Is 130w good for a 45g reef?

[georgev845]

Im converting from a FOWLR--->Reef and im tryin to decide if 130 is good or i shud up to a system thts bout ~170$ for 380W

My tank really isnt that deep so im just wondering if its ok or not to upgrd
(tank is roughly 20" +,- 2" deep? Any suggestions?

 

[feelingfishy]

130w for an reef tank. you need at least 220 wats if you wana keep sps!

 

[sk8shorty01]

I have 260W on my 55 gallon reef. It seems to be working well. I just started it about 2 weeks ago though. Just upgraded and I love it!

 

[payton 350]

at least 260w pc lighting or 216w T5 lighting ,......go with better lighting right away or you're gonna end up spending the money twice because you won't be happy with the 130 and the fact that you really can't keep anything in there besides mushrooms and polyps....

 

[stumpyfish]

I thought the general rule of thumb is that you would want at least 4-5 watts per gallon if you want to go reef? I thought I read that somewhere

 

[harris28]

After doing lots of research, wpg really means nothing. You have to go by the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) rating. The PAR is a rating that tell how much of the light is cutting the water and reaching your corals. You can have high watts per gallon but have low PAR and you will not have the right amount of light hitting your corals. So that means you can also have low watts per gallon but have a good quality lights that will give you a higher par rating which will be better than the other. Now I am just learning myself but I beleive this to be on the right track. Good luck.

 

[payton 350]

Originally Posted by Harris28
After doing lots of research, wpg really means nothing. You have to go by the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) rating. The PAR is a rating that tell how much of the light is cutting the water and reaching your corals. You can have high watts per gallon but have low PAR and you will not have the right amount of light hitting your corals. So that means you can also have low watts per gallon but have a good quality lights that will give you a higher par rating which will be better than the other. Now I am just learning myself but I beleive this to be on the right track. Good luck.

you're on the right track

 

[nolatrav]

I guess it really depends on what corals your looking to keep also. i'm running a 65w pc on my 20H nano reef which i believe is about 18"'s deep. I have a frogspawn and a finger leather, they seem to being doing fine. had them in there for about 2 months. i placed my frogspawn higher so he would get more light but... just make sure you go with a reputable maker.
EDIT: BTW i am upgrading to a dual 65w pc this week. it's more of a personally choice though (want more actinics), although i do think my corals are gonna benefit from the extra light as well.

 

[cowfishrule]

i am running 130wt on a 40g (24"h) with great success.
i kept a beautiful bta for about 2 years with this lighting.

 

[coral keeper]

Dos anyone think that this is a good deal and good for a 20 gallon reef tank?
24" 130W (2-65 watt) Dual Strip Compact Fluorescent Light Fixture for $64.90!

Total output: 130W
Supports: 2 x 65W CF, 2 x Double Bluemoon LED
Fixture Size: 23.25" x 7" x 2.75"
Ballast Type: Internal Electronic
Power Cords: 3
On/Off switch: 3
Cooling Fan: 2 Built-In
Splash Protection: Acrylic Lens
Mounting Leg: Included (Max Reach: 24")
Hanging Kit: None
Type of Bulb: Straight Pin CF
Free item pre-installed to the fixture is 1x 65W CF 12000K bulb, 1x65W CF Actinic Blue bulb, 2xBluemoon LED. No substitution available for free item.