered

Otherwise I think you got some great suggestions here. Many things with the green/cyan as the primary flouresence should do well. Its just how well some of the secondary flouresence colors will hold, which depends on what I mentioned above.

My myagi tort has very popping greens but unfortunately lost the secondary purple (which is basically red + the brown regular zoox + the nature blue light). I havent figured out why yet bc acro color is such a loaded topic and hard to master.

I think at some point you just want to start with some inexpensive frags just to test it out bc every tank is going to be slightly different and how certain coral colors react is going to be unique to your own tank, which is a function of par, spectrum, nutrient, flow, temperature, and possibly other factors that as a hobby we haven't fully understood.

EDIT: add trace elements to the last sentence too on coral color.