what likes t5s

there is so little info.on what likes t5s and how much t5 you need for certain corals that i thought we could share what we have under them and how much t5 it takes.i'l start with mine.i got a 4 x54 watt set up at a plant store to go over my 55gal with seperate reflectors dirt cheap with wh ballast inside,its 3 inches off the top of the tank..thats just under 4 watts per gallon but holly cow its bright.actually it a lil too bright for some things.i have a red lobo on the bottom-happy.green shrooms on bottom get a tad too much light.dull red shrooms are getting way too much at bottom.bright red shrooms half way up are ok but would be happier at bottom.xenia is ok everywhere in the tank.toadstools purple and a yellow neon are happy anywhere.green open brain half way up is very happy.cabbage halfway up is happy.8inch frilly shroom half way up is ok but could have less light.green star polyps at bottom are happy.and green zooz at bottom ok but need shade.

 

my fish store is against me putting a crocea clam under t5 lighting.they say i need a mh light but i'm going to try it.also just to see exactly how intence this light reelly is,i'm concidering trying a smal acro frag up high in the tank.meanwhile i'm rearanging things to give shade to some over lighted things.i'm concidering putting xenia between over lighted mushrooms and i have zooz halfway in a cave,you get the idea.

 

Ok, lighting is important but not the only variable that needs to be addressed! Water flow, filtration, temperature, water parameters-stability o will need to be optimal for any kind of success.
Now, having said that, lighting and the question of are they happy or not can best be explained by their overall appearance and behavior(polyps fully extended, color not faded/bleached, and no signs of tissue nucrosis etc.
Mushrooms and zoos will do fine with bright light, and actually, zoos and Palythoa's will do best under strong light and their coloration will be more vibrant under actinic lighting.
I have my shrooms under 250 and 400watt halides and I have seen them under 1000watt bulbs.
Many corals will acclimate to brighter light under the right amount of time to adjust. Corals will, IMO, do better with more light than not enough! Temperature, water parameters, etc. will be more of a detriment than intense light.

 

i used the word happy to keep the writing short.happy=good color,growth and polyp extention.the dull red shrooms have slower growth even at the bottom till i put them in parcial shade.the green shrooms faded if closer to the light than the bottom.the frilly mushrooms polyps got so big when up too high that you can't tell its a green shroom cause the polyps are lavender.the super green zoos started turning a lil yellow at the skirts till they were returned to the bottom.the green brain thrived closed to the light-no surprise.i was surprised how well the yellow hairy polyps did up top.this is to help us t5 uses to know what they can keep.unless you have pc,mh,or vho lights,fish store owners don't help much in giving advice.hopefully other t5 owners will tell what success or failiors they've had with t5 and certain corals.

 

Well I used to have pc lighting and it was 2x65 watts 50/50. I changed to t5ho 4x 54 nova extreme...one reflector and since I replaced my light everything is growing, polyps always extended, colour great, and overall the corals are doing great. My xenia have tripled, my leather is huge, my yellow leather frag has grown as well as all my shrooms and zoo's.

 

well, I for one think this is very heplful! considering i have the nova extreme T5HO's 4x54w... right now, all i have is 12 small purple mushrooms (one's about to split i think) that in JUST the right light has a hint of green or blue... and one ricordea floridea...plus, it seems everyone that has T5's has a 55-gallon, which is what i have... i plan on getting some zoas/zoos, another, bigger mushroom (it seems like these don't get more than an inch in diameter), star polyps, frogspawn, and some LPS... what are some recommendations of corals that would spread to a decent size (5"+)

 

I have a 55 gal with a Tek 4 bulb setup. I have had it for about 1.5 years. Sps went from brown and dull to colorful and full of life. If I had room for a clam, I would try it. Sps do great under T-5ho!

 

Mushrooms will change in diameter based on the amount of light and dissolved organic matter/nutrients in your water column! The more light and nutrient value suspended in your water column, the smaller your shrooms will be. The less light and decreased amount of nutrients will cause your shrooms to open up/expand fully, and depending on the type can grow to over 6 inches in diameter!
I have some frilly mushrooms that are being mentioned and at times they increase to 4 inches in diameter. Very beautiful shroom, I must admit!
As for what corals will grow to 5"plus...the list is pretty much endless, as if conditions are optimal, most corals will grow and reproduce some rather quickly as well!;D

 

If corals that have been in yor tank for a week or so have acclimated successfully and show good coloration, size and polyp extension, then I would think that moving them to another location within your tank would be detrimental! Because you are now incorporating another couple variable into the equasion.
Lighting changes, water flow and the placing of corals next to different ones can pose a problem to the new neighboring coral through possible toxic warfare and nematocysts.
The other thing to consider with the lighting of our tanks, is that our bulbs will look bright to us even after a year of the bulbs being used! However, the irradiance/PAR will have dropped dramatically, which is why we ned to replace our bulbs religiously between 8-13 months, as the intensity of the bulb will have decreased dramatically since day one, but to our naked eye, it will still be portrayed as very bright and intense...but our corals will be adversely affected if the bulbs aren't changed.

 

Once you go past the 20" depth you will not want to keep sps's under T5's. If you are running a 18" deep 55 gal then I think you will be just fine.