Recommend me a...

Light loving, nitrate tolerating coral!

Some quick background: I have a 120g (5') tank with lots of lighting (3x250W MH, dual end, and 4x65W actinics) and moderate-low flow (~2000gph). I keep parameters up as I manually dose and do regular water changes, so my water quality is good EXCEPT nitrates with are typically 15-20. This is due to the necessity to feed three times daily as I keep wrasses and anthias. I do have a sufficient skimmer and I run a phosban reactor, so no concern there. I do not run carbon, so keep that in mind. My tank if full of zoas and many types of LPS. There are some softies as well, but no leathers. I do not have any SPS, with the exception of one pavona frag which has been doing quite well for a few weeks now.

I have one flat rock high up in my tank about 10" below the surface. The MH's are about 10" off the surface. A couple zoa colonies have been growing on this rock just fine until as of late (some amphipods have decided they're delicious, but that's a whole other story that I'd rather not debate/discuss here- FYI, the colonies were perfectly healthy and growing prior to the 'pod munchin').

I'm thinking about trying a piece of SPS on this rock, since there's so much light (don't know what else I could do, and I question if it might be a bit much light for SPS still). Currently I'm thinking a scrolling or encrusting monti, but wanted to pick everyone else's brain for ideas. Thanks.

 

Well, if you're looking for corals that tolerate nitrates, I would consider soft corals. I would consider other softies like mushrooms and toadstools, and possibly some other LPS like elegance if you haven't gotten any yet.

 

Waaaaaayyyyy too much light for mushrooms or an elegance, and I'd rather not run carbon so leathers are probably a bad idea, but thanks.

 

you could probably keep sps it would turn brown.

 

Well obviously I'd like to avoid a brownout :/ I was thinking there might be some hope, considering a pavona is acting happy thus far. Also, my understanding is some SPS are more tolerant of nitrates than others. Incorrect?

 

It would be a good idea to just get the nitrates down. Why not have macro algae? or inverts at least

 

There's plenty of inverts and lots of snails. My CUC is not inadequate by any means.

Main reason I don't have any macro algae is I don't need the lighting heat in my sump. I don't run a chiller (note my location) and cool with fans on my sump. Also, nitrates aren't at a problematic level unless I'm trying to keep SPS. So if it's not at all possible, than that'll be the answer.

 

macro can look great in the DT also! I RUN ZERO carbon. nad has softies, sps, and lps in my 30 gallon. mangroves can also help keep nitrates down. i have 5-6 in my HOB filter.

 

get rid of the nitrates by adding macro algae or reduce feedings or even better both. also dont add anymore CuC till you get nitrates under control because even 15 nitrate will kill most snails and crabs. then you can add sps until then u think you cant have softies cuz theyll fry with your lighting and the nitrates are the only fixable thing without spending a fortune

 

Let's not turn this into a "how to get my nitrates down" discussion; I'm aware there's lots of ways to achieve that but I choose not to. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" Everything is happy and growing in my tank.

Now back to the question: "Is there any SPS coral that I can blast with light and won't get completely angry with nitrates at 15-20 ppm?"