Lighting for an anenome

[Reefer317]

I posted in the new member forum, but hate to keep on ongoing discussion there. It was suggested that I need to upgrade my lighting. That is fine although I am irritated that the fellow at the shop sold me this "upgraded" light for two hundred bucks plus.

What lighting should I be upgrading to for this anemone? I currently have this setup.

So what are the options for ideal lighting for this tank? What am I looking for in an upgraded light. The light the aftermarket light I bought claims this:

Current USA Orbit Marine LED Saltwater reef lighting system
Model: 4101 24" - 36"
23 Watts
48 Dual Daylight/48 Dual Actinic LEDs, 96 LEDs Total

2nd Generation High PAR Orbit - Grow SPS, LPS, Clams
Programmable 24 hour on and off ramping simulates sunrise, sunset and moonlight

Adjustable daylight and moonlight color and intensity

Four dynamic effects and presets including cloud cover, fading lunar and storm with lightning


Wireless IR remote and new controller mounting system


I want to stay with LED, is this certainly is a let down, these lights seem brighter than the ones in the store and I know the anemone was there for at least two weeks.

I have a 29 gallon tank. So how many more watts should I be looking for in LED, etc.? Am I assuming correctly that if these cost $200 then a true LED upgrade will cost double or more?

[firebirdude]

LEDs, by nature, are extremely directional when compared to halide or T5. For this reason, they are deceptively strong. If you can tell by looking at the tank that it's brighter than your previous setup.... you're probably getting 4X the par on your sandbed. lol A large problem for LED users is cooking their corals. Nearly every LED fixture has a built-in dimmer, use it.

That said, the fixture is only 23 watts? Yeesh. Though LEDs will make the most of that 23 watts, that's still not very much. Plenty to keep those zoas and GSP in your tank though. And 200 bucks is what you paid? Yeah, that's a little rough man... the cost is all in the controller apparently.

I'd say the lighting requirement for a bubble tip nem is moderate. I haven't found their needs to be nearly as high as a clam, for example.

Prices for LED fixtures can vary greatly. Radions can get $700-$800 real quick. On the flip side, we have many users who are using the knock-off Chinese models with pretty good success. The 165W model is only like $80 shipped, but doesn't come with a controller (so no programming and only manual dimming). They also sell a WiFi version for ~$160, if you wanted programming built-in.

EDIT: Oh and fair warning on the Reefbreeder LED fixtures. Apparently they're IDENTICAL to the Chinese models inside and out, but with a decent price markup. Check eBay for MarsAqua.

[mussel and hate]

23 Watts seems a little low for a 29 but you can make it work. Just give the anemone a tall rock to climb and run the lights close to the water.

I'm lighting my standard 20 gallon with 40 watts of DIY LED 6" above the water line. If I lower the light any more lobophyton bleaches, briarium(at the bottom) begins to disintegrate and my RBTA retracts.

Don't underestimate the power of proximity even with a low wattage array.

[Ron Reefman]

Your tank is 18" to 19" tall, right?

Then I'd say you are kind of on the edge as far as your light fixture goes. The less than 1 watt leds don't penetrate the water as well as the 3 watt leds most other fixtures use do. They add a lot of leds and get good PAR but only at shallow depths. If your tank was 12" deep I'd say your OK to go. If your tank were 24" deep I say get a new led fixture and sell yours to somebody with a shallow tank. At 18"... you may be OK.

Some here have that fixture and like it. Personally, I have tested PAR for a couple of local club members with this fixture and it's kind of weak at 24" and they were having trouble growing corals.

Buy an inexpensive rock flower anemone and see how it does. And if it's on a rock that keeps it up off the sand bed, you'll probably be OK.

[Reefer317]

Thanks guys, right now the anemone is on a top rock about 6" from the light. He is wedged in a crevice and seems to have opened up a bit more over the past week. The tips are still deflated; however they are slightly larger than they have been the past month. I guess time will tell.