LFS & Lighting

[Jimsmowen]

Ok so i have been argueing with the guy at my LFS about lighting, he tells me i can have a heap of low light corals in my tank with 2x 6watt 18000k fluros..... is this right?? he says its the kelvins not the watts that matter btw this is in a 6.3 gal tank thats about 30cm deep

[Reefmaniac1]

In reality, it's neither watts nor Kelvin. It's the PAR: Photosynthetically Available Radiation. You can have a 20,000 degree Kelvin lamp that has a low PAR level or a 10,000 K lamp with a high PAR level (in fact, it usually works this way).

If you are going to use the watt/gallon method of determining how much light, the general rule of thumb is a MINIMUM of 3 to 5 watts per gallon. More is better.

[Jimsmowen]

umm... how can u do the watt per galon rule if it has nothing to do with watts... can u please elaborate on what u mean by all of that =P

[Nuhtty]

What are the dimensions of the tank? I am sure there are some good light fixtures that will work for you

[Jimsmowen]

its about 12 inch wide 12 inch high and about 8 inch back.

[Reefmaniac1]

The "wattage" rule of thumb is a very poor guideline to use. The reason being is that you could put a thousand watts of mercury vapor lamps over a tank, but that light just wouldn't be suitable to use. So, wattage just doesn't really make the best tool to go by but you can use it. PAR ratings are a better choice.

[Putawaywet]

If this were my tank I'd probably go with 4x13w 10,000k PC setup. That should be plenty of light for a tank that shallow.

Check these folks out. I use their 13w deluxe kits for transitional lighting on my tanks and it's relatively decent stuff if you have a screwdriver, wire strippers, and a basic understanding of electrical wiring.

http://www.ahsupply.com/twox.htm

Brett