20Long reef lighting for anemone

[Gordonious]

<DD>I am trying to decide what lighting would be best for a 20long reef tank. When I say best what I mean is first a little more then the animals would require and secondly affordable. I am on an undergrad college student’s budget, so I will have to see if it is doable or not. I am fine for DIYS as long as it doesn’t involve reinventing the light bulb. I’m hoping for a DIYS where someone can tell me the exact parts to order. I don’t mind ordering for a couple of different places and putting it all together and my brother is going to help me build a wooden hood for what ever I end up with.
<DD> I would like to keep an anemone that an anemone crab could host in and possibly two so a clown could host as well. The type of anemone is still being debated on <A HREF="http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=912863">here</A>. If possible I would like to keep some sort of brightly colored clam, probably not a Maxima due to the size of the tank, but that is just if the difference in lighting costs for just anemone setup or anemone +clam setup isn’t to great. I am hoping it won’t take too much as the anemone and other corals will be just inches below the water and not in a deep 100g tank.
<DD> One option may be just a bright light on one side to be able to support the anemone and then just viewing light on the other half of the 20, but let me know what you guys think.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

If you are on a budget, I would recommend some Retrofit T5 HOs. This would be very cheap lighting a tank that small. It would cost as much or cheaper than VHOs or PCs, run cooler, and be brighter so you can keep other various light dependant animals.

 

[Gordonious]

What are all the parts I would need to purchase? Ballasts? Reflectors? Bulbs? Mounting Brackets? .... Any general estimate of how much a set up like this would cost?
Would MH be better? Like waht about this one: http://www.hellolights.com/15hlmhrekith.html

 

[Amphiprion]

Do whichever one works best for you. The more commonly kept anemones will do well under pc, vho, t5 or metal halides (assuming you have enough of a particular style of lighting). What I would be more concerned with is that practically all 'host' anemone species available will outgrow that tank in a relatively short amount of time.

 

[Gordonious]

I have been trying to ask about that. How long do you think I could keep them in a 20? Could a somehow keep them small enough? I have a 40g Breeder which I could upgrade to in a couple of months if needed, but would the same sort of lighting be able to move to that tank? Like if I were to put the anemone high in the tank on some supported LR and then just lit the rest of the tank enough for viewing...

 

[nickterp]

I would suggest at least T5's or a halide for an anemone. I think the link you posted above would be totally enough light for that size tank.

Only thing is most anemones will outgrow a 20. I would just suggest waiting on anemones and clams until you are ready to to get the bigger system with the real nice lighting. Go for simple stuff now that do fine on PC lighting like: zoanthids, mushrooms, xenias, etc, you can get some real cool stuff that way.

Thing about getting an anemone now with minimum requirements for equipment..... is you'll be unhappy with how its doing, you'll feel unsettled about it and you'll want to upgrade. If i were you, just wait until AFTER you upgrade then get the anemone .

Good luck!

 

[Gordonious]

The 40g will be up in a matter of months, weeks possibly, just need to get it drilled and get my sump assembled. I have trouble spend a large amount of money when I can spend a little more and get what I really want.

 

[Gordonious]

For T5s, VHOs, and such could I go with a 24" held above the tank, or would I likly need to do 30"? (does it look horrible to have 24"?)