lighting question!

[txstud3231]

hey im about to keep my first reef tank and i know everything i need to know, but i have had some controversal suggestions on the amount of lighting im going to need. i am setting up a twenty five gallon mini reef and i have 2 36 watt 50/50 powercompacts. you think this is enough or too much..

 

[lutefisk]

The question about what kind of corals you keep is critical.
2 x 36 is a starting point. It certainly won't be too much. Go for three or four 36's and you'll be in good shape.
I had 2 x 55 over a 30 until recently and soft corals and mushrooms did fine. I had a frog spawn near the surface that was very happy.
The person who had the tank before me had two NO flourecents on it. The corals were barely hanging on. The first thing I did was to upgrade the lighting. Everything began growing immediatly.
Paul