Lighting Question

[kengaroo]

I am looking to start putting corals in my tank and the first thing that I need to do is get new lights. I haven't really decided on what kind of coral yet. I have a 46 gallon tank, 36 inches wide and 21 inches tall. I was wonder if T5 lights would be enough. I am looking to get the Current Nova Extreme T-5 which has 2 36 watt 10k daylight bulbs and 2 36 watt Actinic 460nm bulbs. Is this a good light or should I get a metal halide to play it safe since more light can't really hurt? Any other recommendations?
Also what is the difference between daylight and actinic bulbs? Do I turn them on all together or individually?

 

[mopar9012]

i would get probably more wattage of lighting than just waht you put for T5s.
im not really an expert on this but MH's, IMO, are the best, you can still keep corals with T5s and PCs just you are more limited than MH's.

 

[mopar9012]

i would probably get more wattage of lighting than just waht you put for T5s.
im not really an expert on this but MH's, IMO, are the best, you can still keep corals with T5s and PCs just you are more limited than MH's.

 

[kengaroo]

What is the guideline for coral (watts / gallon)?

 

[pontius]

Originally Posted by kengaroo
What is the guideline for coral (watts / gallon)?
the general recommendation is 5 watts per gallon. I would recommend getting a little more wattage than what you're talking about. BUT, I have used pc, T5, and MH. with T5 lights you should be able to keep soft corals and SOME of the easier stony corals. MH is by far the best, but will also drive your light bill up. the best advice is to determine exactly what kind of corals you want. if you want something really difficult like a clam, MH is best. but if you just want some of the more common corals, T5 should get the job done for you.
I had a leather, mushrooms, yellow star polyps, colt, and a condi anenome that all grew and spread like crazy under T5.