SPS and flow...need help.

[Mik_101]

Originally Posted by marie

If a coral is sitting 5" away from a 250w light in a 500g (0.5w/g) tank it won't be any happier under a 40w light in a 2g nano tank (20w/g)

I don't get it Marie.

[marie]

Originally Posted by Mik_101

I don't get it Marie.

Ok then look at it this way, If you took a gallon jar put some rock and salt water in there and placed a little frag 5" from the surface of the water and then hung a 5 watt christmas light over it the frag would be getting 5watts per gallon of light.
Now if you took a 500gallon tank, with rock and saltwater, frag 5" from surface and hung a 250watt light over it, you have 1/2 watt per gallon
Which frag is getting the better light?

[Mik_101]

The one in the jar? I think.

[marie]

but it's just a silly little 5 watt christmas light, it would hardly be bright enough to grow algae.
The correct answer would be the frag directly under the 250watt light, it doesn't matter how much water is surrounding it

[Mik_101]

Originally Posted by marie

but it's just a silly little 5 watt christmas light, it would hardly be bright enough to grow algae.
The correct answer would be the frag directly under the 250watt light, it doesn't matter how much water is surrounding it

Kind of suspected that too.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Marie's post is missing a ?

She's saying that watts/gallon is not a very good way to know how much light is enough. SPS like high light, high flow, but stable, low-nutrient conditions, which is very hard to achieve in smaller tanks that are new. SPS should be kept in more established tanks after all the nutrient levels are stabilized. New tanks often have fluctuating nutrient levels which will brown out SPS & often lead to death.