SPS Depth

[ddrueckh]

Can anyone point me to an article or chart that generally shows at what ocean depth various SPS are found? I'm curious as to what the natural light spectrum is at the places where these corals are found. Thank you!

Dave

 

[pluikens]

I can help you with the latter; You may find this article beneficial:
Imitating Natural Light Quality, Intensity, and Dosage in a Reef Aquarium - Do We Really Want To?
https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/12/lighting

 

[29bonsaireef]

You will probably get the answers you're looking for by searching coral species. SPS can grow anywhere from a foot of water down to 80-100ft. Spectrum changes immensely in that range. A species chart will show you depths the corals generally inhabit. Then something like the article above could give you could reference on what par/spectrum might be at those depths.

 

[jda]

They have quite a wide range. Most acropora are less than 10m deep... but some of the same species might be out of water at high tide and also be 40-50m deep. Keep in mind that collecting at more than 100 feet is very dangerous and takes specalized equipment so it does not happen as much - most that do just collect deepwater fish since they bring a pretty penny.

When we were out with a crew in the Coral Sea, they collected with masks, saws and bags - they held their breath. This is not my photo, but this is what it could look like a few hours at low tide. The rest of the time, the corals were in thigh-deep water:


The bottom line is that most acropora grow in areas with 6500 to 10k light... but not all.

 

[jda]

Here is some other good photo ****.
https://reefbuilders.com/2018/06/26/acropora-thrive-halmahera-indonesia/

Most of these acropora will exist a lower depth, but not too deep. It is true that "coral" are collected down quite a ways, but it is really important to get the details of which ones are collected down that deep.

What is funny is that I brought home a A. Lorpies which is considered a "deepwater" acropora, but I got it in about 6 feet of water.

 

[jda]

...sorry for so many posts, but while you are looking at photos like these for stuff that happens in nature, look for the amount of NPS organisms that are around... few to zilch. There is not enough plankton in these waters to feed them. The supposition that acropora eat a lot in the wild is probably not right, although I am sure that they eat some just like they do in captivity. Light is pretty much what they get to eat.

In the area where plankton can support and enhance corals life, sea fans and other NPS stuff is also abundant.