are flourecents on my nano enough?

[mle421]

ok, heres my dilema. i started my 10 gallon nano about a week or so ago.
amazingly enough it's already cycled! i have 10lbs of LR from Liverocks.com, and a two inch sand bed from a bag of play sand i had. (i boiled the playsand to make sure it was clean)

my specs are:
ammonia- 0
nitrite- 0
nitrate- 10
salinity 1.026

temp 79

i have a HOB filter
a generic heater
and a profile 600 powerhead

my inhabitants are 1 peppermint shrimp purchased yesterday, and probably a dozen snails that came on the LR
I've seen to tiny hermit crabs, which also came on my LR

and all sorts of tunicates, tube corals, and i think some star polyp matting. in lots of places, also a thorny oyster, and about 4 turkey wing clams.

my question is, will i be able to sustain all these little tunicates and star polyp matts with just my flourecent light? i know PC would be better, but the light is only about 6 or so inches above the rock. does that matter?

any advice would be appreciated! TIA guys!

ps my tank just finished cycling today, i just did its first 10% water change. i'm hoping to add a small clown and maybe a bicolor blenny in the future. any advice on this would be great too! Thanks so much!

~emily~

 

[EL Diablo]

you didnt mention how many watts your lights provide.

Need that

 

[mle421]

oh, right, well to be honest i dont even know. its just the light that came with the hood. the bulb says F15T8 but that means nothing to me. it also says "natural daylight" which leads me to believe its a rather low one. how many watts does one need? how is that determined? and how much $ would a pc bulb be for what i would need? sorry to throw so many questions at you, but i don't know anything about lighting requirements.

 

[Jason]

that is some nice LR you've got there. you may way to think about killing those aptasia before they take over the tank more than they already have.

now on to your question:

if it's the light that came with the tank it's more than likely 15 watts if I can remember correctly. I am going to say yes to the star polyp staying alive. keep in mind I said stying alive not thriving. If it were me I would get a corallife 28watt fixture for the tank you can get them pretty cheap, I think they are like $35 on hellolights.com. if to had that 28 watter it would be plenty if you put it on the back and then the regular flourecent on the front. It would be 43 total watts so that's 4.3 per gallon and that is plenty on a tank that is that shallow. I'd say spend the $35 on a light and keep the starpolyp you have instead of having to pay $35 for some more starpolyp if that light isn't enough (which it probably is, but really you want it to thrive and spread).

on a side note I set up a 10gal nano for my wife with the exact same lighting setup I described and I have candycoral, starpolyp, pink zoas, purple zoas, a leather, and she even has an rose anemone that is doing really good.

the $35 you'll pay will be well worth it in the end.

hope that helped and good luck with your new tank!!

 

[Jason]

here is a link to the light I was talking about

http://www.hellolights.com/201xcoraqpch.html

 

[mle421]

thanks jason! you've been a huge help! can i ask a dumb question though? what do you mean on the back and the front? i only have one socket for my bulb. am i supose to have two?

 

[Jason]

ps my tank just finished cycling today, i just did its first 10% water change. i'm hoping to add a small clown and maybe a bicolor blenny in the future. any advice on this would be great too! Thanks so much!

the 10gal. I have has both a true perc and a bi color blenny...... good fish choices

 

[Jason]

thanks jason! you've been a huge help! can i ask a dumb question though? what do you mean on the back and the front? i only have one socket for my bulb. am i supose to have two?

no like on the top of the tank. I guess you still have the black top that came with your aquarium on it, you are going to have to get rid of that thing and get a glass top. they are cheap, here is a link to one: http://aquariumsupplydepot.com/product.php/1590529020.html.

the new top you get will be clear, flat, and have a hinge in the middle of it. when I said in back and in front I meant on top of your aquarium behind the hinge and on top of your aquarium in front of the hinge. you'll have 2 fixtures on top instead of 1.

 

[mle421]

ahhh gotcha. thanks so much! i'm gonna have to wait a week or two to afford a new setup, i just had to have my truck fixed, but you're right i mine as well uprade now. i know i'll want to keep corals eventually anyways, so i should try to keep the ones i got as it is! i think my corals can last a week or so more with the current lights. they seem to be growing pretty quick as it is! thanks for all your help! i really appreciate it!

~emily~

 

[Jason]

no problem

 

[mle421]

jason, or anyone else for that matter, i just got two little percula's last night, and so of course i now have an undying desire to provide them with an anemone. my tank isn't matture enough yet for one, but i'll definately want to be getting one in 5 months or so. would the previous suggested lighting be suitable for an anemone? TIA!