Hello everyone, I just recently ordered the Current USA T5 High Output Lighting System with a total of 216 watts. (I will order another of the same model if necessary due to not having enough watts for all corals.) I'm interested in keeping corals for the first time and was wondering if anyone could provide me with some suggestions as to what beautiful beginner Corals are available. Thank you for all your assistance.

i personally find the stony corals to be easy, but that's just me.
based on what you have, i would start with Montipora spp, Pocillipora spp, or Seriatopora spp.

they are usually kept well in beginning tanks, but again, make sure you research, as i mentioned in the other post on soft coral, some of these might not mix well, but for the items i have listed, you "should" be ok.

That fixture doesn't have individual reflectors so if you do SPS you will have to keep them higher in the tank. The magic with T-5 lighting is mostly with the individual reflectors which provide signifigantly more par and light penetration than those without. The wattage for these lights does not necessarily matter as much as the reflectors. I have the 96W 24" Tek light and it is as bright as a 175w de Metal Halide... I think you will be okay with the corals that Rob listed though. Good luck!!

WAIT A MINUTE I JUST LOOKED AT THE FISH YOU HAVE IN THE TANK!!
If you are planning on putting those corals in that 180g tank you have you may be just throwing your money away because the fish (PUFFERS) you have are most definitely not " REEFSAFE". The only reef safe puffer that I know of is the Valentini Puffer (Canthigaster valentini) .

WAIT A MINUTE I JUST LOOKED AT THE FISH YOU HAVE IN THE TANK!!
If you are planning on putting those corals in that 180g tank you have you may be just throwing your money away because the fish (PUFFERS) you have are most definitely not " REEFSAFE". The only reef safe puffer that I know of is the Valentini Puffer (Canthigaster valentini) .

I am completely aware that Puffers are not reef safe however, I have kept corals in the past before and they have been just fine. The only reason I don't have them any more is because they didn't survive the move from my old tank to the new one which was a massive salinity miscalculation on my behalf. Plus I like to push the envelope and bend rules. Just give me time.

i know you are aware on the puffers so i wont go there..
what i did want to comment on was about the Valentini Puffer
there are more reef cautious.. i know a few people that have had them eating polyps.
post recent was a friend who got one for her tank, and it ate all her zoathids.

she wasn't sure if it was the puffer or not, but she brought it back to the store, and when it was being acclimated back to the LFS tanks, it puked up a bunch of polyps.

again, just be cautions with puffers in general

Rob, thanks for the warning on the Valenti Puffer. I don't think she will be a problem since she has recently ended up as lunch for one of the bigger puffers. :confused:

lol.. that sucks..
my comments were more general than they were target at you..
but im sorry to hear about yer loss

Rob, don't worry about it I take constructive criticism well. Thank you for the condolences. I was hoping for her to become a beautiful girl. :-(

Sorry about your fishie :(