Top 3 Low/high lights requirement branching SPS

[Eric]

Hi,

Would like to find out the top 3 least light requirement branching sps and top 3 high light requirement sps species from experiences sps reefers for purposes of coral placement.

Low light requirements

1)

2)

3)

High light requirements

1)

2)

3)

Thanks,

Eric

[veliferium]

I think u shouldn't say low light..Most sps need medium to high lighted areas...And the positioning of them,like porites on the sandbed,acros high up epoxied on rocks and monti caps wedged between rocks

[Eric]

I think u shouldn't say low light..Most sps need medium to high lighted areas...And the positioning of them,like porites on the sandbed,acros high up epoxied on rocks and monti caps wedged between rocks

Only interested to know those branching type sps. Those monti caps, porities already know can tahan lower lights :-p

To avoid confusion, maybe I should say least light requirement among all branching sps........

Eric

[blueheaven]

You must first understand that Acropora sp. makes up majority of branching type SPS and it has so many species that we cannot give you a confirmed answer to your question. A vague guide would be the colour of the SPS when you first obtained it and usually the brighter colours would signify that it has come from strong lighting.

The main issue that most people have with the branching types is getting water flow through the branches. So unless you provide us with a picture of the specimen you have, we cannot give you a definite answer to your question

[Eric]

You must first understand that Acropora sp. makes up majority of branching type SPS and it has so many species that we cannot give you a confirmed answer to your question. A vague guide would be the colour of the SPS when you first obtained it and usually the brighter colours would signify that it has come from strong lighting.

The main issue that most people have with the branching types is getting water flow through the branches. So unless you provide us with a picture of the specimen you have, we cannot give you a definite answer to your question

Got a millipora, colour is slowing changing from brown to pink. Flow is sufficent cos can see the polyps swaying all day. Suspect insufficent PAR for the milli from my 250W cos I placed the milli abt 1.5ft from the light source...........now starting to STN from the bottom................sianz

Thinking of shifting or fragging it nearer to the light and replace the position with a lower light requirement sps species like montipora digitata.................need more options for lower light species.

Eric

[weileong]

My pink milepora I placed abt 2ft down and between my 2x250W BLV 10kk MH and no problem with PAR, it still color up nicely.

How's your water parameter? Maybe not stable kH.

[scarab]

Got a millipora, colour is slowing changing from brown to pink. Flow is sufficent cos can see the polyps swaying all day. Suspect insufficent PAR for the milli from my 250W cos I placed the milli abt 1.5ft from the light source...........now starting to STN from the bottom................sianz

Thinking of shifting or fragging it nearer to the light and replace the position with a lower light requirement sps species like montipora digitata.................need more options for lower light species.

Eric

Assuming your water parameters are good, the most likely cause of the STN is insufficient flow. It's easy to say the polyps are swaying but for millepora the polyps are long so swaying is easily achieved.

Flow required is more random flow, meaning coming from different directions.Constant one directional flow does more damage than good to the SPS. The pulsing action of a controllable Tunze is the best. Clashing the flow of 2 controllable Tunzes set at different pulsing period, one longer and the other shorter, will even be better.

1.5 feet from a 250W is more than enough for millepora. So can rule out insufficient light. Anyway IME, STN occur mainly due to lack of flow and poor water parameters. Insufficient light will likely brown the coral only.

[Eric]

My pink milepora I placed abt 2ft down and between my 2x250W BLV 10kk MH and no problem with PAR, it still color up nicely.

How's your water parameter? Maybe not stable kH.

Thanks for the advice guys..............my KH is ard 9-10dkh. Should be quite stable, might be the flow too direct. I have a delicated M820 abt 1ft away aiming at the milli. Will divert the M820 to a rock and see how it goes.

Any way of saving this milli from the bottom stn? The rest of 3ft tank flow is random from a TS7 pulsing tunze stream, another M820 and a maxijet 1200 plus 3400l/hr return from chiller and 8000l/hr from main return pump.

Eric

[weileong]

Use your hands to feel the current and make sure no direct current hitting your SPS.

Anyway after head lost your return pump lesser flow than 3400 l/h and 8000 l/h already.

[Eric]

Use your hands to feel the current and make sure no direct current hitting your SPS.

Anyway after head lost your return pump lesser flow than 3400 l/h and 8000 l/h already.

Just shifted the direction of the M820 and maxijet...........will monitor the situation.

You are right, after the head loss from the return pumps, should be less than 11000l/hr flow...........I'll est. maybe 7000l/hr from return pumps + 7000l/hr from tunze + 1200l/hr maxijet + 2 x 3200l/hr M820. Total should give me a good 54X turnover rate.

however with a good turnover rate but flow too direct will still cause big damage to sps. To keep SPS really is a big challenge............kudus to you guys who seems to make it look so easy from the pics of your tanks.

Eric

[weileong]

If you look at the photos from my tank, the wavemakers and return piping are always higher than the SPS

You should say "kudus to those guys" as I am still trying very hard to make my SPS color up.

My tank having (3x6100, pulsing between 50-100%) 27,000 l/h + (RD 12,500 l/h) 8000 l/h (after headlost of 2m) + tunze 6080 8000 l/h and that gives me 43,000 l/h total 65x turn over for net volume of 660 litres.

[Eric]

If you look at the photos from my tank, the wavemakers and return piping are always higher than the SPS

You should say "kudus to those guys" as I am still trying very hard to make my SPS color up.

My tank having (3x6100, pulsing between 50-100%) 27,000 l/h + (RD 12,500 l/h) 8000 l/h (after headlost of 2m) + tunze 6080 8000 l/h and that gives me 43,000 l/h total 65x turn over for net volume of 660 litres.

Just wondering, if we keep all the wave makers at the top level higher than the SPS, will the sps at the bottom level of the tank get sufficent flow?

Eric

[weileong]

Before I converted to BB system, I had a few SPS at the bottom (1.5ft to 2ft down) and there's sufficient flow for them. But that is with 3 tunze 6100 and one RD (split into 2 outlet) running.

Now all my SPS high high up.