If you go with the 4 bulb fix., buy a high end brand of bulbs such as ATI, they make all the difference. if you go for 6 bulb, hang it from the ceiling about 6-10 inches off water. close enough to just allow feeding, maintenance etc
you could easily keep some beginner soft corals and LPS corals.. anemones and hard corals need stronger lights ( more wattage). general rule for lighting is to have a minimum of 5 watts per gallon. your choice of fixture is not far off. if you can, try to find a 6 bulb fixture that would...
Darker and stinkier the better :)
try adjusting the water/cup level to get more production. (raise the water level a bit or lower the collection cup depending on which skimmer you have.) its supposed to bet a fairly wet, dark, thick fluid.
27"
10k = growth
16k+ = coloration of coral
I've also been reading into this fixture and from what the site says both blue and white channels on each fixture are dimmable does this mean that essentially the 16 K version can be dial down to 10 K? so you can keep it around 10k daily and jus raise...
As far as bulbs go: usually the wattage your looking for would be same length everywhere you look. try going on eBay and searching for "ATI 21W bulbs" these are a high quality brand to look into. as far as stocking; 2 clowns and a dwarf would be fine for this size tank however more fish wouldn't...
Stock bulbs. nothing fancy. planning on upgradin - don't kno the best brand or color combo. the tops of my LR structures are about 6-7 inches from water line..
My pit also seems fussy at times.. with this snow today she takes 1 step into the grass and turns her nose up n dashes back inside. once she has to go bad enough she does tho. where in IL are you?
Make her a "run" keep your lead attached to her collar but place the other end on another horizontal cable fixed between 2 structures... like your patio and the nearest tree, then connect her lead to this cable which will allow her to roam lengthwise and outward
I think I can manage a 2 sided unit ; being that it will probably be most efficient. as far as the pump goes - you can tell me a common brand thay will make this build work the best for your design and the right one for the job and ill just order it off ebay so the varibles are easy.
I can probably build you one after the holidays when I have a bit more time to myself if thats not too late.
I'll just do the PVC part with the screen, You supply the pump (this will be based off the screen size, or the screen size will be based off your pump.)
But I'll need to know how long to...
Yes I kno of the bubble algae. do you get rid of that by jus plucking the bubbles off? and yes; the mystery coral does have small polyps around the edges... and I have no clue of "Aiptasia" I've heard bad things, jus not sure... I know I have bristle worms pretty heavy too ... all in a 20gal...
1-2 frozen cubes per day or 5-10 pinch of flakes ; I alternate. and I think I've heard the screen should have 1 sq in of area per gal of water?? if so it'd need to be 2 sided 10"X10" in. I'm guessing?