reef lighting help

[wrasse326]

I need help with reef lighting! It's all so confusing. I've read your supposed to have between 4-8 watts of lighting per gallon. A lot of fixtures you find online that say reef fixtures don't even have that amount of wattage. I've searched and searched and searched. I just swiched to a 120 gallon 60" long aquarium and I want to get lighting for it. Right now it's just going to have my 2 bulb fixture and the regular hood lights that came with the aquarium but the few corals I have still seem to be doing fine and I will be ordering the new lights as soon as I can figure out what to get. I've got a Kenya tree, daisy polyps, a few mushrooms, and some zoas. Can't remember what kind they were but just know they are a type that doesn't need very high light and they are bright green. I'm just starting out with corals. I found a 60" fixture online that has 6 80 watt bulbs and is a total of 480 watts. That would be 4 watts per gallon on the 120. It hangs from the ceiling. Would this be enough if I wanted to get corals that required more lighting than the ones I have now? Only other one I've been able to find has 1080 watts of lighting and its $1000. Don't think I want to or even can spend that much on lighting. But everything else ove found is no where near 4 watts per gallon. So please tell me 480 watts is good enough!! Lol. Or tell me where the heck to find the right lighting. Thanks in advance for the help!!

 

[Ingy]

The wpg is not required for lighting.
For T5HO bulbs;

2 should support mushrooms and polyps only.
4 will support LPS and perhaps SPS if very close to the surface (my montipora is not doing very well a couple inches below surface)
6 should support LPS and SPS.
8 should support anemones.

4 T5HO with MH as well should support anemones.

 

[wrasse326]

ok idk why websites are saying watts matter then. And wow 8 bulbs for anemones? My poor anemone. I thought he was doing good because I read mine is supposed to be brownish with a green tint if its healthy and it was white when I got it and now its the brownish with a green tint. I also read that too much lighting will burn mushrooms. If I get the 6 bulb fixture will it burn them? And what if I was to get led lighting? How many LEDs should the fixture have? It will be a lot easier to find lighting if the number of bulbs is what matters and not the watts.

 

[Ingy]

Mushrooms go deep for less light and even in crevasses a bit if needed. LEDs ? Do you mean moonlights? if so just 2 per foot is kinda normal.

 

[Ingy]

Reread.
It's not that wpg doesn't matter, it's just more difficult. And it varies depending on the type of light. MH are less efficient than flourescent and LEDs are most efficient and changing fast.

For LEDs read the thread in the aquaria forum. Many are using and happy with taotrinics 120Watt dimmable LEDs. 1 set per 2 feet is needed. Something like $150 each on eBay.

 

[wrasse326]

Awesome thanks! Ill look it up