LPS Selection

[jdm01]

I have a 90g reef tank. I have kept a variety of softies, mushrooms, LPS, and SPS corals. I really struggle to keep the SPS alive, plus I just like the LPS. I will try to post a tank pic in the next couple of days. I have a lot ofnew rockwork that gives me a variety of lighting from high light to fairly shaded. where can i go to figure out what LPS grow well in what amount of light?

Tomorrow I will post a pic and a list of coral's remaining in the tank. any coral suggestions you have are appreciated.

[lshark21]

I'd like to know as well. I have always thought it would be a good idea to have an online coral database. For all I know one may exist.

[mfp1016]

The best is to check out liveaquaria.com to get a good general idea of where certain corals like to be placed. But even still, every coral is its own, and sometimes you can have the exact same species in the same tank with one loving the very top and another one hiding under a Montipora.

Not many LPS are super high light, in fact many enjoy much lower lights, on par with those used to keep mushrooms or zoas. Just read other's experiences and eventualy you will become adept at being able to pick out a generally good spot for your coral and fine tune its placement from there. Happy Hunting!

[dendro982]

With your light, you shouldn't have a problem with keeping sps at the top, not too far from the light. I have some frags under 70W MH in 12" deep tank, they grow, especially montipora:

Birdsnest, stylopora, pocillopora are good too - if they are growing in my tank, they surely should grow in your, and you can get frags online cheap. (I know, you asked about LPS, but these are trouble free and grow fast. Not such big visual impact, as LPS, although).

I have a soft spot in my heart for LPS too, but frequently regret having multi-mouthed ones, that require feeding (lobophyllia, acan, maze brain).

From what I tried:

No light:
sun coral. Required twice a week feeding, 1-2 worms/crustaceans per mouth, the big colony may compromise water colony. The small, fed by tweezers (no food will be lost) - will brighter the dark spot.

Low light:
Neon-green candycane tolerated the lowest light: 18W 50-50 PC at 6-7" below the light. Very slow growth. In the good light - grows fast and is very bright. Bad reaction on being moved from high light to low light, but not vice versa


Different hammers and frogspawns, these are branching:

Were kept in the same conditions, worse adaptation to low light. Grow good under 55W PC.

Medium light:
Others candycanes:


Brains:
Scolymia:

was most tolerant to everything.
Puffed Cynarina:

- sensitive to everything, but reacts only by deflation, not die-off - love both.
The multimouthed Symphyllia:

- just plain and drab, not worth it.
Maze brain - got it dying, same requirements, smaller food, algae easily gets hold on the skeleton, which was not the case with all other brains:


Will continue.

[dendro982]

Trachyphillia:
should be good even at the bottom of your tank, but I was unable to keep them alive, unlike the other brains.

Lobophyllias - see the show off thread for them, a lot of different kinds, prefer more light, IMHE, and natural food (not a homemade mix), multimouthed:


Blastomussa, all the same, as any brain, IMHE:

this is merletti, branched, but larger welsii has excellent colors.

This one too - still not sure in ID:

Reacts badly on dropping down repeatedly, but frags without problems. No special care, light and small food in water, safe place.

Didn't have them, but dendrophyllia, micromussa and others looks good and should live in your tank too.
My 2 cents.

[jdm01]

dendro982. Thank you very much. Way more than 2 cents worth. It at least gets me off to a running start. Maybe i can keep the LPS in the lower 2/3 of the tank and put sps at the top now that I have redone the rock work. I will post a pic of the tank after the rockwork redo. I added some dry rock to create a place to stick some coral frags.

I will get the pic taken and posted this week.

I will keep this thread up to date as well as my main tank progress log. thanks again for the headstart everyone.