[ZBT3091]

I have a 75 gallon tank (48x18x20)... i have a PC light (260 watts)...4x65 watt 2 actinic 2 10,000k with lunar lights. I also have a fluorescent light which is 70 watts to help add a little more light. I am unsure of what corals i can add, or how many. I plan on stocking the tank around the corals that i get, so any ideas on how many, or what corals would be suitable. Other specs are: sand bed approx 3 inches deep, 100 lbs of LR, Remora Skimmer, Eheim Classic, and 2 Emporor 7000 hang ons. Water is really well aerated and movement is pretty strong

[bongobrian]

Sounds like you are running a little over 4 watts per gallon and PC's have decent lumen power. I'd say you're pretty safe to keep any soft corals, and most LPS hard corals. I've heard of people trying to keep clams and sps corals under PC lights, but I think your tank is a little underpowered for that and I personally wouldn't try it. Also keep in mind how deep your tank is, light gets cut down drastically as it travels through water, so keep your lower-light corals at the bottom and vice-versa.

With that said, some good starter corals would be mushrooms, leathers, button polyps (zooanthids), star polyps, xenia, open brains, and caulastrea.

[CSeaSee]

I'll agreee that you will be able to keep soft corals, but I would stay away from LPS corals with only 130W over any given 2-ft section- you'll have trouble getting growth out of many species, and some won't reach their compensation points and slowly waste away. If you really wanted to successfully keep LPS I'd double the lighting power on one side and keep the LPS there. I've never had success keeping LPS under only 130W of PC.
"Watts per gallon" can be a misleading and often unhelpful rate- 1 150W MH will keep a much greater range of corals alive compared with 150W of PC or NO. And, as mentioned, the depth of the tank plays a critical role.

[ZBT3091]

the wattage is 260w, not 130. + the 70 watts of fluorescent, which even though is nothing compared to 70 watts of MH or VHO, i am keeping it there to give a 'little' boost

[CSeaSee]

Right- 260W. If your tank was 2ft long, and all the light was concentrated over those two feet, my initial answer would have been different. Likewise, if you had an 800 gallon aquarium that was 20 feet long, and had those same lights "stretched" over those 20 feet, my answer also would have been different.
My response took into account the fact that your 75 gallon tank is four feet long. I did the math on your 260W lights and figured you had 4 65W PC bulbs. The set-up for those bulbs is almost always in a 2 x 2 configuration. Each "set" of 2 bulbs affects a surface area roughly 2ft x 2ft- half the length of your tank. If you took out one side of the bulbs, the other side wouldn't light your whole tank evenly- one side would be basically dark. So again, I think you'll have trouble with only 130W (or 200W if you include your "70W fluorescent") of light effectively reaching any LPS corals.

[Frodo]

Yeah i would have to agree with CSeaSee on that, two 175w MH would be better setup

[ZBT3091]

Since i am new to corals, but have some basic experience with fowlr, i am unsure of how many corals i can add. I was thinking that my coral stocking list would look like this: Ricordea Mushroom, Toadstool Leather Coral, Devil Hand leather coral, thin finger leather coral, tree coral, yellow fiji leather coral, colony polyps, and maybe a bubble coral if i was to give it a chance and see how an LPS would work. Is this overstocked? Understocked? If i was to make an island in a corner of the tank could i possibly add a BTA? or can they travel on glass and sand?

[CSeaSee]

I'd say you'd be good to go with that list (except for the Plerogyra sinuosa, but I've said my piece); just be sure to add them slowly, like you would with fish. Also, you may get some chemical warfare going on if you place them too close- things will sting each other and release compnds into the water.

A BTA definately won't last with those lights- adding one would be irresponsible and others would agree. Consider some hairy mushrooms as a good alternative with your current lighting scheme- clownfish love them and they're very hardy. Here's a pic:

[CSeaSee]

One more thing: how much lateral flow do you have? Aeration isn't a big concern- your protein skimmer takes care of that. But, do you have any powerheads or closed loops to create horizontal currents and turbulence? This part of your set-up is just as important as your lighting when keeping coral.

[ZBT3091]

I have an aquaclear 50 in the center of the tank with a sponge over it to prevent anything from getting sucked in. I also have a the eheim cannister return facing the center of the tank. I have one penguin 400 hang on as well as a marineland. I would say water movement is pretty strong

[ZBT3091]

I read on garf that sometimes the clownfish play with the mushroom coral, brain coral, or leather corals so much taht they get "distracted" and eventually die. Would this be a problem? iv never really heard of that before

[CSeaSee]

I'll agree that your up/down water flow is strong. But that's not what corals need. They need currents and turbulence, and that can't be recreated with mechanical filters. Devices designed specifically for moving water around a tank are what you need. Consider buying 2-3 Maxijet 1200s. They're indestructible and will let you succeed at what you're trying to do. If you ask around you'll get the same answer from people who have been doing this for much longer than I have, and I've been at it for 4-5 years now.

I don't know where that story about clownfish originated, but it's just not true. Funny to think about, but not true. The fish would be fine.