Are there any SPS corals that require medium to low lighting? Just curious if anyone ever had to lower or block the intensity of light from their hoods to accomodate a specific type of SPS.
-Ralph

there are some stony coral that will live in lower light conditions, actually many will "live"
problem is they won't look good or grow well.

your best bet is to get at least T5 bulbs and then you can probably try stuff like Montipora Digitata, or maybe Monitpora Capricornus, both of these have been known to do well in less that "high" light. just keep in mind you will likely loose all but the most basic green and brown colors from them.. :)
Then with the T5 lights you can add more bulbs in the future to increase your overall light, or use those T5 fixtures as supplemental if you ever upgrade to MH's or something

i like the t5 fixtures if not for the high output but for the price.
Ben

You guys read my mind! I was thinking of starting off with T5's and working my way up. I am planning on getting a larger tank in the future and using metal halides with T5's as supplimental. Right now I have a 15 gallon with PC's and I think putting metal halides on it would be overkill not to mention heat issues. Don't you agree? Just planning for the future.
Montipora Digitata and Monitpora Capricornus I will definetly research these.
Thanks!
-Ralph

well thats exactly what im doing while i live on my parents house use T5s then when i move out switch to mh when i get a big tank:up:

ben

yes, will likely be too much heat over such a small amount of water.

sound like a good plan, let us know if you need further assistance

I think Gwen has MH over her 15 gallon nano. Maybe she could tell you have she keeps the heat down.

When I didn't have MH lighting I couldn't figure out what the hype was but then I got it on the 75 gallon I knew I had to have it for my nano. Heck if I can find a fixture cheap enough I will have it on my freshwater tank too.

she in the podcast used mh and had a fan behind the tank to keep it cool

yes, and she has mentioned to me that getting the heat under control was a nightmare.. or at least a LOT of work...

Sorry I just got back in town.

Yes finding temp stability on the 12g was very hard, but once I mastered that it was smooth sailing.

I have a 250w 14K Reefstar MH over my 25g tank (clam-heavy setup) and heat is an issue, but I combat it with high circulation in the tank with 2 Seio 620's (620gph each) for gentle high flow. It keeps evaporation at the top on the higher side.

I add to that a large rubbermaid sump (37 gallon tub filled to about 6-8") which makes for a good surface area for added evaporation.

Pegging the AC at 74 in the summer and 68 in the winter helps keep things under control as well.