Light Question

[mexicanjavafish]

Ok, so I got put up to asking this question. I've decided due to space restrictions that I'm going to go with a 47 gallon column tank for my "reef". I don't really want to do any of the hard stuff, just some simple corals and a few fish. I think I just want to do soft corals and LPS? So on a tank that is 30" tall, and about 18" wide how much light do i need. I plan to stack my rock pretty high, so it's closer to the light, but I would also like the floor of the tank not to be devoid of life. I'm still learning all the light t5's? PCs? compact florescent? metal halide? NO florescent? It's all so new to me. I also really don't have a very large budget at all. So I guess I just want to know what my options are, and what I'd be best off with?

 

Thanks so much

Christina

[Lee Stearns]

30" depth is a lot Not much will penetrated that depth to allow everything down on the bottom- T 5s would be the most economical and have pretty good penetration- next would be a bit more but very nice allowing more options for what you can keep- and that would be Metal Halides- Lots of opinions there as well- I would not even consider PCs or NOs. Lighting is a very important decision and will affect the reef and what you want to keep.

[dbartco]

I's say MH single pendant as well.

[mexicanjavafish]

Hmm, well like I said, this is my first tank and I want to keep it simple: soft corals and such on/near the bottom and possibly some LPS near the top. So now my question is how many watts of metal halide would I need in order to keep that up?

Edited June 15, 2007 by mexicanjavafish

[Guest tgallo]

i would try 175watt halide pendant

[jason the filter freak]

I don't think a halide would be a nessecity afterwards... anyone rember this tank of the month. 3 feet tall!

 

http://www.wamas.org/totm_previous.php?pre...tm-2006-10.html

 

I'm not trying to be a smart arse, but if it worked for eve would it not work for christina? In a 30 inch tall tank?