Reef tank

[Cb24]

I've got a 20 gallon reef tank that's almost ready but I hear about par 38 lights I think they are. I was wondering if they would be good for a reef tank that size? And what coral I would be able to keep with it

 

[Macscale]

Par38s are screw in bulbs. You could probably go with 1 or 2. Are you set on Par38s or looking for LEDS.

 

[Bectan01]

Depends on the tank, is it a 20 long? Then I think you would need 2. I use a par38 led globe over my ten and it is great. Check the wattage tho, they come in different sizes. Only thing I regret is not getting a dimmable one...

 

[carey]

I think you;d be best suited to get a regular fixture. I was running the par38's over my 8g and 4g and they were great for that size tank. But if its a 20l I;d think you'd def do better with a different type of light.

What types of corals are you looking to keep?

 

[Macscale]

I agree with Carey. A regular fixture is much better.

 

[Cb24]

It's a 20 high and I want to try and keep as many kinds of coral as possible so what would you guys think would be good lighting for it

 

[Macscale]

The EBay LEDS work really well. I'm in the same situation with my 20h. People say the Maspect R420R Nano is great.

 

[Cb24]

What other lights do you think would work? I want to be able to keep as much corals as possible..would those par 38 lights work for everything almost?

 

[bribo12]

The razor, kessils, ai sol, vega or hydra, radions, eBay ones, orphek. There are tons of leds that work it just depends on how much you want to spend

 

[Macscale]

Right, you have tons of options. A budget would help a ton!
Are you looking for a fixture that has a ramp timer, on/off switch?
Hanging kit or on tank?
A lot goes into picking the right light. Are you set on getting LEDS?!

 

[Macscale]

Yes the PAR38s should work for most. You will need to find a fixture for them though. There are a wide variety of PAR38s on the market from Kessils to Rapid LED.

 

[carey]

If you go with a par38 you willmost likely need 2 to light the entire tank. I had a single lamp over a 4g and it was perfect. Even worked for my 5g but I would say the 20g is too big for a single light bulb.
I used a desk lamp i bought at target to put my bulb in.
As others have asked, what is your budget? That will dictate which fixture you should get.

 

[Macscale]

I would still go with a single fixture though. IMHO it's way better.

 

[bribo12]

Kessils aren't par38s. They use a dense matrix array rather than diodes.

 

[Cb24]

I found a light on eBay that's about 150$ which is about the highest I would go for a light. It's an led light that is dimmable. It's 120W watt...would that be fine for the 20
Gallon tank?

 

[bribo12]

That will do fine just make sure it's the dimmable version as you will need to run it pretty low. At that budget none of those other fixtures will work

 

[Cb24]

Well I mean I could go higher but nothing over 300$ for sure..would these lights support coral at all?

 

[bribo12]

Yes they will let you keep whatever you want

 

[Cb24]

I also have an extra t5 fixture but the only problem is it's 48 inches long so obviously much bigger then the 20 gallon tank...think I could use that?

 

[Macscale]

Yes those are what we call "Ebay LEDS". Many people use them and have had great experiences.

WARNING: Some say the full spectrum has an extremely purple hue.

Check the chip on the LEDS because some of them use Epistar chips and not Bridgelux.

One of the blue/white fixtures will work if you would like also.

Keep in mind the hanging kits that come with these aren't the best. Buying some extra cords may help some. However there are some stands for them out on EBay.

Carey, an aquarium advice user who has replied earlier in the thread, has had lots of experience with these. I would ask her for opinions or pictures you need on the lights.

Since the tank is a 20h (Like Mine) you will need to dim it down quite a bit. I have been told that it may be under 50 percent. This light can burn through corals easily. You will have to acclimate them very well. (That's what I have been told.)

It has been said that they do break, but are simple fixes. You may need to replace ballasts or things like that every once in a while.

These are certainly a good choice, but they are not your only option. Keep in mind "You get what you pay for."

Sorry for such a long post, haha.

Bribo: Sorry about the kessil thing. My mistake I hate to give out false information .