mature or not?

how are the xenia and zoos doing right now? the lights you have right now are pc's? i would wait a bit longer, but if you want you would probably be ok to add some softies. more/better lighting is never a bad choice.

 

ya the corals are doing great! they look so happy. well except for one. you know how there are 2 branches of xenia? well the bigger one has been in a ball for about 2-1 days now but the other branch is doing great! why is that?

 

how tall is your 20 high?

 

its about 16 in tall

 

and you have only pc's right? you might want to do a bit more research and figure out the depth that pc's are good for, they have the worst penetration of all lights(MH, T5, solaris maybe??), i think it might be 12 inches or so, but im not sure. but wiht the corals you have you dont have any problems right now, you will deffinately want to stay away from sps's, clams, and other harder to keep animals.

 

what corals can i have considering the new upgrade? just softies? i thought with 117 watts i could get some hard or something idk

 

Equipment

What kind of testing do you do for your water? What are your current parameters - ph, nitrates, etc?

What kind of equipment are you running - any powerheads for current? Filtration? Before you spend lots of money on corals, even though your light may support it, you don't want to waste money and in the process watch the beautiful animals wither away due to water issues.

Also, it may sound strange, but 117 watts of PC lighting on a 20 high isn't lots of light. It may look bright, and with your setup, you could keep a variety of nice soft corals, provided you keep your water params in check. Keep in mind you lose intensity, the deeper the water. If you had a 20 long with a decent set of T5's (much higher output than standard flourescents), you probably could get away with some stonies. 20 long tanks have much less water to penetrate, and the long T5 bulbs are higher wattage / intensity.

Also, congratulations on getting into this kind of hobby at your age. I know $93 seems like a lot of money, but you want to keep investing as much as you can on good equipment, before you spend too much on corals. Start with the hardy, yet pretty pieces, for something nice to look at, and as you build your system, you won't throw good money after bad ;D Be nice to folks on here as well. Lots of good people willing to help - and remember, you asked the question, so don't get short when folks answer - even if it's not what you want to hear.

Best of luck to you!

 

I will second this.
Circa030, i know that everything you are doing with your tank is sometimes confusing or complicated (as an owner of a 20g reef, i know your frustration), but you need to reform the way you seek help on this forum. Looking over your previous threads, you seem too quick to be rude to others and put other peoples' replies down. If you truly intend on making 3reef a home to your reef tank resolutions, i strongly suggest you act a bit more respectfully. In this thread not once did I see you address others' concerns for your attitude. You can go ahead and ignore my too, but in the end, it is you thats coming to us. Not the other way around.

I am glad that you are getting the lights. I waited until my rock showed substantial coralline growth before adding in corals.

Good luck with the tank! And take 3reef's advice for all its worth. It has helped me start and keep a very healthy reef.

 

How old does a tank need to be before adding corals?

 

hmm, no hard corals with pc's, well... there are people who get away with it but im pretty sure they have fantastic water quality and enough watts f pc's to make you go blind ;D

when your params have been nice and steady, and within reason for a few months, at least thats the way i do it but im not right in the head :laughing0