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childress5tyler
Guest
I currently have a 48 watt T5HO fixture in my 20 gallon high aquarium..i am also thinking about buying another fixture and doubling my wattage to 96 watts of T5HO..is this too much??
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Nope. I have a 96w T5HO fixture on my 20g high. I'm planning on an SPS dominated reef tank...
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childress5tyler
Guest
do you ever have algae problems because of lighting? obviously every tank is different but if you have any zoas, what is the growth rate on them? on a scale of 1-10
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
I do not have any algae problems at all. I run an algae scrubber in my 10g sump - and it keeps my tank spotless. I only have two snails and two hermit crabs. I keep my water really clean and my tank well fed with no water changes. So far, no problems.
In the past, I've had zoas under T5 lighting, and they seemed to do ok for themselves. I'm not really a big soft coral fan anymore. I do know, however, that some zoas like some meaty feedings. Protopalythoa even more so. If you feed your corals... they will grow. Lighting is only half the equation. You should look up an article titled "Reef Food" by Eric Borneman. It's a 6 part essay on reef nutrition, lighting, and natural reef conditions that I think you would find really interesting. It also gives you some information on how to control organic and inorganic nitrate and phosphate through natural means, and keeping coral food in the water column.
Each coral has a different feeding pattern and requirements. If you research the coral that you want to grow, then you will know what kind of water quality, feeding and lighting requirements it takes to grow those corals. If you want zoas to grow, I believe you already have decent lighting for zoas, xenia, mushrooms, and some leathers. Before you buy a new light, make sure you know what corals you want to keep and what their conditions are.
In the past, I've had zoas under T5 lighting, and they seemed to do ok for themselves. I'm not really a big soft coral fan anymore. I do know, however, that some zoas like some meaty feedings. Protopalythoa even more so. If you feed your corals... they will grow. Lighting is only half the equation. You should look up an article titled "Reef Food" by Eric Borneman. It's a 6 part essay on reef nutrition, lighting, and natural reef conditions that I think you would find really interesting. It also gives you some information on how to control organic and inorganic nitrate and phosphate through natural means, and keeping coral food in the water column.
Each coral has a different feeding pattern and requirements. If you research the coral that you want to grow, then you will know what kind of water quality, feeding and lighting requirements it takes to grow those corals. If you want zoas to grow, I believe you already have decent lighting for zoas, xenia, mushrooms, and some leathers. Before you buy a new light, make sure you know what corals you want to keep and what their conditions are.