Lighting Needs - Bare Minimum

[Dee]

We're having a tough time financially and my husband said we needed to sell some of our salt water stuff. So I figured the light was pretty expensive and we don't need that MH for anything right now I don't think, so I'd start with that. Before I do, I need to know what I could get away with on the tank to keep things alive.

Most of what I have are just soft corals, a few anenomes (sebae and 2 bubble tips), zoas, shrooms. We have the Coralife light with the 2 175W (I think...I know it's not the 250W) MH's and the 4 (I believe) 96W actinics.

Our tank is almost a cube design...120 reef ready...like 2 feet from top to bottom...I think 2ft x 2ft x 18". I do have two T5's that I had on a fish only set up...and a coralife strip light...not sure of the wattages yet, but figured I'd find out what would be the minimim I'd need for this tank so that when I get home I can check everything out.

Help and advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Dena

[RayAllen]

You could go T5s and VHOs no problem. We have come to find out its not really wattage per gallon but how you use the lighting you have. Although I think for what you have id go with at least 4-5watts per gallon minimum.

With that said in this hobby once something is used you rarely get anything close to what you may have paid for it. So basically if you paid $400 for your lights you might get lucky and get half of that back which you would turn around and spend on more lights anyways; so is it really worth selling?

[Kyle46N]

Good point Ray. Also, like Ray mentioned, of your listed animals, the anemones need the most light. I don't know if they would make it with power compacts. T5's would be fine, but you would end up paying more for all the T5's you would need, than what you could sell your halides for.

[jrsatx20]

I've been able to keep lta and a carpet anenome under pc lights

[Dee]

I've already got at least two T5's...and then one or two PC's. I just don't know the wattage because my husband bought those. They aren't being used. We paid about $800 for the light no more than a year ago. We replaced the MH with20K's that are about 4mths old, actinics should be replaced soon though. Did a quick search and this is the light we currently have (48", incuding the cabels to hold and a pully system):

http://www.aquacon.com/coralifehalides.html

I obviously wouldn't sell it if the lights I have won't have enough watts per gallon. I can find that out tonight...just want to make sure that what I have in there could live under the type I want to put up. So if the anenomes can do well under T5's then we should be all set. Most of the corals are positioned mid-way in the tank with zoas being the lowest. The anenomes are midway if not a little higher.

I'll also be going through the closet because we have a lot of odds and ends...probably won't get much, but anything I can do to keep the tank is worth it.

Dena