propagation tank suggestions

[dad300]

My wife has agreed to let me start a number of prop tanks in the basement. What i'm thinking is.. 4-10 gal underneath strip lighting with either 50/50 or 10k bulbs. each tank being dedicated to a seperate type of coral... a couple softies to get started and then some sps. so what do you think?

also.... barebottom with some live rock?
ssb with live rock?
no live rock?

let me know what you think.

 

[Ray]

If you are going to be doing SPS you will need better lighting then NO

Ray

 

[dad300]

yeah that is going to be down the road... a little.... hopefully very little..

to be honest I was absolutely shocked when my wife mentioned growing the corals... she gives me a bit of grief over the tank as it is...

but she knows I like it and she does too.. although she won't admit it.

 

[KevK]

You'll need PC's or VHO for softies and probably halides for sps.

 

[dad300]

I think that with the corals sitting on eggcrate very close to the top of the tank. the intensity should be ok for softies.
on my present 29 gal I only have 100 watts of NO light. 80 of 10k and 20 of actinic. I'm doing ok with it. I'm probably going to have at least 4 40 watt no over the tanks when they are up and running.

for the sps I agree.. more lighting will be needed.

 

[NateHanson]

dad,

you could look into putting VHO and/or MH lighting together with Advance ballasts and DIY sockets. Everything can be had pretty cheap. The most expensive thing ends up being bulbs. I've got 190W VHO and 175W MH for about $175. Some stuff new, some stuff used.

I'd keep my eyes out and get lights that will work for you. Since you're setting up tanks just to grow corals, you should take the time to get lights that can actually accomplish that. JMO

Nate

 

[dad300]

its a start... and your right about getting better lighting... but I need to strike while the wife is agreeable. I will be keeping my eye out for deals. In fact I just picked up a deal on a hqi pendant and bulb. i've got the ballast on order. so it's coming together.

thanks for all the input, it is appreciated.!

Keep it coming

Nate what about live rock? How much would you go with.

 

[NateHanson]

I'm afraid I don't have experience with prop systems. I was just talking about the lights over my display. Are you going to have these plumbed into your main tank system? If yes, I wouldn't think they need anything. If not, then it probably wouldn't hurt to have a little bit of rock, but that's pure speculation.

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

that's a nice avatar nate. is that pair yours? does the pistol shrimp attack any of your other inverts or fish? just wondering because i wanted a pair.

 

[mikrok]

I have a 150w Advance ballast i'm letting go for cheap

I want 250 over my 58g instead

 

[NateHanson]

that's a nice avatar nate. is that pair yours? does the pistol shrimp attack any of your other inverts or fish? just wondering because i wanted a pair.

Yep, those are my buddies "Sashi" and "Pinchy".
They're an excellent pair. I bought them separately and they found eachother after about 4 days. Since then they are always together. They're both very visible too. The Yashi sits in one of a couple entrances to the shrimp caves, which all face the front of the tank (thank god). The Candy Cane Pistol can usually be seen just inside one of his cave openings, and at feeding time he and the Yashi both come out completely to wait for a piece of mysis to float by. Awesome pair IMO.

Nate

 

[NateHanson]

Pinchy is really too small to be a problem with any tank inhabitants. He's about 3/4" tip to tail. I hear him popping after lights out (probably at live mysis or other pods), and occasionally he'll take a couple shots at a nassarius that trys to crawl down his holes, but he's been no problem whatsoever. A real peach!

Nate