Watts per Gallon, Lumens per Gallon & Kelvins

breezy05 · 12/01/2008, 06:58 PM

I'm new to this stuff and was wondering whats the general rule of thumb for keeping a tank stocked with corals, fish and annenome?

grigsy · 12/01/2008, 10:39 PM

To keep it simple, a simple rule of thumb for a reef tank is 3 - 5 watts of light per Gallon. If you are using halide alone, you may want to use a higher Kelvin metal halide bulb such as a 14K or a 20K. That type of bulb will eliminate the need for additional actinics and draw out more of the fluorescent color from the fish and corals. They have a nice actinic look to them. If you have supplimental fluorescents, such as blue VHO bulbs, I would suggest using a 10K halide bulb which is more white in color. The 10K in most cases will also give you better coral growth and be better for hard corals.

Talk to your local fish & reef store if you have one near. They should be able to help you pick out a lighting system that suites your needs.

12/01/2008, 06:58 PM	#1
breezy05 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 4	Watts per Gallon, Lumens per Gallon & Kelvins I'm new to this stuff and was wondering whats the general rule of thumb for keeping a tank stocked with corals, fish and annenome?

12/01/2008, 10:39 PM	#2
grigsy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 2,307	To keep it simple, a simple rule of thumb for a reef tank is 3 - 5 watts of light per Gallon. If you are using halide alone, you may want to use a higher Kelvin metal halide bulb such as a 14K or a 20K. That type of bulb will eliminate the need for additional actinics and draw out more of the fluorescent color from the fish and corals. They have a nice actinic look to them. If you have supplimental fluorescents, such as blue VHO bulbs, I would suggest using a 10K halide bulb which is more white in color. The 10K in most cases will also give you better coral growth and be better for hard corals. Talk to your local fish & reef store if you have one near. They should be able to help you pick out a lighting system that suites your needs.