How much light is correct?

[Lauramichelle]

I have a 20 gal tall. Coral and CUC only. I currently have 2 Marineland Reef Capable lighting fixtures (White & Blue) for "Daylight" hours. I have 2 Stunner strips (445 nm blue) and 2 Stunner strips (magenta/453 nm Blue) for "dawn & dusk".
My question is:
Can I get away with using only 1 of the Marineland fixtures? Daylight and dusk/dawn are on timers, but the marinelands are set to white/blue. For blue only, I would need to manually flip the switches.
I don't wish to hurt my corals by blasting them with light or starving them for it.
Thank you

 

[zachfishman]

I'm not familiar with the Marineland fixtures, are they T5 or LED? You already pump a lot of lue wavelength in with your stunner strips (corals must really glow in there). If the Marinelands are 2x24" T5 or the equivalent amount in LED (whatever that is), you could easily get by with just one.

 

[kieffer_5]

i used the marineland leds for awhile and i dont think they would do anything in a tall tank. i wouldnt use them for more then a 12in depth personally
the stunner strips are a much better light better off to use t5s and a single stunner for a little boost imo

 

[Entropy]

For a 20 tall I think you could get away with one no problem. Are you trying to sell the other one? If not, you could always use one for white, and the other for blue. Kind of an expensive solution, but since you have already spent the money it is doable.

 

[jarrodsanborn]

Imho, run all of the leds you mentioned 8 hrs a day, and 1 actinic for 1 extra hour. The lights you mentioned are not that powerful, even with 2 of them, and the stunners.
My store runs 3 reef capables on a 24x 24x 18 for softies and lps. Still not enough .....just my opinion.