Enough Lights for BTA?

[stevetcg]

I have a 20L housing my tomato pair. Its been running now for 4 months and is pretty stable. I plan on adding some additional filtration (HOB Fuge/Skimmer). After that is stable, I want to add in a BTA for my clowns.

CUrrently I have 2x65w PCs with nights - 1 10k and 1 true actinic.

There is about 25 lbs of LR and 40 lbs LS.

Is that enough light and assuming the filtration keeps the nitrates low, enough filtration?

I dont really have the room for a full sump system here.

 

[stealle]

I dunno. Do you have quite a bit of LR in there? I'm sure the BTA will want to be close to the surface if that's all the light you can offer. I think you'd be better off with about 4 T5 bulbs over the tank, but I know that means $

 

[lougotzz]

Thats about double to stock lighting on a 29g biocube. I housed a rbta in a biocube for a few months, when I moved it to a differnet tank under T-5 lighting there was a noticable difference in the anemone. I was able to keep it under those lights though. I would think you could.

 

[garygb]

Yes, two 65-watt PC on a 20 gallon is enough for E. quadricolor. I personally would go with two daylights, as the actinic is not valuable photosynthetically. Some people like the asthetics of the blue light, but I like the shallow water, daylight look myself.

 

[stevetcg]

Yes, two 65-watt PC on a 20 gallon is enough for E. quadricolor. I personally would go with two daylights, as the actinic is not valuable photosynthetically. Some people like the asthetics of the blue light, but I like the shallow water, daylight look myself.

Excellent point. Im not a fan of the actenic either, but Ive always read that you should have it. If it doesnt help the nem (and this is a clown/nem tank) then im happy to ditch it.

Can you make a recommendation? Just a second 10k?

 

[stevetcg]

I dunno. Do you have quite a bit of LR in there? I'm sure the BTA will want to be close to the surface if that's all the light you can offer. I think you'd be better off with about 4 T5 bulbs over the tank, but I know that means $

There are spots in the tank that the nem would be able to get within 6 inches of the light if it chose.

 

[garygb]

Yes, 10000K would be great. If you don't mind the slight yellow of 6700K, that would actually be even better in terms of PAR. You could mix 10000K and 6700K, too. The value of actinic is the florescence it brings out in your corals, they glow. Deeper water cnidaria that are accustomed to bluer light and lower PAR are more appropriate choices for tanks with a heavy blue look. On the other hand, BTAs range from shallow to moderate deep, so will tolerate a wide range of light and PAR values. In a 20 gallon, with two 65-watt PCs you would be okay with one daylight and one actinic, but for faster growth and a more shallow water look, go with the daylights.