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- Thread starter nick
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what is your water parameters, and what is the turnover inside your tank???, i think thats what you have to worry about it, with the light you have I'm sure you can keep about pretty much everything you want, just have to make sure to put it under the light and not in the shade area.
Gabriel
Gabriel
What are the measurements of your tank? Lets assume its a standard <48x19x21 if i remember right>. You can actually do some interesting things with your current set up You can do what is called a Pyramid Aquascape or a Slant Aquascape. Ill explain.. no offence to anyone, but I'm going to really make this sound like Reef Tanks for Dummies here for all the newbies who might be trying to start a tank and have limited budget, these aquascapes work well with limited lighting.Â
  Pyramid Aquascape is where you place your MH in the true center of the tank and build up your live rock in a pyramid with the point of the pyramid heading right towards the lamp. This way you can stack your SPS right in the butter zone of the light then work you way down the sides with other stuff like Zoas, Clavularia Glove Polyps <personal favorite of mine> and Zenia. Water flow is easily managed also with this set up with power heads set up high on the tank wall creating high flow on the top medium flow in the middle and i usually put one hidden on the bottom side wall to blow gunk out of the bottom behind the live rock<Be VERY careful putting in the lower power head as it may stir up alot of junk and possibly cause another cycle!> This is a nice set up for new tanks and people new to the hobby. Placement of your corals is very simplified and you usually do not have to worry much about aggressive behaviors. Give you a chance to learn what can go near what without waking up in the morning and seeing your new Acro with his whole left side munched off. <happened to me. He did come back after some TLC though>
  Now the Sland AquascSlantor me is a little more interesting. This is where you place your MH about 1' in from either side centering it over either half of your tank. This will only work if you have supplemental lighting for the second half!! With this design, you have the oppertunity to opportunity shape in the tank with your Live rock thus creating a lagoon. If your real creative and have the tools to drill your rock and some extra cash for acrylic rods, you can make really nice holes and bridges. Water flow is a little more complicated in this set up but still rather easy, just remember the rule of thumb, high current up high for SPS, medium current in the middle for softies and depending on the low tank items determines what current you put down there. I always have good high current cause i like clams. Again, now you can have your SPS stacked in the butter zone of your MH and softies in the lower light areas. In the opposite side that has say PCs as suppliment, You supplementble to get away with Acros if they are high enough and close to the PCs, but it will now grow nearly as fast as your ones under the MH. But usually is a good place for softies.
  I myself would go with a Slant for a number of reasons. First off, with your MH at one end, you can add a second rather easily. Also, once you add a second MH you will not have to do alot of adjusting ina lotr tank, just add maybe a little more LR on the new side to bring it up a little closer to the light.
  Now granted, these set ups are rather "unnatural" looking to the purists out there.... you know the type.. "It doesnt look natural todoesn't" kinda people. Well I currently live in Florida and do a lot of diving. Ever see a reef close up other then the perfect ones you see in a book? Most have a few Zoes and a couple of angels swimming around it. Boring! My opinion here... Reef tanks are a hobby to display your collection. You want to stack it up so you can see everything, have everything in places so that they are happy and healthy, and in general look at it and say to yourself "I like this" with emphasis on the "I".Â
  Pyramid Aquascape is where you place your MH in the true center of the tank and build up your live rock in a pyramid with the point of the pyramid heading right towards the lamp. This way you can stack your SPS right in the butter zone of the light then work you way down the sides with other stuff like Zoas, Clavularia Glove Polyps <personal favorite of mine> and Zenia. Water flow is easily managed also with this set up with power heads set up high on the tank wall creating high flow on the top medium flow in the middle and i usually put one hidden on the bottom side wall to blow gunk out of the bottom behind the live rock<Be VERY careful putting in the lower power head as it may stir up alot of junk and possibly cause another cycle!> This is a nice set up for new tanks and people new to the hobby. Placement of your corals is very simplified and you usually do not have to worry much about aggressive behaviors. Give you a chance to learn what can go near what without waking up in the morning and seeing your new Acro with his whole left side munched off. <happened to me. He did come back after some TLC though>
  Now the Sland AquascSlantor me is a little more interesting. This is where you place your MH about 1' in from either side centering it over either half of your tank. This will only work if you have supplemental lighting for the second half!! With this design, you have the oppertunity to opportunity shape in the tank with your Live rock thus creating a lagoon. If your real creative and have the tools to drill your rock and some extra cash for acrylic rods, you can make really nice holes and bridges. Water flow is a little more complicated in this set up but still rather easy, just remember the rule of thumb, high current up high for SPS, medium current in the middle for softies and depending on the low tank items determines what current you put down there. I always have good high current cause i like clams. Again, now you can have your SPS stacked in the butter zone of your MH and softies in the lower light areas. In the opposite side that has say PCs as suppliment, You supplementble to get away with Acros if they are high enough and close to the PCs, but it will now grow nearly as fast as your ones under the MH. But usually is a good place for softies.
  I myself would go with a Slant for a number of reasons. First off, with your MH at one end, you can add a second rather easily. Also, once you add a second MH you will not have to do alot of adjusting ina lotr tank, just add maybe a little more LR on the new side to bring it up a little closer to the light.
  Now granted, these set ups are rather "unnatural" looking to the purists out there.... you know the type.. "It doesnt look natural todoesn't" kinda people. Well I currently live in Florida and do a lot of diving. Ever see a reef close up other then the perfect ones you see in a book? Most have a few Zoes and a couple of angels swimming around it. Boring! My opinion here... Reef tanks are a hobby to display your collection. You want to stack it up so you can see everything, have everything in places so that they are happy and healthy, and in general look at it and say to yourself "I like this" with emphasis on the "I".Â