min watts per gallon

[bri74]

so is there a good min. watts per gal on a tank with fish and corals? I heard the other day that a happy medium would be 6 watts per. I am looking at a couple 100 plus gal tanks and want to know what to do with lights Im sure this is published somewhere but Im feeling lazy..... I dont plan on getting a tank deeper than 18 inches so hopefully I will have a good choice on light fixtures???

 

[Bifferwine]

With T5s, you don't need as many watts per gallon. I had around 5 wpg on my old 55 gallon tank and kept SPS and an anemone. But T5s will only penetrate effectively down to 18 inches or so, so if you are planning on a tank that's shallower than that or equal to that, you'll be just fine.

With halides, slightly more wpg is needed to keep more demanding animals (clams, anemones, SPS). At least 8 wpg in that case. In my current tank, I have around 5 wpg of halides, and I successfully keep 4 clams on the bottom of my tank and SPS at the top, so there really aren't any hard and fast rules, although I would not try to keep an anemone with my lights.

 

[fatman]

GARF has kept mixed coral/fish reef tanks that are 55 gallon with just four normal output fluorescents for years. They are pretty much the exception to the rule though. For years people preached 5 watts per gallon. The general expert recommendation now is for small tanks with around 18 inches or less water depth use T-5 lighting with individual reflectors, with about one tube per every three or four inches tank width. Typically five or six tubes for the capability to maintain a healthy tank with any coral or clams. Fish need very little light. Halides are usually used with tanks over 18 inches deep where hard corals and SPS are to be kept at all depths. Also long tanks can often be lit cheaper with a combination of Halides and T-5's then just T-5's alone especially with a need for lighting the greater depths of most larger tanks. A lot of halide tank set ups are running around 5 to 8 watts of halide lights per gallon with supplemental Actinic lights from T-5's or compact fluorescents for another 1 or 2 watts per gallon.

 

[reeffreak]

If all possible in addition to what Biff and Fatman stated,look into a 6 foot tank over a 5 foot one.It will make chosing a light fixture much easier.Most manufacturers make fixtures from 48'' and 72'',skipping 60'' altogether.Besides longer is better when it comes to stocking fish/corals versus a short/deep tank.

 

[bri74]

Ya I did find on petco website a 125 that is 6 ft long for 479.00 thats about the best I can do nothing I am finding appealing on craigslist, not a whole lot of reefers here in ak. I called the lfs's and they all want 700 to 800 for the same tank. with overflows that are kind offset from the center. Now just to plan the plumbing and return pump. Oh ya and build a stand too bad I work good with steel not wood!!!