Sps and light

Epic Aquaculture · Jan 12, 2023

Troylee said:
Gotta love the blue hand in the photos lol… you’re gonna be shocked when you buy one and it doesn’t match the picture for colors.. it might be colorful but those are saturated photos.

They will also be shocked when they die in a week or two as those are all maricultured colonies that most likely had just arrived when the pics were taken.

thatmanMIKEson · Jan 12, 2023

See the problem with a simple question, you get life advice...

O.p wants to know if the ai prime can grow acros in his 13g tank the answer is yes dave, i have a few primes and have seen a few nano tanks with ai primes and growing acros. do what you want its your tank and money I say go for what you want in life!!

thatmanMIKEson · Jan 12, 2023

Dave1993 said:
So i have a fluval evo 13.5 with ai prime 16hd can i grow acros in the middle off the tank with lights on 80% i do not have a par meter wondering if any 1 has experience i have the ai prime light at the max distance from the tank

I will take some par readings for you later if you want I can adjust my light to your settings and give you the results :)

thepotoo · Jan 12, 2023

thatmanMIKEson said:
Are you buying them for him?

Anyone who has been in this hobby for more than 3-4 years has more coral than they know what to do with. I regularly give away whole colonies to other locals.

thatmanMIKEson · Jan 12, 2023

thepotoo said:
Anyone who has been in this hobby for more than 3-4 years has more coral than they know what to do with. I regularly give away whole colonies to other locals.

Right so do allot of people, but some people don't live anywhere near anyone else that has a reef tank, what works for you might not for him :)

Lionfish hunter · Jan 12, 2023

I bet a green slimer would do okay without a protein skimmer or tons of water changes. And of all the stupid expensive acros I have, it is the best looking in my eyes. Or a garf bonsai which is another cheap hardy Acro that outperforms many expensive ones as far as looks go. Those two are very hardy, not all acros are that hard to keep. And Montis are bullet proof, and are a must have anyway. Get a red digi and some caps. And cheap, so what do you have to lose if they die? I would stay away from encrusting especially in a small tank.

Dave1993 · Jan 12, 2023

thatmanMIKEson said:
I will take some par readings for you later if you want I can adjust my light to your settings and give you the results :)

that would be amazing if you could ill take a pic of my tank soon and show you where i would be placing it

Dave1993 · Jan 12, 2023

so would it be better to go with something from here

Acropora

Welcome to the home of quality UK coral aquaculture, we sell a range of colourful farmed corals for your reef aquarium, collection or delivery to your door.

signaturefrags.com

its just so tempting to get a big colony

thatmanMIKEson · Jan 12, 2023

Dave1993 said:
that would be amazing if you could ill take a pic of my tank soon and show you where i would be placing it

No problem:)

Dave1993 · Jan 12, 2023

these are some of the acros i like from the aquacultured place

Lady P

Bright Pink australian anthrocercis table, we have been farming this for 4 years, a customer favorite.

signaturefrags.com

Queen Of Hearts

This one is a doozy, 24 months now in our care and doing fantastically, we go through a lot of tenuis trying to find the very best, it takes us 6 months of developing before we know if its extra special or not. this has gorgeous green and blue flesh and pink polyps, the axial tip has a yellow...

signaturefrags.com

Tickle Me Elmo

This is the tenuis we have been hounded for all year, incredibly bright coloured polyps this piece glows in day or blue spectrum, its extremely limited as we wont cut the mother for another year. these frags are small and expensive, we are happy to let them grow out if they don't sell but here...

signaturefrags.com

vetteguy53081 · Jan 12, 2023

Dave1993 said:
So i have a fluval evo 13.5 with ai prime 16hd can i grow acros in the middle off the tank with lights on 80% i do not have a par meter wondering if any 1 has experience i have the ai prime light at the max distance from the tank

Start with types such as birds nest, stylo, monti setosa and bonsai. Assure parameters are in check using GOOD quality test kits and tank water is stable. Water is the lifeline of your corals. Have various zones of PAR in the tank - Not just one big steady brightness . Lack of lighting is just as harmful and flow should be at a point where nutrients are delivered and waste removed- Blasting them i not the objective.

vetteguy53081 · Jan 12, 2023

SawCJack00 said:
Those are maricultured colonies. That would be the worst thing you could put in any tank SPS wise (not just a small tank like yours). The reason they are so cheap is that shops import them and try to flip them before they lose color and/or die. With a tiny tank like yours, you should start with frags as there is absolutely no way you could come close to simulating the flow that these were grown under in the ocean. They will most likely die within 30 days and I'd bet a lot of money they'd be dead for sure within 6 months if they made it that long. This is why Aquacultured frags are always the way to go. That being said I'd think you would have success starting with frags in that system.

AGREE all the way. Aquacultured are used to our water, commercial salts and LED lighting and specs. Maricultured is cheaper but also less forgiving

Dave1993 · Jan 12, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
Start with types such as birds nest, stylo, monti setosa and bonsai. Assure parameters are in check using GOOD quality test kits and tank water is stable. Water is the lifeline of your corals. Have various zones of PAR in the tank - Not just one big steady brightness . Lack of lighting is just as harmful and flow should be at a point where nutrients are delivered and waste removed- Blasting them i not the objective.

what do you mean by various zones of par how do i achieve that i use saxby settings but with white white turned down to 10% the blues at 80% at its highest i took the reds and greens out

vetteguy53081 · Jan 12, 2023

Dave1993 said:
what do you mean by various zones of par how do i achieve that i use saxby settings but with white white turned down to 10% the blues at 80% at its highest i took the reds and greens out

If youve ever seen a PAR chart as my tank just measured, you will have areas that are 200, some 250 and higher area at 350. You will have the option for placement on specimens which favor lower and higher PAR
Example. . . My Bonsai likes 250 so I have it at lower part of tank in that area (and its doing very well). Just got a copps cali colony that favors 300+ and is in the center at 350

These are at 275 PAR

Copps Cali

vetteguy53081 · Jan 12, 2023

Example of PAR chart

Epic Aquaculture · Jan 12, 2023

Dave1993 said:
so would it be better to go with something from here

Acropora

Welcome to the home of quality UK coral aquaculture, we sell a range of colourful farmed corals for your reef aquarium, collection or delivery to your door.

signaturefrags.com

its just so tempting to get a big colony

Yes! Signature Frags is well known and legit aquaculture. Christian Pond, the owner, is a good dude. However as others have mentioned, starting with Acropora is a big risk. They are the most difficult SPS to keep. You would do better to start with Montipora, Seriatopora, or Stylophora to see how that does then move on to Acropora if things go well.

Dave1993 · Jan 12, 2023

SawCJack00 said:
Yes! Signature Frags is well known and legit aquaculture. Christian Pond, the owner, is a good dude. However as others have mentioned, starting with Acropora is a big risk. They are the most difficult SPS to keep. You would do better to start with Montipora, Seriatopora, or Stylophora to see how that does then move on to Acropora if things go well.

i wouldn't get acros yet i was gonna wait like 1 year it's a small tank and i don't want to put anything in i don't really want