question on lighting and corals...

[SGT Henry]

Hey...

I have a 20gal long tank...I wanted to see if I could have some soft corals later on but I have questions on the lighting...

Would a 30" Coralife double t5 strip be enough to keep soft corals?...it would have one 18w 10,000k and one 18w actinic bulb..coming to a grand total of 36w...Would this be enough to keep some soft corals? If so which species specifically could I keep?...I would also like to add some feather dusters.

thanks...

 

[Hara]

Sorry, that would not be enough lighting IMO to keep corals.

Feather dusters do not require any special lighting.

 

[SGT Henry]

How much wattage would I need then for a 20g?...And which species of softcoral could I keep in an aquarium this size?...Also, where would I have to place the corals in the water column..top, middle, bottom?

 

[Hara]

I would say minimum of 80 watts would allow you to grow most moderate need corals. Placement depends on the coral you get, you cannot just answer that wide open question. Just about any soft coral would grow in the recommended lighting.