need a suggestion

[greg2424]

i want to get MH for my 35g any recommendations on the wattage I should be looking at.
I like to turn it into a reef tank

 

[texasmetal]

They're all going to tell you the first thing you have to do is answer this...
What kind of corals are you going to keep?
Different corals require different lighting. I'd just go with the maximum, and make overhangs of rock to make shadows for the lower lighting corals to sit underneath. I think the high-intensity requiring corals are like 8-10 watts per gallon... so for 35 gallons, you want about 350-400 watts. I haven't started messing with MH lighting yet so I can't help you there really.

 

[greg2424]

can you keep soft and hard together? what do I need to get 350-400 watts they dont make much for a 35 gallon

 

[eyebedam]

150 watts should be good. 400 is serious overkill. That puts you around 5 watts per gallon since some will be displaced by the amount of live rock your using.

 

[greg2424]

would i be able to put in hard corals

 

[wax32]

watts per gallon means nothing... how deep is this 35 gallon tank? A 175w pendant will be fine as long as it is 18" deep or less.

 

[greg2424]

its 18 inches deep

 

[wax32]

Go with a light that has a 175w MH bulb and some PC or VHO fluorescents if you like the added color.