Should I buy another light before adding coral?

[TheNewGuyHere]

Hi all -

I have a 32.5 fluval reef tank that is cycled and testing well (says the store) and I am ready to add coral. I have read that the light on this pre built tank is par 55 at 18 inches depth - pretty much the bottom of the tank. Should I pick up another of the same light for coral? I have read they need about 100-150 to grow well.

Thanks!

 

[javisaman]

Welcome to R2R!

You can keep most softies and maybe some lower light SPS (acan, etc) with the current light. What kinds of corals do you plan on keeping?

 

[TheNewGuyHere]

What a tuff question! I went to a reef show in Chicago and there were so many different cool looking ones. I wrote some names down but i was not married to them:

Bubble Coral
Pulsing Xenia
Favia Coral
Trumpet Coral
Meteor Shower Coral

There is a reef store near me that sells frags 12 for $100 -- I was just going to pick one ones that looked cool. Any thoughts on hearty ones?

 

[javisaman]

The light is limiting. From your list, you could probably keep the Xenia and maybe Trumpet coral in the bottom. Some of the other ones you listed could work higher. In your case avoid corals that have a "stony" skeleton if you want "hardy" corals. Just work slowly and be patient, if a coral hasn't died in a month it's probably okay.


Keep reading the forums and asking questions. We all started from nothing and this is a valuable resource.

 

[TheNewGuyHere]

Thanks javisaman - Am I understanding this correctly? If a coral has a plant like structure it can go near the bottom and things that are more rock like go near the top for best success? And try new things as they are only about $8 a frag anyways?

Do you have any recommendations on a better light? There are two slots for lights in my lid, only one filled -- I could get another of the same or is there another brand to look at?

Thanks!!!

 

[javisaman]

Am I understanding this correctly? If a coral has a plant like structure it can go near the bottom and things that are more rock like go near the top for best success? And try new things as they are only about $8 a frag anyways?

I don't think you should use that as a rule of thumb. There is a lot to learn about corals. I recommend searching this forum for information on the corals you are interested in. "Stony" corals are ones with calcium-based skeletons, and they tend to be from shallower waters, where there is more light and turbulent flow.

A useful guide
https://reefs.com/magazine/beginners-coral-guide/

Don't buy equipment unless you are absolutely sure you need it. Start slow, buy a couple of cheap corals, and see how they do. If they brown out but live then you might need a new light. Too much light is also a bad thing (and frankly more dangerous).

There is more to keeping corals than light--like flow and stability. Start slow, test things out, and then make the determination.

 

[MaxTremors]

What a tuff question! I went to a reef show in Chicago and there were so many different cool looking ones. I wrote some names down but i was not married to them:

Bubble Coral
Pulsing Xenia
Favia Coral
Trumpet Coral
Meteor Shower Coral

There is a reef store near me that sells frags 12 for $100 -- I was just going to pick one ones that looked cool. Any thoughts on hearty ones?

I would start with soft corals and after keeping those alive for a few months, then try some LPS, once you’ve kept those alive for several months and gotten the hang of keeping alkalinity stable, then try some SPS/anemones. I would start with the Xenia, some leathers (Sarcophyton, Lobophytum, Nepthea, Sinularia, etc), mushrooms, clove polyps, zoanthids/palythoas, etc. The bubble coral, trumpet/candy cane, ‘favia’ (there are no true Favias in the hobby), and meteor shower (assuming you mean Cyphastrea) are all LPS and I would recommend waiting until you have a little more experience.

I would also strongly urge you to buy all your own test kits and make sure you have a basic understanding of reef chemistry before buying any corals. You are much less likely to have a successful reef long term depending on the LFS to test your water. First, it’s convenient (what happens when you have an emergency outside of business hours?). Second, the LFS employee doesn’t see your tank every day and can’t correlate test results to what is happening in the tank, they’re also not keeping a log of all your test results, so they can’t see how stable it is or notice trends or slight changes and therefore can’t proactively make changes before things become a problem. You also don’t know if the employee is doing the test correctly or if they know how to properly interpret the results. Third, without you taking a hands on approach and having an intimate understanding of your reef’s chemistry, you won’t notice slight changes and won’t be able to correct them before they become a problem. I realize that it’s overwhelming and intimidating when you’re first starting out, but you will learn so much more about your reef and be in a better position to properly manage it if you take a hands on approach. Everyone here is happy to answer questions for you, but you will be much better off in the long run if you test your water yourself.

 

[Jekyl]

Beyond the lighting I would still wait 2 months before getting coral. A freshly cycled tank isn't a good home

 

[Lavey29]

I had the same tank several years back and I added a second light but it was set up as a freshwater planted tank. I'm not sure those lights have the right spectrum to effectively grow coral but maybe start with easy soft and LPS. Wait a few months as stated above.