Coral Types and Classifications???

reefarchitect54 · 01-10-2007, 01:21 PM

Need help finding great information on Corals for my Tank... I’ve heard a lot about LPS, SPS, and many other names and classifications of corals. But what does that all mean. As some of you know I’ve been researching and slowly setting up a 46 Gallon Bow front. I have gotten a lot of great information up until this point so I’m hoping for some more. Please help me understand the different types of corals or at least direct me in the right direction. Id like to learn as much as I can to determine my finial equipment purchase. Which if you can’t guess are the lights. I know some corals require more light than others so Id like to learn which ones and what they look like so I can decide first what I want to keep and secondly how to best provide for them... Thanks again for all you help and I'm sure this post will get lots of hits... Looking forward to some more research... I do have a sump and refuge in my system. If anyone was going to ask... Thanks again...

pmac90 · 01-10-2007, 02:10 PM

Hey ReefArchitect, the best way i learned was going to websites like marinedepotlive and looking at the stock. In short... LPS is large polyp stony and SPS is small polyp stony. LPS are (but not limited to) euphylia (hammer, frogspawn), brains, etc... SPS are usually the more branching types, encrusting, etc... also, try finding a few books like Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals. have fun and let the learning begin!

reefarchitect54 · 01-10-2007, 02:41 PM

Thanks alot. Which are the ones that require more light the
LPS or SPS???

pmac90 · 01-10-2007, 02:44 PM

SPS ... acropora

some other SPS doesn't need a ton. montipora digitata for example.

reefarchitect54 · 01-10-2007, 02:51 PM

So If I were to go with say T5's that would give me about 5 watts per Gal. I could keep LPS but I should stay away from SPS unless I go with MH.

pmac90 · 01-10-2007, 03:01 PM

well, 5 watts per gallon isn't bad at all, and either are T5's. depends on tank depth and time the lights are on, you probably could have just about anything.
what tank do you have??

reefarchitect54 · 01-10-2007, 03:09 PM

I have the 46 Gal. Bow Front all Glass. It is 20" Deep. My next question is what type of lighting schedual I would set up. I am planning on getting a T5 set up like this one that will also have the moon lights...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3639&rd=1&rd=1

I would set up timmers but I have no clue what kind of schedual to set up...

Thanks for all your help!!!

pmac90 · 01-10-2007, 03:24 PM

HAHA ... i just put them in my favorite sellers for when i do my T5's!

anyway, 20" deep (with a sandbed?) isn't very deep. so, the lowest corals would still get a decent amount of light. I think you would be able to Keep most animals ... waiting for more replys (where are you people?? haha). maybe not the most extreme acros but you'll be good.
ok, schedule ... just as much a personal preference as anything. I run actinics 9 hours and 10K's 7 hours... and they are on a coralife dual timer.

now, let me rattle you a bit. You could in the future after purchasing that light... want more light. you could change the ballast (icecap 660) and reflectors (individual)

my pleasure - i'm only sittin' here at work!

billyr98 · 01-10-2007, 10:46 PM

Pete is correct.. and seems to answered your questions...

Be sure to acclimate you tank to the new light if you are upgrading from a weaker light!

lcstorc · 01-11-2007, 08:07 AM

Several layers of window screen works well to help acclimate your tank to the new better light. Remove a layer at a time to gradually increase the lighting.
Also to get some ideas of what belongs in what category, use the photo gallery. There are categories such as lps, sps etc. That will at least give you some ideas of what corals are in what category.

reefarchitect54 · 01-11-2007, 08:37 AM

Thanks everyone for the great information. I will be starting the tank in the next month or so with the T5 setup so I won’t need the screens but what a great idea... I guess the T5's putting out 5 watts per gallon will be fine like Pete said for most anything I guess people had just recommended MH for the savings in electricity cost... Is it true that my electrical bill will go way up running the T5's as apposed to running a MH setup??? Thanks again for the great help on corals. I’ve been all over marine depot and other live sites.

lcstorc · 01-11-2007, 10:05 AM

With T5 lights I would be sure to put anything seriously light demanding towards the top of the tank. Clams and SPS come to mind.
Meanwhile I am dying for pics. Grin.

pmac90 · 01-11-2007, 11:33 AM

As far as cost goes... The T5's will be cheaper at 234 watts. I'm guessing it's a 36" long tank, and say you went with a 36" fixture with a single 150 MH aqualight with (2) 55 watt actinics, that's 360 watts. more $... not to mention that MH's put off slightly more heat, which means tank temp goes up (need fans) and you have more evaporation. so, with what Lynn says, put the corals that need more light up higher and the T5's are ok.

are you going to do a sandbed??

reefarchitect54 · 01-11-2007, 03:29 PM

This works out great becasue the way I'm planning to arrange the Live rock will provided me with a bridge of sorts about half way up the tank. Thanks again for all the great advice and please keep it comming...

reefarchitect54 · 01-11-2007, 03:39 PM

Yes Im plannning of a 2 or 3 " Sand bed probably the 2"..

01-10-2007, 01:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Coral Types and Classifications??? Need help finding great information on Corals for my Tank... I’ve heard a lot about LPS, SPS, and many other names and classifications of corals. But what does that all mean. As some of you know I’ve been researching and slowly setting up a 46 Gallon Bow front. I have gotten a lot of great information up until this point so I’m hoping for some more. Please help me understand the different types of corals or at least direct me in the right direction. Id like to learn as much as I can to determine my finial equipment purchase. Which if you can’t guess are the lights. I know some corals require more light than others so Id like to learn which ones and what they look like so I can decide first what I want to keep and secondly how to best provide for them... Thanks again for all you help and I'm sure this post will get lots of hits... Looking forward to some more research... I do have a sump and refuge in my system. If anyone was going to ask... Thanks again...

01-10-2007, 02:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
pmac90 Cabbage Leather Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, PA Posts: 371 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? Hey ReefArchitect, the best way i learned was going to websites like marinedepotlive and looking at the stock. In short... LPS is large polyp stony and SPS is small polyp stony. LPS are (but not limited to) euphylia (hammer, frogspawn), brains, etc... SPS are usually the more branching types, encrusting, etc... also, try finding a few books like Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals. have fun and let the learning begin! __________________ Pete 90 all glass leathers, hammer, frogspawn, trumpets, trachy shrooms, gsp, plate, xenia, buttons, gonipora.... clown goby, hippo, 6-line, scopas, ocellaris... 90 lbs live rock 3" sand bed double sump ASM G1 UV - Member NJRC-

01-10-2007, 02:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? Thanks alot. Which are the ones that require more light the LPS or SPS???

01-10-2007, 02:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
pmac90 Cabbage Leather Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, PA Posts: 371 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? SPS ... acropora some other SPS doesn't need a ton. montipora digitata for example. __________________ Pete 90 all glass leathers, hammer, frogspawn, trumpets, trachy shrooms, gsp, plate, xenia, buttons, gonipora.... clown goby, hippo, 6-line, scopas, ocellaris... 90 lbs live rock 3" sand bed double sump ASM G1 UV - Member NJRC-

01-10-2007, 02:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? So If I were to go with say T5's that would give me about 5 watts per Gal. I could keep LPS but I should stay away from SPS unless I go with MH.

01-10-2007, 03:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
pmac90 Cabbage Leather Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, PA Posts: 371 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? well, 5 watts per gallon isn't bad at all, and either are T5's. depends on tank depth and time the lights are on, you probably could have just about anything. what tank do you have?? __________________ Pete 90 all glass leathers, hammer, frogspawn, trumpets, trachy shrooms, gsp, plate, xenia, buttons, gonipora.... clown goby, hippo, 6-line, scopas, ocellaris... 90 lbs live rock 3" sand bed double sump ASM G1 UV - Member NJRC-

01-10-2007, 03:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? I have the 46 Gal. Bow Front all Glass. It is 20" Deep. My next question is what type of lighting schedual I would set up. I am planning on getting a T5 set up like this one that will also have the moon lights... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3639&rd=1&rd=1 I would set up timmers but I have no clue what kind of schedual to set up... Thanks for all your help!!!

01-10-2007, 03:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
pmac90 Cabbage Leather Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, PA Posts: 371 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? HAHA ... i just put them in my favorite sellers for when i do my T5's! anyway, 20" deep (with a sandbed?) isn't very deep. so, the lowest corals would still get a decent amount of light. I think you would be able to Keep most animals ... waiting for more replys (where are you people?? haha). maybe not the most extreme acros but you'll be good. ok, schedule ... just as much a personal preference as anything. I run actinics 9 hours and 10K's 7 hours... and they are on a coralife dual timer. now, let me rattle you a bit. You could in the future after purchasing that light... want more light. you could change the ballast (icecap 660) and reflectors (individual) my pleasure - i'm only sittin' here at work! __________________ Pete 90 all glass leathers, hammer, frogspawn, trumpets, trachy shrooms, gsp, plate, xenia, buttons, gonipora.... clown goby, hippo, 6-line, scopas, ocellaris... 90 lbs live rock 3" sand bed double sump ASM G1 UV - Member NJRC-

01-10-2007, 10:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
billyr98 Reefing Addict Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 5,400 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? Pete is correct.. and seems to answered your questions... Be sure to acclimate you tank to the new light if you are upgrading from a weaker light! __________________ Billyr98 -=NJRC Treasurer=- My 450g Reef Tank ~~~ Its HERE!!!

01-11-2007, 08:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 20,786 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? Several layers of window screen works well to help acclimate your tank to the new better light. Remove a layer at a time to gradually increase the lighting. Also to get some ideas of what belongs in what category, use the photo gallery. There are categories such as lps, sps etc. That will at least give you some ideas of what corals are in what category. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. In Loving Memory Of Z 01/22/07 - 08/19/08

01-11-2007, 08:37 AM	#11 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? Thanks everyone for the great information. I will be starting the tank in the next month or so with the T5 setup so I won’t need the screens but what a great idea... I guess the T5's putting out 5 watts per gallon will be fine like Pete said for most anything I guess people had just recommended MH for the savings in electricity cost... Is it true that my electrical bill will go way up running the T5's as apposed to running a MH setup??? Thanks again for the great help on corals. I’ve been all over marine depot and other live sites.

01-11-2007, 10:05 AM	#12 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 20,786 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? With T5 lights I would be sure to put anything seriously light demanding towards the top of the tank. Clams and SPS come to mind. Meanwhile I am dying for pics. Grin. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. In Loving Memory Of Z 01/22/07 - 08/19/08

01-11-2007, 11:33 AM	#13 (permalink)
pmac90 Cabbage Leather Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bristol, PA Posts: 371 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? As far as cost goes... The T5's will be cheaper at 234 watts. I'm guessing it's a 36" long tank, and say you went with a 36" fixture with a single 150 MH aqualight with (2) 55 watt actinics, that's 360 watts. more $... not to mention that MH's put off slightly more heat, which means tank temp goes up (need fans) and you have more evaporation. so, with what Lynn says, put the corals that need more light up higher and the T5's are ok. are you going to do a sandbed?? __________________ Pete 90 all glass leathers, hammer, frogspawn, trumpets, trachy shrooms, gsp, plate, xenia, buttons, gonipora.... clown goby, hippo, 6-line, scopas, ocellaris... 90 lbs live rock 3" sand bed double sump ASM G1 UV - Member NJRC-

01-11-2007, 03:29 PM	#14 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? This works out great becasue the way I'm planning to arrange the Live rock will provided me with a bridge of sorts about half way up the tank. Thanks again for all the great advice and please keep it comming...

01-11-2007, 03:39 PM	#15 (permalink)
reefarchitect54 Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dover, NH Posts: 278 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Coral Types and Classifications??? Yes Im plannning of a 2 or 3 " Sand bed probably the 2"..

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