48" NO questions

[DiSkuStiNg]

I am short on cash right now and I have a 75 that I am trying to turn into a reef tank, it is a fish only tank right now. I dont have a good enough light right now but i also have no money. So do you think 4 40w NO strip lights would be ok for some corals/ anemones? I will be using 2 of the lights of the pic below. Will this be ok?

[charlie]

May I refer you to this thread?

lighting help please

[Waterwidget]

Hello, I am a novice aquariust myself by after 3 and a half months of putting together a 55 gallon I managed to get an orbit extreme compact florescent system and I found it does ok. You should have at least 4 watts per gallon. With a 75 tank go 75 times 4 watts and that is the minimum you should have. Light is better than no light but I had the basic 18 watt system when I started and even my live rock died off leaving nothing but bare rock and now that I use the five watts per gallon rule everthing is doing good. I plan to purchase a metal halide system like the coralife version because I have a giant clam and what I have now is adequate but he should have halides to thrive and I don't have any corals yet and don't plan till I get the halide system. Be carefull chances are you will just kill the corals and fish are ok but make sure they have places to hide and inverts are ok too. Check your species compatability and need such as food etc.. Look around for a used system to get you by for now.

[The R/C Man]

Although the watts per gallon is a guide, it is a very vague giude. Florescent lighting and Metal Halide lighting differ in penetrating power. 150 watts of MH lighting will penetrate the water much deeper than VHO or Florescent lighting. Be sure to take that into account when looking at lighting.....