Lighting question

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mrpope

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
165
Location
San Francisco, Ca.
So im moving soon and the place wont allow my big tank, so Im switching to a 20gal reef. Ther e are a couple of lights Ive been looking at and I was wondering if anybody had some suggestions. The tank is 20" wide so Im looking at a 20" PC fixture.

What do you think about the Coralife Aqualight 96 Watt Strip light ot the Current USA 2x40 watt fixture with lunar light. They both seems to be good and ideal but I cant choose.

-B
 
Did you retrofit your own fixture or is it something I could buy? I am kinda hoping I wont have to go MH, will PC be good enough?
 
Depends on what you want to keep. Retro fitting is easy enough, and you can get into it pretty cheap, for MH anyway. I purchased a CSL prism pendant several years ago.
 
My problem is that I am moving into dorms, so rules take precidence over what I want. I imagine that hanging a possible firehazard from the ceiling wont go over too well with them. And if I fit a MH into a hood wont that cause heat probs on a little tank like that? I definatly cant afford a expensive light fixture and chiller as well.
What would PC limit me to? No clams, SPS, anemones right?
 
It is no more a fire hazard than any other hanging lamp.

On a 20 with enough PC you could do some SPS and some clams, just depends on the species.
 
Well thats ok then. Considering that I wont be able to add coral, etc, to the tank for some time (4 months or whatever proper aging required) I have some time to figure it out. But what did you mean by enough PC, would either of those fixtures (one was 2x40 PC and the other was a quad bulb 96 watt PCm, I havent found very many fixtures that were 20") be enough for the species you were referencing?
(you dont have to list the species I can find that out on my own, you guys help enough already!)

Thanks again
-Brian
 
65w PC bulbs are either 21" (straight pin) or 22" (square pin), so I don't think you would be able to find a 2 x 65W fixture for your 20" tank.
The 96W quad sounds like your best bet.
 
my roomate has a tank which is supposedly 20 gal (or close) that is 20" wide. Its a neat tank and he bought it from petco (I think) for 30 bucks. If a 20 tall is 24" then thats what I will probably end up with.
 
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