What Type Of Light For Corals?

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Diamonte

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I am starting up a 20 gallon high saltwater aquarium. It use to be a freshwater so my hood and light is the only thing staying. I want to put some corals in their but I don't know if the light is good enough. I have a 30'' Fluorescent Aquarium Reflector 20 Watt is that good for any kind of corals? I m getting any type of Low Light, Hardy, Easy Growth, Good Maintaining, Beginner.... Corals?
 
It's best not to skimp on lighting with corals, you can use a T5 fixture or a cheap Chinese LED. Since this is a tall tank lighting will be key.

Easy corals:
Frogspawn
Kenya tree
Mushrooms
Green star polyps
Zoas
Leathers


Caleb
 
It's best not to skimp on lighting with corals, you can use a T5 fixture or a cheap Chinese LED. Since this is a tall tank lighting will be key.

Easy corals:
Frogspawn
Kenya tree
Mushrooms
Green star polyps
Zoas
Leathers


Caleb

All of those corals you mentioned where the ones I liked!!! So what type of lighting is good for them? My hood hold a lamp 32 inches?
 
A single t8 lamp will not support corals. You need to get something better. What is your budget?

I dont want to spend no more than $30 on a light

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IMO that's pretty low for a light in general... I'd be looking at T5 bulbs..


Caleb


Even then a cheap t5 fixture is still gonna be $50-60 plus $15-20 for bulbs. Not to be a downer but setting up a reef isn't cheap. Maybe look into a fish only with live rock system and save up for better lighting in the mean time


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Maybe that first one would work, but you'd have to replace the bulbs and that's another $30-40 right there. The second one is going to be a pain to find quality replacement bulbs because most don't make 20" bulbs. And those led units are garbage


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That first one puts off as much light as t8 bulbs and they do make t8s for coralZoo Med Reef Sun Fluorescent Bulbs
5 / 5 5 / 5Coralife High Intensity 20,000°K Lamps
4.7 / 5 4.7 / 5 thought those would be links but I found them on Drs foster and smith. I've never used them but if you have t8 fixtures and don't want to spend money try it out they are made for corals.


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That first one puts off as much light as t8 bulbs and they do make t8s for coralZoo Med Reef Sun Fluorescent Bulbs
5 / 5 5 / 5Coralife High Intensity 20,000°K Lamps
4.7 / 5 4.7 / 5 thought those would be links but I found them on Drs foster and smith. I've never used them but if you have t8 fixtures and don't want to spend money try it out they are made for corals.


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A T8 at 24" only puts out 17-18watts per lamp. Thats a bit lower than a T5HO 24w Lamp, of which is made for smaller tanks.
 
I don't think anyone goes by watts anymore. I'm no expert when it comes to lighting but when I first got into the hobby I was asking about these bulbs and was told they can keep low to moderate light corals and some less demanding sps corals. The op said they only want to spend 30 dollars on lights so I'm just giving suggestions and Drs foster&smith have always been good to me so I trust when they tell me they will keep low to moderate light corals


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But you have to keep in mind, the depth of the tank in which any light is being used. T5HO is quite a good penetrating lamp, even at 24w for a 20g tank, is more than enough. Then keep in mind that the one unit I linked was 4 lamps, of which I'd only use one 10k lamp, and 2 blue and one acticinc, this will penetrate better than anyone using all 10k lights.
There are to many tanks operating out there with these units, way to many, all one needs to do is just Google it, you will see what you need to know, from many reef tanks, not just me telling you they work.
 
Thanks everyone for answering!!!!! So I think what you all are saying is I should go with T5 Bulbs with high watts? The hood that I have you can only put 1 long bulb in there, so should I buy another hood or just buy a T5 bulb?
 
Thanks everyone for answering!!!!! So I think what you all are saying is I should go with T5 Bulbs with high watts? The hood that I have you can only put 1 long bulb in there, so should I buy another hood or just buy a T5 bulb?


IMO a fixture with 2-3 bulb slots would be best. I'm no lighting expert you might could get away with one.


Caleb
 
T5 bulbs don't worn in a t8 fixture. You'd have to buy a new fixture and take your old hood off the tank


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Sorry, those LED units will support SPS Corals, hate to burst your bubble like that.

Yup, pretty tough to find replacement lamps for an 18w T5
AquaticLife 18 Inch 18W T5HO Bulb
Aquarium Lightings - Odyssea High Output T5 Fluorescent Bulb
Aquarium Lighting T-5 HO Florescent Bulbs: AquaticLife 420/460nm T5 HO Fluorescent Lamps
TrueLumen T5HO Lamps | Current-USA

Anything else I can do for ya, just give a shout.


Key word on the bulbs was "quality". And wether or not the LEDs will support sps isn't really relevant, they wont, but the spectrum they give off will look terrible and they are incredibly weak. And in my book that equals garbage, but maybe you like ugly brown corals?



T5 bulbs don't worn in a t8 fixture. You'd have to buy a new fixture and take your old hood off the tank


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+1, what kind of corals are you interested in? For softies a 2 bulb t5ho unit should do you fine, but bulb replacement gets expensive and old. A fowlr while you save up for a quality light fixture may be a good idea for you, lighting is usually one of the most expensive parts of setting up a reef and most important

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OK I really don't care how much is is as long as it doesn't go past $100.... Where can I get a fixture at for a nice price? The corals Im going to list Im only getting like 3-4 of them maybe not that.... Here's the corals Im looking at ....
Green Star Polyps
Toadstool Leather Corals
Kenya Tree Corals
Candy Cane Corals
Mushroom Corals
Sun Corals
Blasto Corals
Button Polyps
 
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