BTA for my tank lighting?

[jaimz]

Hello!

 

I was also planning on getting an Anemone and have heard that a BTA is my best bet a 20G and also for compatibility with my two False Per. Clowns.

 

I have a great deal of space in front of the tank with roughly 2" substrate (crushcoral and livesand). There is 16lbs of Live rock in the tank including a fire shrimp and two soft corals.

 

The only skeptical thing about my setup is my lighting. My parents got me the light as a gift, it is a - 50/50 65W / 10.000K on my 24' tank. I know that this light is just slightly above the minimum required lighting rule of thumb (3-5W per G), but further research has shown me that that rule of thumb does not as accuralely depict smaller tanks? Is this enough light for an anenome?

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks,

 

James

[reefdan]

i don't really understand your post but i have a BTA under 64w in my aquapod 24 and it's doing fine. it's expanded itself about 6 or so inches from the light. i've had it for months (3+).

 

if you have 65w you might be okay but i don't think that's what you were trying to say. more important than watts/gallon is the depth of the BTA from the light. if you have a really deep tank, you're going to need a lot of light.

 

good luck and welcome to nano-reef -a magical land where people generally don't bite your head off (unless you're trying to put mandarins or tangs in a nano).

[Tentacles]

I think youd need about twice that lighting for a 20g with a bta (unless its close to the top like said above^), 130w pc would be better for 20 gallons, my bta is in my 10g with 80w PC. Also something to consider, bta's are not false percs natural host anemones(large/giant sea anemones are, and not really at all practical for a nano ), bta's are more popular with clowns such as maroons, so you would probably have just as much a chance that they host a powerhead or nothing at all versus the bta, and you would need a pretty mature tank to keep an anemone healthy, how old is yours? If you could get a 2nd 65w fixture and the tanks levels are all good Id say go for it. If your out to get somethin for your clowns to host though, you could try frogspawn or hammer coral or xenia or some big shrooms or something like that, just as much a chance theyd take to those. Good luck!

[jaimz]

i don't really understand your post but i have a BTA under 64w in my aquapod 24 and it's doing fine. it's expanded itself about 6 or so inches from the light. i've had it for months (3+).

 

if you have 65w you might be okay but i don't think that's what you were trying to say. more important than watts/gallon is the depth of the BTA from the light. if you have a really deep tank, you're going to need a lot of light.

 

good luck and welcome to nano-reef -a magical land where people generally don't bite your head off (unless you're trying to put mandarins or tangs in a nano).

 

Ah!

 

I understand, so basically if I am tempted to give an Anenome for my false perc. to host in then with my lighting im going to need a flat area at the top of my rockwork for the anenome to find a suitable place to stay? I need something that will not quickly outgrow my 20G!!

 

I have based my research of compatability through this source:

 

http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/o...s%2F032698.html

[Tentacles]

that site just shows a bunch of cmmercials for me, but heres an anemone list if you want: http://www.seaprovisions.com/clownfish.html type the scientific name int google and presto.....i have a bta for my maroons and have only seen false percs host in bta's once, but its possible of course

[jaimz]

that site just shows a bunch of cmmercials for me, but heres an anemone list if you want: http://www.seaprovisions.com/clownfish.html type the scientific name int google and presto.....i have a bta for my maroons and have only seen false percs host in bta's once, but its possible of course

 

So maybe I'd be better going with a smaller blue carpet anenome or a haddoni?

 

My tank has almost been running for only 4 months so I don't plan to make this introduction anytime soon. I just really had my sites set on having an anenome for my clowns and I really don't want to listen to what the LFS has to say about anything... as soon as I mention that I have a 20G reef system they think I'm crazy!!