Is my light sufficient?

[GregJames]

I currently have a 30gal under a USA-Current Pro light, and I was curious if this is efficient enough for coral. I bought the light when I planned on going fish only, but I've caught the coral bug already... I'm extremely new to aquariums go bare with me..


If it isn't enough, would adding a second one be sufficient?

[shortcake]

honestly, probably not. Some species may survive but they won't thrive like you want them to. IMO lighting is the most important factor when it comes to coral, ok maybe outside of water parameters lol. I would go with some T5 lighting or strong LED's depending on the coral you want to grow. If you want sps...I highly recommend halide (what I use) but T5 or LED can still definitely work!

[shifty51008]

You will likely be ok with softies and zoas but those lights arent very strong.

[mrbigshot]

corals will survive lower light far longer than to much light. i would stick with very low light corals like kenya trees , clove polyps, green star polyps and some basic zoas and palys. don't get to crazy buying uber high end zoas and plays though because they will almost always morph into something different under lesser lighting. eagle eyes will lose the yellow tentacles but the center will sometimes go to a brighter yellow bust under higher lighting and turn to a fugly brown under lower lighting. its common.

maybe think of supplementing it with some cheap t5ho's? otherwise a used light might not to much if you really do want to start getting into corals.

[Ron Reefman]

If your 30g tank is only 12" deep, you are probably OK for zoas, softies and even lps. I wouldn't try sps, but it's possible.

However, if your tank is deeper, get a better light. And adding a second crap fixture isn't a solution. The leds are 0.5 watts and just don't penetrate the water like a 3 watt led. Even the Current website shows they have almost no penetration below 18". They say you can still grow corals with weak PAR numbers, but the reality is, you can't.

If you can afford to start growing corals, you should be able to afford a good fixture for under $150 (maybe as low as $90). It will just be the first of many wads of cash you will find yourself spending once the coral hook is set.

Good luck. BTW, I started with a 30g ten years ago. Today I have a 180g sps/lps reef, 75g hexagon Gorgonian tank (in process), 65g shallow reef and a 25g frag tank that is usually fuller than I would like.

[GregJames]

What are some brands that you would suggest?

[Ron Reefman]

Anybody made by EverGrow like ReefBreeders & OceanRvive. MarsAqua gets pretty good reviews.