I’m looking to setup a 20 gal long tank for coral and a couple of shrimp. My wife wants just a shrimp tank. Now my question is what types of coral would be good in a tank that size and what are some good lights that won’t break the bank roughly around $200?
20 gal long mixed reef lighting and coral ideas
- Thread starter Tbird165
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Pkunk35
Valuable Member
I had a 20L for almost 10years, they are actually somewhat difficult to light evenly because it’s a small tank but 30” long. I started with power compact tubes (this was 15 years ago) that actually lit the tank very evenly. When I switched to a kessil I developed a pretty dark spots around the edges of the tank from the single source point light and ended up adding another led to supplement even tho the kessil was turned on to only ~60%.
If I had to do it over I would use something like XHO or lumilites (which actually makes a 30” strip) for even spread.
IMO for coral I think a decent rock work filled with softies and other encrusting or polyp type LPS coral work well like acans. Things that grow tall or massive do not because of the extremely short height (like acro or euphyllia).
also, 100% need a screen top for fish.
Hope it helps!
If I had to do it over I would use something like XHO or lumilites (which actually makes a 30” strip) for even spread.
IMO for coral I think a decent rock work filled with softies and other encrusting or polyp type LPS coral work well like acans. Things that grow tall or massive do not because of the extremely short height (like acro or euphyllia).
also, 100% need a screen top for fish.
Hope it helps!
Acros
Valuable Member
I believe these might be the most popular black box LED lights available now. There are a lot of successful tanks that are lit with those lights.
I use a single XR15 G5 Blue on a similar length tank.
The xr15 g5 are some nice lights just don’t like the price of them. I may end up going with the viparspectra 300w reef. It’s a little outside of what I want to spend but it’s about the only light I could find where I didn’t need 2 lights for the tank
Led/t5 hybrid?
2 ai primes and a 4 bulb 24” t5 hybrid
www.bulkreefsupply.com
2 ai primes and a 4 bulb 24” t5 hybrid
24" Hybrid T5HO 4x24W Fixture
Welcome to the future of aquarium lighting! Combine your favorite LED Light module along with Aquatic Lifes T5 lighting fixture to create a stellar lighting system! Accepts many of your favorite LED lighting modules! Includes standard LED Light Brackets Powder Coated Aluminum Frame Individual...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
My 20 gallon long, check out my build thread for specifics. I’m using 2 AI Primes ($100 each) and that’s pretty much it. Water changes like once every 2-3 weeks, very low maintenance tank
can’t forget my girl Heather!
can’t forget my girl Heather!
I like the idea but 1 I was trying to stay away from t5s and 2 the cost will be way outside what I wanted to spendLed/t5 hybrid?
2 ai primes and a 4 bulb 24” t5 hybrid
24" Hybrid T5HO 4x24W Fixture
Welcome to the future of aquarium lighting! Combine your favorite LED Light module along with Aquatic Lifes T5 lighting fixture to create a stellar lighting system! Accepts many of your favorite LED lighting modules! Includes standard LED Light Brackets Powder Coated Aluminum Frame Individual...
Love the tank. I’ll have to check it out. Are those hammer coral?My 20 gallon long, check out my build thread for specifics. I’m using 2 AI Primes ($100 each) and that’s pretty much it. Water changes like once every 2-3 weeks, very low maintenance tank
can’t forget my girl Heather!
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
Hammer, torches, anemones, everything under the sun. I’ve even got 8 scolys crammed in there if you look close enough
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
I used to use the regular ones, I recently upgraded to HDs but the only real difference is that my zoas got more colorful and grew faster. If you’re just doing euphyllia and anemones then you won’t have any issues just using the normal ones
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
Look on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, offer up, etc. I got my HDs for $150 each with the mount and everything just a couple months ago. You can also use 1 HD and 1 normal one, I did that for a while
duesmortem
Active Member
I have one AI Prime HD16 in my 10 gallon and it does wonders for all my softies, LPS, and even SPS.
Well, 2 AI Primes or Reefbreeders would be over double his 200$ budget...
You might actually be about to get by with the cheaper 165 watt model. Those, as mentioned, are cheap and really popular.
You might actually be about to get by with the cheaper 165 watt model. Those, as mentioned, are cheap and really popular.
The 165w mounted 12” above the tank only covers 24”x24” so it wouldn’t light a 20 gallon long right. Yes the 2 ai primes would be double my budget but from all the reviews I’ve seen I may just go over budget
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