New Nano Reef Help

[Jpuzzo77]

Hello all. Just started to gather up all the new equiptment for a 20 gallon (24x16x12) nano reef. I have done some reading but i am still very confused as to what type of lighting i needed. I plan on eventually getting some coral (altough not the ones that need abundent lighting) and some smaller fish. What do you guys recommend?

 

From what i read i need ideally 100w (5w per gallon), but is that what is on during the day? I am a little confused because the 2x65w lights have a luner light and a regular light. Should the ideal 100w be one bulb or the two different lights combined? any help is extremely helpful, because i dont have the budget to buy the wrong stuff.

 

Thanks

Joe

[Cellenzweig]

That 2x65w light is 1x10000k daylight and 1xactinic. Both are used during the day. The actinic can be on for an hour or two before and after the 10000k to simulate dusk and dawn. The lunar lights, (aka moonlights) are blue LEDs and are used for night viewing and possibly to help corals spawn. (although I'm not convinced they do, unless you're actually adjusting the monlights to match the lunar cycle)

 

I use the 2x65w on my 10g and it's plenty of light. If you're only looking to keep less demanding corals, like zoos, shrooms, leathers, etc..., this light would be perfect.