Lighting options for a 29 Gallon Reef

[JimFitz]

I'm setting up a 29 gallon reef tank...30 inches wide by 18 inches deep and 12 inches front to back.

The canopy is open in the back and is 6 inches high.

I plan to keep mostly LPS and soft corals like shrooms, GSP, yellow polyps, zoos, etc.

I probably wont keep any SPS or clams in this tank but one never knows.

I am thinking of going with PC lighting, but am not sure just how much light I will need.

As of now I was thinking of going with 3 x 55 watt Power Compacts. Bulbs would be 1-actinic 03, 1-10,000K and 1-10,000K/actinic 03 combo bulb. The actinic 03 bulb will be on its own ballast and timer for dawn/dusk cycle.

Will this be enough light for what a currently plan to keep?

Should i decide to keep SPS, Clams, or anenmoes what would there lighting requirements be on this tank and would the higher lighting required for the SPS, Clams, etc. be detrimental to my lower light animals that I am already keeping.

All replies welcome. THe lights have to be the single most difficult decision to make when setting up a tank. I don't want to make a mistake!

Thanks

 

[Justin_NY]

on the 29 gallon i would prefer just using 3 55 watt light for lps and soft coral. but for sps and clams i prefer going with 220 pc . that what i do with a 25 gallon tank. i use 220 watt pc and my sps coral and coral happy

 

[JimFitz]

Thanks for the reply Justin. Do you find that 220 is too bright for any of the soft corals. The PC retro lights I am buying would be able to take up to 4 ? 55watt bulbs but I worried that it might be too intense for my lower light animals like mushrooms and zoo polyps.

Also what color bulbs are you running? 50/50?s, actinic 03?s, 10,000K?s

Thanks

Jim

 

[House of Laughter]

Fitz,

I have a 30 gallon with dual 96,s one 50/50 bulb and one 10,000 k actinic

I have some sps and 4 clams - one untra max, one baby max, one crocea (who ust grew another layer) and one squamosa wwhich is doing well.

I have limited my SPS to low light sps (like digitate etc and am not planning on getting anything exotic on the SPS front - I also have blue, red, green and purple mushrooms, a colt coral, brown waving hand star polyps GSP
s out the wazoo, some encrused and branshing gorgoniams, capnella trees etc.

All doin well, and fragging (keeps me employed JK

Hope this helps.

House