I have a minibow 5 that has been running for 6 months and is doing great. I have a 2X20 watt nova extreme on it with the new SLR's. I am wondering if the the 40 watts will still be sufficient on a ten gallon tank. I'm keeping it small because I move a lot. On the minibow 5 I am getting 8 watts per gallon and if I moved to a normal 10gal it would lower to 4 watts per gallon. I wasn't always a believer in the watts per gallon ratio so I'd like some of your opinions. Thanks in advance! (FYI the nova extreme is the smallest T5 HO out there)
Another Lighting Opinion Check
- Thread starter Mitsuko
- Start date
Young Reefer 03
New member
WPG doesnt matter when you get into more advanced corals. i thnk it would be fine, it would be a 100% from me if it had individual reflectors.
cloakerpoked
New member
^ +1
Watts Per Gallon is a nice rule of thumb if you're just starting out, and not really looking too much more into it, but a lot has to do with the reflector and type of light. There's a reason why you're better off with 400w MH than anything else on a deep tank. On a shallow tank, T-5 may actually be more intense across the entirety of the surface of the tank due to their shape, and the fact that MH gives you more of a pinpoint. Not sure what the footprints of the minibow and your 10g are, but the depth should be about the same. You'll get the same intensity light underneath your fixture, but the edges, where the 10g picks up its extra volume, will be less intense...
Watts Per Gallon is a nice rule of thumb if you're just starting out, and not really looking too much more into it, but a lot has to do with the reflector and type of light. There's a reason why you're better off with 400w MH than anything else on a deep tank. On a shallow tank, T-5 may actually be more intense across the entirety of the surface of the tank due to their shape, and the fact that MH gives you more of a pinpoint. Not sure what the footprints of the minibow and your 10g are, but the depth should be about the same. You'll get the same intensity light underneath your fixture, but the edges, where the 10g picks up its extra volume, will be less intense...
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