Lower par sps?

[ikolbaba06]

Hello everyone. I’m looking to fill in a spot near the sand bed in my tank and wondering about sps particularly acropora that you have found to work well lower in the tank. Water flow is high on bottom too. I’m getting just over 200 par at sandbed. I like the red dragon look but not to keen on the potential growth and having to frag it constantly. Any thoughts to get me looking? Pics are a plus also!

 

[Big G]

Have you seen/heard Dana Riddle's MACNA presentation on PAR. Could help you decide. The part you want is around minute 22-24 as I remember: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vide...light-water-motion-by-dana-riddle-macna-2016/

 

[biophilia]

200+ PAR at sandbed seems a little high for a lot of SPS if anything unless you're just running your lights at peak for 2-4 hours per day or something... I try to keep PAR up top between 200 and 300 (7 hours peak, 2ish ramp up/down on either end).

 

[CMO]

I have quite a few that do just fine in lower par around 200-250. Fox flame seems to actually prefer lower lighting from what I've read - I have my fox flame frag right at about 200 par and it's encrusting well. A few other named SPS that seem to do good in this range for me are BC Reef Ready Grape Juice, BC Snipes Blue, BC Pink Polyp Table, Shades of fall, and Miss Scarlet. Millis and tenuis acros don't fare well in low par in my experience.

 

[Big E]

All smooth skin acros do very well in the low light areas.

Two nice ones that should be in all Acro systems--

Aussie Fire Echinata

ORA Hawkins

 

[ikolbaba06]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have a fox flame and rmf last dragon/Pac-Man already in the low end of the tank. Plus tck pink granulosa starting to grow nicely. Just looking to see if anyone has had any other suggestions. Thanks bige for the echinata reminder I had forgotten about that one. I remember when they first came out and no one could keep them alive. I guess I need to clarify that where I am looking to fill in is not sctuslly on the sandbed but a few inches up. Sandbed par is in the high 150-180 par up to 200 in the converging areas between fixtures.

New question!! Anyone have any luck with Acropora jacquelineae or similar acros?