Anemone and coral lighting

wondering if anyone can guide me to the lighting that is required for corals and or anemone. at this time i have marine glo 40w

 

Depends on how deep your tank is and what type of corals and anemones.
Some anemones need strong Metal Halide lighting, while others can get by on lower light and meaty foods.

 

my tank is 22" deep, i picked up a clown fish today and i feel bad for it because i didnt pick up a anemone...thinking of picking an anemone tomorrow but i am not sure how to proceed

 

I used to have an anemone, but I decided I like the corals better and returned the anemone. They change shapes and move around too much and just freak you out. 22" is deep and you'd probably want at least T5 or MH.

 

noted on your suggestion, would clown fish like coral instead of anemone

 

Clown fish do not need an anemone by any means to be happy. Even if you get one, there is a good chance they won't host in it anyways

 

i see, coral it is but would i still need better lighting for that? i put the black light today and it only holds 1 bulb...i really didnt want to go out and purchase an entire new lighting system

 

thats true clowns dont need a anemone., but i dont know if its a good chance, but theres a chance it wont.

anemones kinda make clowns boring all they do is obsessively rub on it. especially if you buy a small anemone

 

If you want to have coral you want something more than just 40W. A good T5 fixture could set you back anywhere from $200-$300, MH a little bit more expensive.

Do you have any idea on what kind of corals you wish to have?

 

they will host a coral instead, i had a maroon and damsel that hosted zoas.
but its really up to the individual fish if it will host a coral or not.

most corals should have around 4 wpg. if you want stony corals i would recommend Metal halide or t5. if you want soft corals i would recommend t5 or power compact(power compact is out dated though, and doesnt do well in a deep tank.) most anemones probably should have t5