too much light?

[omayra]

Hello people.

A friend has offered to build me a hood with a retrokit for more light. I have a 20 gall/high tank with a 96 watt pc. I want to add more actinic so things glow. He recommended the 2x55 watt pc to add to the 96w 50/50. That would put me just over 10w/gall....it seems to me that may be too much.....would you folks agree? I'm thinking it would be a good idea to add the 2x36w and be at around 8w/gall. Also, what bulbs should I add......the 96w is a 50/50 so should I add actinic only or a 10K and an actinic? I do love my tank but will the decisions and $$$$ ever end!!!!!!! You should also know that what I have in there are a bunch of mushrooms, some leathers, a candy cane, a torch and polyps. Thanks.

[schaferfred]

10w/gal would not be too much at all. I have 8w/gal over my 10 and alot of people have the 96 watt coralife fixture over their 10 = 9.6w/gal. Go for the extra lighting....I'm sure you will be pleased.

[ScottyDon't]

I have 2x65 on my 20h and it's extremely bright and just the right colors. I would say do a 10k 96w and 2x36w or 1x65w actinic (2x55w might be a bit much). But if you're insistent on getting more of a blue than you will have to increase the ratio of actinic. Now it's 50%. I wouldn't recommend this but to achieve that you could do 96w actinic and then 2x36w or 1x65w 10k. Now that I think about it the BEST option would probably be to get rid of the powerquad all together and get a 2x65w fixture. My 2 cents.