5 watts per gallon PC, clams, sps, lps...what can i keep?

[saltyfishdude]

I recently got a coralife 48" 260 watt actnic / 10000k power compact fixture. This now gives me 2 equalling 520 watts over my 100 gallon reef setup. my tank is 48" long and 21" deep (kinda shallow, thats one of the reasons I liked the PC's). Keep in mind I also only have 4 soft corals right now.

I want your opinion on what else I may be able to add now that I'm over 5 watts per gallon and very good distrabution of light over the entire tank. I would like to try a couple of clams in the future, and either some sps or lps. I'm not sure yet. What are everyone's opinions on what is easier to keep and what species (that are colorful) might work for me. And of course I wanna add more softies.

Please let me know your thoughts...............

 

[trido]

I have a coralife 196W 36" model over my 18" deep tank. If you divide the wattage by length of the tank we have exactly the same wattage per foot of light. I would not recommend much in the line of SPS. Maybe some montipora and other low light SPS corals. I have montipora and a pocillapora that are living but I would not describe them as thriving. I do have some LPS that are very happy. Fungia, frogspawn,and brain corals that are doing very well.
IMO, definately not any clams. You should be able to keep any and all softies that you would like as long as you have good husbandry skills.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd be careful about using a watts per gallon rule. If anything because "actinic" lighting doesn't provide as much useful radiation as a "daylight" type bulb, mostly a color enhancer.

 

[Anonymous]

Also, a 100 gallon tank that's 18" tall, and a 100 gallon tank that's 30" tall both require differing setups to achieve an appropriate amount of light for the inhabitants.

 

[JKDMan]

hrmm. i have 3 250w 15k mh supplemented by 4 96 w power compacts

tank is 30 in tall 72 in wide

how would sps,clams fare in my tank?

 

[Anonymous]

I Kept a 10 gal with pc's. I kept softies, gorgs, and LPS fine. They weren't as colofrul, but they did live.

JKD you're fine. Just research which species like more light and put them at the top. Lower light loving corals go at the bottom.

B

 

[trido]

This now gives me 2 equalling 520 watts......21" deep

I missed the two fixture part. I was talking to my LFS about my PC lighting.
One of the guys there kept a 40 breeder (same length as yours) as a SPS tank with similar lighting. The difference is depth as the breeder is only 16 inches deep. He had great luck with SPS but said changing the bulbs every SIX months was critical.

On that note. You should be able to keep some SPS in the top of the tank but would have to really keep up on water quality and newness of bulbs in order to make them thrive. Most softies like the water dirtier than SPS. That is why most prefer to keep the two seperate.