How much light is too much?

[rnoreef]

I have a 12 gallon eclipse like nano reef that i've had for about a month or two now. I was thinking about adding a 96watt quad pc light to it. Right now I have the stock 15w fixture with a 10k tube and I also shoehorned another 15w actnic tube in it. It looks pretty good now, but I still think it needs more light. Is 30W enough for a 12 gallon tank or should I go with the 96 watt?

 

[Anonymous]

A lot depends on what you're trying to keep.
Most of the limiting factors to lighting is heat, evaporation, size of fixture, your pocket book and electric bill.
Back in my wild and crazy days when I had money I tried 2000w over a 20 gal just to see what would happen. Looked nice, corals loved it, heat was prevented by plenty of fans, had a liitle bit of an algae problem, but my electric bill was outrageous.
What are you trying to keep?

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[rnoreef]

I wanted to keep a few softies and some lps. I had a plate coral and it just kept inflating itself no matter where I put it. Then it up and died one day. I checked the water and it was fine. I didn't know if I had too much or not enough light.

 

[Anonymous]

I was trying to set up a 2 gallon with one 175 watt metal halide, but my design failed due to heat

 

[Anonymous]

I'm telling ya, this little chiller called an Iceprobe, could really help with this situation in your nanos. Especially with acrylic tanks, just drill a 1.25" hole in the back and pop in the probe, and it can take your temp down up to 10 degrees in a ten gallon tank. I have one that keeps my 15-tall about 7 degrees below ambiant temperature. I put a fan on the tank when it gets really warm in the room, and I can keep the tank at 66 degrees (perfect for the species I have in there).

Note: I receive no compensation for this testimonial.