do i really need a new light fixture.

i have a ten gallon tank that i am wanting to make a frag tank out of. it is only 10.5 inches deep so its not that deep. i have a T-8 light fixture with an actinic and a regular light bulb. would that be ok for corals? it is around 20W for each bulb so 40W total. is that ok?

well guys your all a big help even you oceanparadise lol thanks to all in advance.

 

What kind of corals are we talking here.

 

i dont get what the big difference is between T-5 and T-8 lighting. this fixture that i have has 40 watts. the other T-5 light fixture has 36 watts. if it has more light isnt it better? well i was planning on any coral in there but prob not a clam if there wasnt enough light for it. but i just dont get what the difference is between the two lights.

 

I think it has to do with the depth that the light can penetrate. You get a different light for the t-5 than t-8. But I'm not 100% on that, I'm sure someone can tell you for sure on here. I have seen threads on this before.

 

yea i know that depth would be a problem and this tank is onyl 10,5 inches deep so i dont think it would be a problem. just want to make sure though.

 

Most of your softies and lps should be fine. Not sure about any sps though unless you get them closer to the light. Certainly not your harder sps and a clam would be out of consideration if I were to try it.

 

The regular T5's are for mainly freshwater aquariums and are not what most reefers use for saltwater clams, but its the T5 High Output that are wanted for clams and hard corals. Using regular T5 and T8 would not have enough lumens to support a healthy life of a growing clam. IMO, clams need T5 HO or Metal Halides. Go to home depot and get yourself some eggcrate and create steps. Place corals into the lowest level first and see how they react, if its not good, go higher until the corals look healthy and it opening up. I do the same thing for my frag tank. I start low then go up until they do not change appearance, then i go down a step. T5 should be fine for softies. I know that some of these lower wattage fixtures are better for zoanthids because it causes them to open up more, but not too low, photosynthesis is important for corals, and no two corals are the same, so do some testing for yourself.

 

i would get a new fixture, a cheap t5ho fixture will do wonders on a small tank like that!

 

yea i know it would be better to get a better light. all i really want are lps ( like frogspawn right?) and softies. there is a T-5 light set up i was looking at though. NOva Extreme T-5 SLR. i have heard mixed reviews and it is 3.6 watts per gallon. would that be ok for anything but clams? thanks in advance!

 

What type of setup??? LPS are a little harder than regular corals. Yes they do well under t5 HO but then again you got to make sure you have a stable environment, a good skimmer, good parameters such as ammonia, nitrates, magnesium, calcium, etc. Ohh and dont forget about flow, I learned that the hard way. There are much research to do (assuming that you are not aware already) about going straight to LPS. Do as much research as possible, it will help you in the long run with time, cost, and fustration. I just got started on LPS, and so far so good. The more time I spend on these forums the less mistake I make in the future.

- take it for what its worth