Lighting Newbie

Hi I am new to this whole sea water thing. And I have a question about lighting. I am planning on buying 20 gallon today, but what type of lighting would you guys recommand? I am planning on making it pretty with couple of corals not too much since im in tight budget. And with like 2-5 fish.

 

Probably looking at some t5s or power compacts if your on a budget. The length of your tank will determine your light. Do you have the 20long, 20high, or 20 standard? Or just let me know how long your tank it.

 

Im bearly planning out the things I need first. Most likley I will be shooting for 10-30 gallon tanks. So im not sure about the size yet. Sorry

 

Bigger the better. But the bigger the more expensive. More rock, more sand, more light. 20 are decent size to start with and you can fill it up fairly cheap. Try looking for things second hand, best way to save money. Craigslist or local reef clubs for your city would be a great place to start. A lot of people sell the entire setups for insanely cheap prices.

T5s are the new thing. PCs are decent for small tanks. Halides are more expensive and create a lot of heat and not necessary for a starter tank. Decide on your tank, then go for lighting.

 

Do you know what type of corals you want to keep? That will determine what the best type of light will be for your tank. T5 high output lights are a good all-around light that should let you keep almost anything though.

I would recommend against buying the tank until you have all of your equipment planned out. You never know what you might run into that might be too limiting or might change your overall plan.

Take it slow and plan it all out, patience is the most important thing with reef tanks. Good luck!

 

Im not sure what type of coral i want. Anything cheap i guess..Since I am on a tight budget.

 

i would just go for pc's..20 gallon longs are fairly shallow so light reaching the bottom wont be much of a problem..i had pc's up until recently and i kept softies/lps and a few sps and my tank is almost twice as deep as a 20 gallon long..