Acro lighting

[Morpheus77]

So I bid on some corals, won a few, lost a few. Anyway, I bid on some Acro without doing my research first, they say lighting needs to be 200-300 PAR, and that's minimum. My current light is a fluval marine 3.0, which is about 100 par where most of my coral sit. It's 90 at 12", but most of my corals are about 3" from the bottom, will 100 PAR be sufficient, or do I need to get another fluval 3.0 on the way?

 

[blaxsun]

100 PAR isn't likely to cut it, sorry. All of my acros are in the 250-300 PAR. If you're able to place it really close to the top (nearest to the light) you might be ok.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Depends also on the Acros you purchased. We're they montipora or were they Acropora sticks?

 

[i cant think]

So I bid on some corals, won a few, lost a few. Anyway, I bid on some Acro without doing my research first, they say lighting needs to be 200-300 PAR, and that's minimum. My current light is a fluval marine 3.0, which is about 100 par where most of my coral sit. It's 90 at 12", but most of my corals are about 3" from the bottom, will 100 PAR be sufficient, or do I need to get another fluval 3.0 on the way?

100PAR may work for some deeper water Acros like Carduus however the majority won’t thrive long term. Some montipora may work under the 100-150 range but they won’t be the brightest of colouring.

Ideally 300-350 is best for bright colours. My acros sat closest to the sand bed are under 300-350 PAR. The ones higher up on the rockwork I believe are at around 400-450 PAR. Here’s a few of my acros that really coloured up in my tank - a 3’x16”x1’ custom made tank under a light that will give 600 PAR just on the sand bed at 100%.
Acropora valida ‘tricolour’

Acropora sp ‘pearlberry’

Montipora spongoides ’sunset’

Montipora digitata red w/ gold specks

 

[Morpheus77]

Depends also on the Acros you purchased. We're they montipora or were they Acropora sticks?

Flubber Acro

 

[Morpheus77]

100PAR may work for some deeper water Acros like Carduus however the majority won’t thrive long term. Some montipora may work under the 100-150 range but they won’t be the brightest of colouring.

Ideally 300-350 is best for bright colours. My acros sat closest to the sand bed are under 300-350 PAR. The ones higher up on the rockwork I believe are at around 400-450 PAR. Here’s a few of my acros that really coloured up in my tank - a 3’x16”x1’ custom made tank under a light that will give 600 PAR just on the sand bed at 100%.
Acropora valida ‘tricolour’

Acropora sp ‘pearlberry’

Montipora spongoides ’sunset’

Montipora digitata red w/ gold specks

I could always put it on a frag shelf on upper part of tank, till I figure out the light sitch. At 3", light is good for 376 Par.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Flubber Acro

Flubber Acro

Yes, definitely will not be enough for that. If you've read a PAR meter from 3 inches and it gave you 350 on a frag rack, then I would put that frag about 4 inches under the surface.

 

[Morpheus77]

Yes, definitely will not be enough for that. If you've read a PAR meter from 3 inches and it gave you 350 on a frag rack, then I would put that frag about 4 inches under the surface.

Sounds like a plan. How much time do I have to leave it on frag rack before I need to be concerned to get it to a permanent place? Do they grow fast?

 

[i cant think]

I generally go off of this;
If it’s green then generally they won’t be as hard to keep the zooxanthellae but if it’s red it’ll be harder and if it’s blue it’ll be in the middle. Now this doesn’t always fit however in my time with coral (SPS, LPS and Softies) I’ve found most fit this.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Leave it until you get a better light. No, they grow slow and need very stable water parameters.

 

[i cant think]

Leave it until you get a better light. No, they grow slow and need very stable water parameters.

I don’t know what I’m doing but all of my Acros even my tenuis grow fast. I can’t figure out if this is flow, lighting or nutrients but it isn’t a highly stocked tank and has 2 thriving clams.

 

[Morpheus77]

I generally go off of this;
If it’s green then generally they won’t be as hard to keep the zooxanthellae but if it’s red it’ll be harder and if it’s blue it’ll be in the middle. Now this doesn’t always fit however in my time with coral (SPS, LPS and Softies) I’ve found most fit this.

 

[i cant think]

I will say that this may be easier than other acros due to its colour but also I believe this is a Tenuis strain. IME, Tenuis is one of the best for beginners in the Acropora world. As @Hurricane Aquatics mentioned, this is a slower growing acropora however under the perfect conditions you may have yours grow just as fast as mine.