13 watts enough light for 2.5 gallon

[jenlovesty]

I am starting a minibow 2.5 aga. I want to take off the stock hood and replace it with a strip pc. The finnex 13watt 11" would fit perfectly. Is 13 watts enough light for 2.5 gallon? I want to keep lps and softies.

If not, has anyone else used a strip pc over a minibow 2.5. If so what did you use?

[bluebastion]

I honestly would go with at least 1 Coralife 20W bulb. Check out www.nano-reef.com The Minibow or Pico section. You'll find a lot of what you're looking for there.

[jenlovesty]

I found a 18 watt current usa strip that will work. I tried the 20watt in the hood, and I did not like the way the light was brighter on the left side of the tank. I want a more even light distribution. Plus I dont like the stock hood. But I love the bowfront tank.

[Daemonfly]

The 18w would be a better selection. I'm going with 2x18w on my Nano-reef contest 2.5g.

13w work as well, and with a good reflector, will deffinately outperform even the 20w screw-ins (quite inefficient).

[LTJGAlex]

Definitely do something more than the regular cheapo flourescent bulb MBs come with. I put the Coralife Mini-Compact 20w in mine originally and it was awesome for corals. Eventually I pulled off the crappy hood and stuck a Coralife 36w PC fixture over the tank.