Best lighting for my 20 Gal nano

[blackcloudmedia]

Well my 20 gal is cycled and has 2 clowns, a yellow watchman, bluelegs, and a coral banded shrimp. They are all fat dumb and happy. I want to keep some softies in there and provide enough lighting for them. Right now I have the standard 18 watt bulb over the tank and that seems to be keeping some hitchhiker polyps and two mushroom corals happy. What lighting should I upgrade to in order to keep softys? I.E. leather corals, zenia, taro trees...etc. Or is the 18 watt enough for these guys (unlikely)
Its the standard 18" deep X24" wide 20 gal tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you looked at the LED threads around here? That might be a nice inexpensive alternative to the standard lighting.

 

[Anonymous]

+1 .

They make some spotlight type bulbs for ~$100 (IIRC) that look pretty slick!

 

[Anonymous]

Well my 20 gal is cycled and has 2 clowns, a yellow watchman, bluelegs, and a coral banded shrimp. They are all fat dumb and happy. I want to keep some softies in there and provide enough lighting for them. Right now I have the standard 18 watt bulb over the tank and that seems to be keeping some hitchhiker polyps and two mushroom corals happy. What lighting should I upgrade to in order to keep softys? I.E. leather corals, zenia, taro trees...etc. Or is the 18 watt enough for these guys (unlikely)
Its the standard 18" deep X24" wide 20 gal tank.

Cheap but effective? A 2 bulb t5 fixture. Better? A 4 bulb t5 fixture. Best? LEDs, but with a 24" wide tank they're fairly pricey for anything decent. A MAXspect g110 would work, but cost around $450. Although... hmm, two or possible three PAR38 LEDs would probably work really well (at around $125 each, plus you'll need some sort of screw-in light fixture to use them) albeit with a mild spotlighting effect.

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Awesome thanks guys! Now just need to scrounge up some cash. :lol:

 

[kdfrumda3]

ok i have the same tank as you and i just added a LTA ( long tenticle anemone) i have a clarki clown/ lawnmower blenny/and 2x fire gobies. i have two 18 watt 50/50 lights that look like they are providing enough light to the tank since i just added the second one today so its an upgrade compared to having just one. i would like to know if this will be sufficient for a few months in order to keep my anemone healthy and thriving. i have a powerhead moving 160 gph salinity is perfect no nitrates no amonia couldnt ask for better water quality tank has cycled twice killing two damsels in the process....lol ( i know, your wondering how i kill damsels...) the temp normally stays between 72-74 degrees farenheit. let me get some feedback. thanks in advance.