JoeSmo

OK how am I gonna light 10 gallon sutiable for corals? All the lights I see are for 20+ gallons. And how many Wats per Gallon do I need? I've heard about 3-4 for moderate light corals. Thanks!

10gallonmadness

Well your gonna need a lot. What kind of coral are you planning on keeping? Some like different types of lighting.

JoeSmo

I'm planning on soft coral. Not sure what kind yet. Stuff like this:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...12&pcatid=2412
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...454&pcatid=454
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...39&pcatid=2139
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...97&pcatid=2597
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...64&pcatid=2564
So how do I light this tank?

pepetj

I figure that 22" 24W T5HO fluorescent could be an easy solution. Consider four to six lamps so you can keep the moderate light corals you aim to keep. Of course if you can go with Metal Halide then...

For keeping corals the thing is to combine adequate light spectrum and intensity (achieving the right enough intensity peaks at the right frequencies). Of course the species of corals can make their care and demands different at specific parameters.

I'll see what I can find on the ones you plan to keep and I'll be back at you.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

10gallonmadness

+1 for Pepetj

JoeSmo

Thanks Pepe!

pepetj

The info on each coral species is rated in a 1 to 10 scale, 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest. Taken from Julian Sprung (1999), Corals a quick reference guide, Ricordea Publishing, FL.

p.173: Capnella species, a Soft Coral. Quite hardy (9), usually non-aggressive (3), withstand a wide range of light (2-10) and water flow as long it's not extreme (2-8).
Placement: bottom, middle, top.

pp.102-103: Caulastrea species, Hard Corals. Quite hardy (9), somewhat aggressive (4), handles a wide range of light (3-9) as well as water flow (2-9).
Placement: bottom, middle, top.

p.171. Stereonephthya, a Soft Coral. Not so hardy, not so delicate (5), tends to be non-aggressive (3), somewhat flexible in lighting needs (3-9), requires moderate to strong water flow (5-9).
Placement: middle.

pp. 30-31. Montipora species, a Hard Coral. Moderately hardy (6), non-aggressive (2), prefers mild-to-moderate lighting (3-8), and low to moderate water flow (1-6).
Placement: bottom, middle, top.

Based on this information, I believe that your lighting needs are not in the high end. Your tank size, however could be a problem for keeping all these species together, please seek advice from experienced reef-keepers.

Note that all but the Stereonephthya, which needs to be placed in the middle zone of the tank, can be placed anywhere you wish.

The Stereonephthya and the Montipora species are less hardy than the others, and only the Caulastrea species seem to pose a problem due to inter-coral aggression.

I honestly believe that with four F24T5HO lamps you should be able to make it. If it were my tank I would likely mix two actinic with two 10,000K lamps.

Then again, I'm a newby in reef-keeping, so confirm my feedback with the experienced ones.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

JoeSmo

Thanks so much Pepe! You went above and beyond the call of duty. I will find some more experienced advice too, as you said, but all the info you found really helps! Thanks so much again, and thanks for doing all that for me