Lighting for LPS on sandbed

[Nandez13]

My sandbed is pretty much covered with corals right now and I'm looking for ways to rearrange everything. I've moved some of my zoas and ricordia up the rock a little bit but are still in the lower half of my tank. My euphyllia, candy canes, goniopora and some SPS are higher up and they tolerate the higher light as I slowly raised them up the rockwork over time.

Under my LEDs (non-dimmable), I've had trouble in the past with my scoly and chalices getting too much light so I had to put them a bit into the shade. With the frag swap and other purchases I also have on my sandbed: a bunch of acans, Wellso, Lobo, 3 plate corals in addition to my chalices and scoly...it's crowded. Also have some GSP that i refuse to place on the rock for fear of how quick it takes over.

I know these are all low light corals and in the same general PAR readings range but I'm curious how you would rank them. This may dictate whether they're directly in the light or off to the side. LEDs are about 22-24" above sandbed

Here's where I think they are in terms of lighting from highest to lowest
- acans
- lobo
- plate corals
- wellso
- scoly
- chalices

Thoughts?

 

[Nandez13]

Any thoughts?

 

[basiab]

LPS can tolerate a wide range of light just make sure to make changes slowly. You can do this by starting from a low level and slowly moving it up over a period of weeks. Or you can dim your lights by screening it and slowly remove layers of screen to increase the light. I don't think you can say a group such as acans can not take high light. You will find some that do well and others don't. And the same probably goes for most LPS.

 

[Rob&Gab]

plates you can Put mid-low lighting,

Chalices Depends on the par threw out the tank so hard to tell,

acans you can put anywhere from Mid-low with semi flow.

Some Lobos i read on you can Put high light and good flow thats what i read on liveAquaria

Scolys if you have a shaded area Mid section or a over hanging coral that is high up you can place it underneath,

welsos IMO from waht i seen and heard they doo good on the sand bed with Med Flow



also Depends on your Scape and Flow threw out the tank. so its all up to the way your corals respond and The way you think if there doing good in this X amount of light and flow.


Hope i helped a little, and hope others will chime in as well.

 

[Rob&Gab]

Light acclamation is good, But Ive never started any of the Coral we have nor did gab from the sand bed Up, we put it where is belongs and thats it. Only Dip and then place in the tank where its gonna be and do best at.