Back in hobby, First nano, need help with lighting please

[Outlets710]

I used to have a 120gl w a maristar 2x250 hqi and 2 t5 bulbs, tank looked phenomenal. Well that was 4 years ago. I took a small leave of absence from the hobby and now that I have come back I see Leds at every LFS. However, I dont quit understand how to compare the two being that you cant compare watts to watts. I am starting back but only with a 20 gallon nano and I dont want to put a halide on it due to its location and lack of room for a ballast, plus I just think thats just an overkill considering i only plan on growing mainly LPS.
Question is what type of light do you guys suggest? would 2 24watt 25's be sufficient, I mean would I get any growth? The Leds look grt just a bit costly.Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if I did go with Leds how many watts would I need just for an lps tank and a tank of lps and sps?

 

[Agu]

[welcome]

Lighting nanos is hit or miss. You really need to look at posted pics to see what appeals to you.

 

[ange062]

48w of T5 is going to be on the low range, but IMO you would be successful with lower-light livestock like softies or some LPS.

For LED, I typically use a 2 x LEDwatt = MH/T5watt equivalency factor and this often gets you in the ballpark though it can vary quite a bit depending on driver, LED's, and optics used. If you want a "grow anything" tank then shoot for 6wpg, or 120w of T5/MH or ~60w of LED for your tank.

The Kessil A150w is a potent yet very affordable fixture that would work out great on your tank.

 

[OhioReefer88]

I have LED's on my NC6 and the coral growth is great. I was sceptical at first but after a short time i could really see the difference. They are costly but if you can find some at a good price i HIGHLY recommend them. But you might be able to get a little growth depending on what your keeping.

 

[Outlets710]

Thank you guys much for the advice

Thank you guys much for the advice

I was starting to get a little discouraged after I didnt get any replies all day, well thank everyone for their help.

Agu, I am a bit knew to RC where can I go to see pics of other nanos

Ange062 thank you much for the equivalency, that helped tremendously

 

[steely185]

If you are looking to check out the kessil you can take a look in my Mr. Aqua thread. I'm running a kessil 15k over an lps dominant tank. The color you get is fantastic and even better over lps. Check it out and I'll be happy to answer any questions.