From fwlr to reef question

[mellowyellow]

I have a 50gal. cycled saltwater tank that's been up and running now for more than two years and fish are happy and healthy. I want to convert to a reef tank and I'll be needing a lot of help as I know nothing about corals, etc. My first of many upcoming ?s is how much light would be necessary for a basic reef to sucessfully grow in a 50gal tank and, how much lr must I have? Right now I only have about 15lbs.

 

[somethingsfishy]

The lighting depends on the corals you want to keep. LR is around 1.5 to 2 pounds per gallon so in your case 75 or so pounds. I'd recommend base rock and a few pounds of or to seed. Saves some money because or is expensive. A good lighting idea is to aim for around 4to8 watts per gallon.

 

[somethingsfishy]

Auto correct. LR not or.

 

[mellowyellow]

Thanks Somethingsfishy. Your info is very helpful. I got the or to lr. I have a good lfs in Dover, De. She'll probably try to talk me out of reefing but I think my mind is made up. I'm tired of artificial decorations and cleaning them. And, I'm going to go with a plain blue back so that everything stands out. I know there's a lot to learn and you'll see me many times now that I'm back to AA. As I browse I'm going to look for a few familiar people that I know from my previous days at AA. That was propably 2 yrs. ago. I see that many things have changed here at AA. Thanks again.

 

[somethingsfishy]

No thanks necessary. There will come a time when you will answer my questions. Good luck. Reef tanks are awesome. I'm gathering the pieces to start one for myself. Eventually.