Lighting for a 90 g

[Reefcrazy]

I've ordered my 90g and am getting ready to start buying accessories. This tank is 48"L x 18"D x 24" H. I want to eventually keep soft, sps and possibly T. Max's. How much light per gallon as a general rule of thumb should i have to keep everything healthy?

[rshimek]

Hi,

I find the concept of light per gallon as kind of funny. Consider 2 100 gallon tanks, 1 about 3 inches in diameter and maybe 50 feet tall, the other 1 inch deep and maybe covering the area of a living room. Lighting for each would be very different - and either case really has nothing to do with the volume of the tank.

Rather consider how you are going to place the rock work and how you want to place your animals. I would suggest you check online, in Aquarium Frontiers particularly, for articles on lighting, and light requirements of the animals you wish to keep. Then calculate the depths necessary for adequate illumination.

What I am saying is that the light necessary will vary from animal to animal, and that layout of your system will determine the specific intensities. Given the various light vary significantly, even within the same wattages, some research is in order.... :D