Lighting for a 10g

blizz75

blizz75

Member
I have no experience with any corals or lighting at all. I have never had a tank with more than 1 watt per gallon!
anyway i am thinking about doing some zoos in a 10g i have and was wondering what type of wattage and which fixture to look at. Thanks for the help as i can use it, Blizz
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
I found a Single Satellite Compact Fluorescent Fixture that holds a 40-watt dual bulb (10000°K daylight and 460 nanometer actinic). This would give me 4 watts per gallon. would this be good enough for zoos?
 
K

kalied20

Guest
that should be good for zoos and most softies..... :happyfish
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
, zoos only!!! i dont want to bring the temp. up to 95 degrees and melt anythig!
That and i dont think i could bring myself to spend the extra $300.
 
K

kalied20

Guest
If you are planning to have zoos only, you are good.
Let's see....mushrooms, kenya tree, xenia, are just a few that should do well. They may not grow quick, but they will survive and do ok.
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
thanks alot guys. This will be my first reef so the corals you mentioned do they do good for starters?? I have to start researching because i know a little less than nothing
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Hold off on the Xenia until the tank matures a bit. It will work great but not until the tank gets older. Mushrooms, Zoanthids, Kenya, are all fine. Careful which leathers you add, most get really big really fast.
 
threed240

threed240

Member
Originally Posted by blizz75
, zoos only!!! i dont want to bring the temp. up to 95 degrees and melt anythig!
That and i dont think i could bring myself to spend the extra $300.

, you could put them higher up, like about 8-10 inches off the water. I know that doesn't help with the $300 problem though. Although there are people selling lights all the time. I got both my 175w's pendants for $200 with new bulbs.
 
chipmaker

chipmaker

Active Member
Get a coralife quad bulb 96 watt fixture. Perfect for a 10 gal and then some tank, and provide lots of light. If you look around they can be had for under $90 online.
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
First of all thank you all for responding
Bang Guy i heard that xenia are hard to care for is this true? Or are there just certain ones that are?
Many have mentioned to do a 96w fixture instead of the 40w. I am new to reefing and so dont want anything to hard to care for. What corals would i be able to keep w/ the 96w that are easy that i couldnt with the 40w?
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
If i was to do the 96w, would a 10g system be able to support a brain coral?
And also are there any corals that do not get along? that may sound stupid but, do any sting eachother or eat each other?
and is lighting affective through those glass covers made by All-Glass??
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Xenia are not very hard to care for. They do need a mature tank in most cases. Heteroxenia is an exception but I doubt you can get any of those unless you live near me.
All corals will compete for space. If you put them next to each other they will fight, if they touch they will damage/destroy each other. These are the challenges of a small reef.
 
g13

g13

Member
Originally Posted by blizz75
If i was to do the 96w, would a 10g system be able to support a brain coral?
I have a 96W aqualight fixture also and will be adding a maze brain soon. As far as I've seen it'll be fine under the 96W of pc.
By the way I purchased my fixture for $84/without shipping. If you can't find a better deal than that pm me and I'll let you know where to go. pipn8ez13@comcast.net
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
Bang Guy, if i add corals to different rocks will this keep them from damaging each other?
G13, thanks thats about the price im looking at as well
All i wanted were zoos but now im getting excited

So if i do the 96w fixture can i keep some zoos, pulsing xenia, and a brain coral or would that overstock my tank? Do corals add to your bio-load?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by blizz75
Bang Guy, if i add corals to different rocks will this keep them from damaging each other?
It depends on the specific corals. I've seen many LPS produce long stingers to kill other corals.
 
blizz75

blizz75

Member
Alright,
I have started looking and have found alot of corals that interest me. Is there a limit to haow many you can keep i was thinking about 5. ( as far as bio-load) Ive seen your tank, which is amazing by the way, and you have quite a few. Would it be hard to maintain 5 frags in a 10g with a pair of clowns?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
5 frags is fine but, again, it depends on the specific corals.
I kept the Clowns in the 10 for about a year. They started to outgrow the nano. If you can find some Percula then I believe a pair will work well, mine were Ocellaris and they need a little bit more room. Remember, mine were babies when I added them, about 1/2".
 
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