LPS Placement Suggestions

[TheBigDrewsky]

I have a Red Sea Reefer G2+ 550 with a DT of 105 gallons.

Our aquascape picture is attached below. We have a variety of swim-throughs and caves and lots of hiding spaces. We originally were thinking of an SPS dominate tank. but we seem to find ourselves more drawn to LPS. Any suggestions from experienced aquarists that may recommend tank placement for LPS. Clearly we dont want everything on the sandbed, but also know that many LPS wont thrive higher up in the tank. We may still throw in a handful of SPS at some time that we can place in the upper portions of the tank. But example, how high can you typically place LPS? Are duncans and dendros and hammers and torches and gonios always to be relegated to the bottom half? Suggestions perhaps of LPS that can be placed mid to high in the tank?

Hey, also.... when feeding, I turnoff wavemakers. I cant imagine turning off the return pump on this red sea. When it powers back on, its an explosion of activity and sounds. I cant imagine its good to have this "jolt" the system back to life daily. So, is turning off the reefwave makers enough? I keep them off 20-30 minutes.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Edp251]

Hey

If your lighting is adjustable, you can turn down the intensity and have pls higher in the scape. Save a bit of electricity as well. I always leave my return on (basement sump) and simply turn off the wavemakers to feed. If you feed away from the return lines, you will have just enough flow to help disperse the food.

Hope this helps!

 

[Errol]

Great looking tank.

For LPS, I find it depends on the coral. On occasion, I will relocate a piece if it does not look happy to an area with different flow/lighting. Sometimes they suddenly come to life. I don't change flow/lighting in the entire system, because that may have unintended consequences on those corals that are thriving.

I do turn my return pump off to feed (I have 165gal reef) and leave the side-pumps on to disperse the food. If not, some of the food goes down the overflow and is wasted, contributing to increased nitrates in the system. Just one person's opinion.

 

[Reefried]

Yes, nice aquascape. I would agree that turning your lights down would enable you to put LPS anywhere. Maybe torches, hammer, frogspawn up higher. Gonis and chalice mid to low. Then favia, blastos etc lower. You can put zoas anywhere.

I just turn my power heads off to feed. I leave the return on.

 

[theone]

If you don't have one already, you can borrow the club's PAR meter. I have an LPS dominated tank and I keep them at a max of 170 on the meter. The lowest readings are in the corners at around 80.

Hope this helps.