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Originally Posted by reef_obsessed
Is it Wattage that is important or Lumens??
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Wattage is a measure of power consumption. Lumens is a measurement of the intensity of the light in terms of human perception. It's a decent number to use, especially for fluorescent lamps. A more important measurement for the reef aquarium hobby is PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). Then you would need to know exactly how that PAR is distributed across the spectrum of photosynthecially active radiation (400-700nm).
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Very confusing to me!?!? I have a Compact Flor 260W for my 55gal and I was informed today that might not be enough to sustain certain corals, namely Flower Pot corals.
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Goniopora spp. (flower pot corals) are difficult to keep under the best of circumstances. Very few of them survive more than 18 months in captivity. They simply starve to death. This is a lagoonal species that lives in turbid water. It's diet is not well known but in it's natural habitat it feeds constantly on phytoplankton and particulate matter.
Your lighting is adequate for many corals, especially if they are located beneath the center of the fluorescents and high up in the tank. It is adequate for most soft corals even at the lower levels of the tank.
Just stick with what you have and get some experience first with corals that are easier to keep. Then after a year or two if you want to upgrade to something better you will know what you're doing.
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Might take that sucker back to the store, he is not flourishing like he did at the store. Are T5's better than CF's?? Help me out on this one-please
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A T5 fluorescent is the same diameter as a CF but it isn't bent in the middle and doubled back on itself. It's actually more efficient if placed in an individual reflector because more of the light is directed down into the tank. It's a more efficient design that the doubled up PC design. The reflector is very important. Without an individual reflector for each separate T5 tube, you lose a lot of the potential.