Distance from Surface for acro

[soriano]

Assume a 175w 10k bulb that is 8" from the surface

How far from the surface should an acro be from the surface ?
Is there a possiblity of being too close?

[Witfull]

it depends on the light of the tank/wild caught came from, and the brand of bulb using. best to acclimate them to your lighting if in doubt. start mid tank and move up till in the spot you want it in.

[mps9506]

There is definitely no correct answer on this. It really depends on the specimen, if wild caught where it was collected from and if cultured where it was int he previous tank.
If it is too close it will bleach. I typically recomend as witty did. Start near the bottom or middle of the tank and move up over a couple of weeks to make sure it is acclimated to the lighting. Remember they will grow all the way to the surface of the water so give em room to grow

[SueT]

I totally agree with what Witt and MIke said. If this is a captive grown frag then knowing the environment it came from will help in your knowing where to place the frag. If you don't know or can't find out then start low. There are some sps keeprs that run 400w halides and have their corals grown to the surface and there is no problem. It's all in the acclimation of the coral to your tank.

[cheeks69]

I have had nothing but problems when placing SPS near the surface when first introduced. I recommend placing any new additions on or near the substrate and only when you see they have acclimated well to your tank move them to their final destination. I'm using 250w MH so a bit more intense than yours but nontheless it's always better to be safe than sorry IMHO.

[soriano]

excellent advice guys!
Thanks!

[craig7220]

I'm running 175 watt MH 10k on my 125. I usually start my acros about 2/3 down and then gradually move them up to about 6 inches under the surface but like was already stated, it helps to know what type of lighting the acros were used to before you got them. My lights sit about 11 inches from the top of the water..

[prow]

i agree it all depends on what coral. for acclimation i do something a little different. i like to place new frags/corals where i want them to go. then reduce my photo period and slowly increase the time. it takes a month or so before my photo period is back to normal. but i think the corals get less stressed compared to handling them and moving them every couple of weeks. easier too, IMO. and the current corals dont mind the short term reduction in lighting.

[Warnberg]

Acropora cover a wide range of corals, some are very high light loving. What type of "Acro" are we talking about?
"The genus Acropora alone comprises nearly 350 species, some of which grow in clear oceanic water on the tops of reef crests while others grow in muddy lagoons with dim light, slow water flow and a constant rain of semi-organic particles. It is easy to see why corals with small polyps vary so much in their stress tolerances."

Taken from
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/cj/index.php