lighting!

[ihugmyfish]

So, I already have a FOWLR and am looking to start a reef tank.

I am stuck deciding between two different tanks... the first tank comes with a lighting system that is 3.75WPG and the second is 4WPG. Will the difference of wattages between the two tanks matter that much?? Should I just go for the tank with 4 watts per gallon?

 

[joseney21]

go for DIY led lighting and cut that wpg down by more than half!!! lol

 

[SevTT]

So, I already have a FOWLR and am looking to start a reef tank.

I am stuck deciding between two different tanks... the first tank comes with a lighting system that is 3.75WPG and the second is 4WPG. Will the difference of wattages between the two tanks matter that much?? Should I just go for the tank with 4 watts per gallon?

WPG is a really, really poor way to estimate how good a light is. What size tank? What light fixtures?

 

[motortrendz]

and what type of corals do you plan on keeping....

 

[ihugmyfish]

Well, this is the first tank I was looking at.. (12 gallon Nano Cube Deluxe)

http://www.marinedepot.com/JBJ_12_Gallon_Nano_Cube_Deluxe_Aquarium_with_%282%29_Nite_Vu_LED_Moonlights_Nano_Cube_Aquariums_Tanks-JBJ_Lighting-JB7111-FIAQNCNT-JB7133-vi.html


and here is the second... (28 gallon)

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3730+21183&pcatid=21183


I want to start out with a compact type of tank.... and once I get more comfortable in the reef aspect of SW I could probably do more with tank upgrades and things like that.

 

[ihugmyfish]

I'd like to keep Polyps, soft corals and LPS.

All of the sites selling corals have lighting requirements so.... how exactly do I determine what is considered "high" lighting and what is "low" lighting?

 

[motortrendz]

lets start with tank dimensions.. now that we know u want softies and lps.. and well see where to go from there..

 

[ihugmyfish]

oh wait.. I posted links to the sites that the aquariums were on.. but I guess that's not allowed...

anyway, the first tank is a 12 Gallon NanoCube Deluxe
"Includes (2) 24 watt CF lamps with a durable (Fulham, UL Approved) remote electronic ballast w/ disconnect cable. Offered with our powerful 50/50 lamps for marine tanks and 6500K daylight for plant tanks."


The second is a 28 gallon Nano Cube
"The integrated hood features a brilliant 105 watt quad compact fluorescent lamp for 3.75 watts of light per gallon. This 10,000?K/7,100?K combo lamp offers a smart solution for high intensity light output while minimizing unwanted heat generation."


Both are pretty popular tanks... but just wanted to see if you all thought the WPG mattered since it's being said that WPG isn't a good way to determine light quality!

 

[motortrendz]

id go with the 28g and i blieve you can do a diy led upgrade on them.. but you should have no problems with softies and lps.. jist with lps you may have to supliment by target feeding..

 

[ihugmyfish]

excellent! So, no upgrade and I should be able to have softies and LPS with the 28g? Target feeding won't be a problem

Thanks for your help! Expect to see me around asking stupid questions!