Is this enough light?

[crazy banana]

Is this enough light for heraticus magnifica? 24x24x24 or 30x24x20, havnt decided on tank size yet.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/ATI/Powermodule_Fixtures/24_inch__6x24W_Powermodule_T5_High-Output_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_by_ATI

[RLeclerc]

i believe it was 4 watts per gal. and i think the lady at my lfs said u can get away with 3 watts ve u keep it high in the tank :) good luck i have mine under 3.9 watts and it seem to be doing well

[NoBigDeal]

i believe it was 4 watts per gal. and i think the lady at my lfs said u can get away with 3 watts ve u keep it high in the tank :) good luck i have mine under 3.9 watts and it seem to be doing well

The watts per gallon rule of thumb should have never been made. There are way too many factors for this such as tank demensions, type of light, etc. 5 watts per gallon of PC is not the same as 5 watts per gallon of MH/T5. So please discard that rule of thumb.

crazy banana, have you kept anemones before? Heteractis Magnfica happens to be one of the most difficult anemones to keep in captivity. They require very precise conditions (intense lighting, lots of indirect flow, stability, a large tank and pristine water conditions).

If you really are set on getting a H. Magnifica, I would go for the 30x24x20 tank. The bigger the tank, the more room and more stability. Heteractis Magnifica prefer a rocky substrate to plant it's foot so prepare to have lots of live rock near the surface of the water for it to perch on. If this is your first anemone, I would advise against it and go with something else like a Bubble Tip anemone.

[crazy banana]

Yeah i've kept a lot of anemones before. Including H magnifica. Only thing is it was always under halide lighting. I took the tank down about a year ago becuase I got board of the hobby, now I am interested in starting up again. This is my first T-5 tank, so I have no idea what amount of lighting is accaptable. I know the watts per gallon rule is out dated.

I did just find a used acrylic tank, 48x18x20 for sale. It is rimless, so I may get the same fixture, except it would be 4' long, 6 bulb, 54 watts each.

So, back to my original question. Will 30x24x20 with the fixture listed be enough light? Will the same light be enough if I decide to get the four foot tank?

Thanks.

[NoBigDeal]

Yeah i've kept a lot of anemones before. Including H magnifica. Only thing is it was always under halide lighting. I took the tank down about a year ago becuase I got board of the hobby, now I am interested in starting up again. This is my first T-5 tank, so I have no idea what amount of lighting is accaptable. I know the watts per gallon rule is out dated.

I did just find a used acrylic tank, 48x18x20 for sale. It is rimless, so I may get the same fixture, except it would be 4' long, 6 bulb, 54 watts each.

So, back to my original question. Will 30x24x20 with the fixture listed be enough light? Will the same light be enough if I decide to get the four foot tank?

Thanks.

I had T5s before and all my anemones did well under it. Although, I never tried keeping a H. Magnifica. I know Riterri's are notorious for wandering in search for brighter light. That light in the link looks good to me.

[crazy banana]

What anemones have you had under T-5? I remember that about my magnifica. I succesfully kept it, but I had to switch from 250 watt halides to 400 watts. The thing would litterally come right out of the water under neath the pendant. After I switched the lights, the thing did stay put for 2 years until I took the tank down. It was in such a nice spot too, and it had that purple column with like a pink tentacle, Like in finding nemo. I hope I can find another like that when the tank is ready.

[NoBigDeal]

What anemones have you had under T-5? I remember that about my magnifica. I succesfully kept it, but I had to switch from 250 watt halides to 400 watts. The thing would litterally come right out of the water under neath the pendant. After I switched the lights, the thing did stay put for 2 years until I took the tank down. It was in such a nice spot too, and it had that purple column with like a pink tentacle, Like in finding nemo. I hope I can find another like that when the tank is ready.

I had a RBTA, Sebae and two Haddonis. I had these anemones during different time periods of course. Usually I would see a dying anemone at the lfs, buy it, revive it and sell it locally to someone that could adequately take care of it. The Haddonis loved the T5s. Man did they color up under my lights. Why are you going down the T5 route anyways if you know 400 watts of MH does the trick?

[crazy banana]

T-5= more color options, less heat, less evaporation which is a huge plus, less energy, more light. I've seen an 8 bulb tek light in person, it put out a lot more light than my original 500 watts of MH light. Even the 800 watts seemed not to different from the 8 bulb tek. Also, I cant afford a MH + T-5 fixture, so no dawn to dusk, just halide bulb. With a T-5 I can do that for the price of a straight MH fixture. Especially now that I am leaning toward the 48x18x20 rimless acrylic tank I found.

You had sebae under T-5's? Thats are pretty light demanding anemone, how did it do?

[NoBigDeal]

Here's an example of what I mean by reviving. Here's the Sebae when I first bought it:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/cichlidfort/Tankshots002.jpg


Afterwards:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/cichlidfort/Picturesofmytank053.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/cichlidfort/Picturesofmytank041.jpg

[crazy banana]

Its a shame to see anemones like that at the lfs. I see it to often. You did a good job on that animal.