Lighting for 15 Gal tall tank

[angelapound]

I'm looking at getting a Coralife 20 Inch Aqualight With 1-96W 50/50 4-Tube Square Pin Base (with fans) for my 15 gallon tall tank. This tank has an enclosed wood hood so I'm kind of limited on space for lighting. My question is, will this amount of light work if I want to have corals? If not, can you guys suggest something that will? The hood is 21" long and 10" wide.
Thanks!

 

[doodle1800]

Yes - I would get that light for a 15 gal tank. More than enough light for your corals. I've used the light myself.

 

[backcountr]

imo
i would go with t5 from what iv read corals seem to do better with t5 than pc

 

[doodle1800]

in fact the coralife is almost too much light - almost 6 1/2 watts per gallon - so be careful what corals you put in.
they make a 28 watt version - good enough for low light (soft) corals

 

[angelapound]

I was wondering with the height of the tank and using the 96 watts if I could put the corals that require lower light at the bottom of the tank and corals that need more light at the top of the tank? Or does that even matter? Or should I just go with a little lower wattage?
Thanks for the answers!

 

[doodle1800]

It really depends on your corals - for that size aquarium - I wouldn't go with 96 watts. I'd go with the lower cost, 28 watt version that gives you about 2 watts per gallon. That way you can have mushrooms, some polyps, and fish of course. The reason you'd have 6 1/2 watts of lights allows you to have anything, but in a 15 gal tank? Up to you..

 

[doodle1800]

Let me know what you purchased and if you like it - please.

 

[puffer32]

I used the 96 watt coralife fixture for my 15 gal, and i loved it. i had everything i could fit in it, had to upgrade, just got way to crowded. i kept everything from shrooms at the bottom, to monti caps at the top, great fixture. I did have to put a clip on fan on the tank cause the water got pretty warm in the summer though.

 

[doodle1800]

exactly my point - you loved it but it got over crowded so you upgraded, and you had to add a fan because the water got too warm...
too many watts on a small tank
what livestock requires more than a few watts of light, in my opinion, requires a large tank

 

[puffer32]

I have to use fans on both my tanks, no chillers and i live in Tx, the clip on fans are great, IMO any tank with good lighting, especially PC and MH will heat up. I just don;t think less lighting will work on a high tank, maybe a 15 L but not a high if the poster wants to keep any hard corals. I wouldn't go with less, based on my experience with a 15H.

 

[angelapound]

Well I orderd a 18" SunPaq Retrofit 96 watt Quad SmartPaq today. It should be here in about a week. My tank is still cycling so it will be a while before I can get any corals. I don't want to be very limited on what I can put in there which is why I went with the 96 watts. I hope I'll be happy with that for a while anyway!

 

[tomtoothdoc]

i have a current 2x 40 on a 15high seahorse tank with zoo's, button's, shrooms, xenia, and orange sun cup. all are doing great, xenia devided from 2 stalks to 12 and counting. watch the heat during the summer though. i had fans blowing on it last summer and it hit 82-83 with hood on. i just ordered a microchiller http://www.***********.com/aquarium_...er.asp?CartId=
for the for this summer. i'll let u know how that work out. good luck.