What would be good for the top of the tank?

[tpl*co]

That's easy and can take MH (150 watts, 30 gallon tank) I have a leather, zoos, some mushrooms and sponges in there now. Oh, and it has to meet the inspection of some teritorial tomato clowns too (so somthing that has some type of tenticles they like, if they don't like it's toppled! they personally inspect everything). LFS, talked me into getting a frogspawn, which the clowns liked but the frogspawn didn't like the top of the tank (which I found out afterwards it likes the bottom esp. if there are MH, which the LFS should have known I had since they sold it to me! :mad2::wall:) It wouldn't open on the top so I put it on the bottom and will probably need to trade it.

So long story short, what's good for the top of the tank, that is colorful and hardy and clown proof/clown friendly?

P.S. they already have a bubble tip anemone that's on another rock.

[Ace25]

ummm.. hard to say. Your asking what LPS coral will work good under intense light. I don't think there are a lot out there.. usually that is the place to put SPS corals.


LPS corals generally have a lower light requirement being too sensitive to the more intense lighting systems like metal halides.

[tpl*co]

But someone told me that SPS don't do well with soft corals? (chemical warfare?). I traded in an SPS because someone said it may not like the soft corals, also my clowns didn't want it at the top.

[Ace25]

Wow that is some odd advice. LPS's are the ones famous for chemical warefare.. SPS to some degree, but not nearly as bad as LPS.

Here is an SPS and softie touching each other in my tank and the softies polyps are fully extended. I don't think anything bad is happening.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2204/2262130728_3d9f1c6933.jpg?v=0

[Catpicklesdog]

But someone told me that SPS don't do well with soft corals? (chemical warfare?). I traded in an SPS because someone said it may not like the soft corals, also my clowns didn't want it at the top.

You've heard right! It's important to note that some species are highly toxic to stony corals (especially larger polyp stony corals in the genera Lobophyllia, Symphyllia and Trachyphyllia). Since specific species identification of leather corals can be quite difficult (sometimes even to identify a genus), these corals should be added with reservation to any tank with stony corals. Also consider that many leather corals are relatively fast growing and can get quite large. However, this isn't usually so much of a concern since they can be literally cut down when they get too big.

Saying that I have a massive toadstool leather with a few SPS & LPS but I am thinking of getting rid of it.

[Ace25]

Ahhh, sorry, misunderstood what you said. I thought you were saying that SPS were more toxic/cause harm than LPS..

I get it now.. and yes, like catpicklesdog stated.. some LPS will sting/kill anything close by. I would't put an SPS anywhere near a frogspawn, brain coral, or anemone (I know thats not an LPS)

[Grins]

I can get my LPS to open in the top 1/2 of the tank under MHs, provided they are not in a direct flow area.

[tpl*co]

How about a kenya tree coral? Been looking at those, been reading that they may like the top of the tank with some current? Read that Colt coral may be bad for my mumps leather, so that one's out. :(.

[tpl*co]

I can get my LPS to open in the top 1/2 of the tank under MHs, provided they are not in a direct flow area.


My middle of the tank is already spoken for though :(.

[Grins]

Understood but the middle of my tank is similiar to the top of the tank of others.