Lighting for a Reef

[zec01]

My tank is 18" deep and I have 1 actinic and 2 triton tubes for lighting!
Is this enough and how long should the duration of light be each day????
Please help.

[rayjay]

You haven't given much information to go on. Size of tank? Length and watts of lamps? What do you want to keep in the tank?
Generally in low light situations you can at least keep mushrooms, green star polyps, leathers, some less colourful button polyps.
As for duration, there are so many variables unknown it would be hard to say, but generally start with something like 8 hrs and gradually work up more hours and see how the tank does. If it looks like it needs more light try leaving it on even longer.
I use nothing but NO fluorescent lighting in my tank but I use pretty well as many lights in the hood as I can fit in placing them side by side and I'm able to keep any soft coral and LPS coral I've tried, as well as anemones and clams.
(i.e. my 90g reef has 8 40w NO's in the hood: I have a 55g with 6 NO's in the hood: I have a 65 with 8 NO's in the hood and four of the lamps are overdriven by an IceCap 660 electronic ballast)
My lights are on timers separatly for each ballast so I can turn lights on and off to build the lighting up and down again to simulate daytime conditions.
My first lights come on just before 6:30am and the last lights go out a little after 9:00pm, with the remainders varying depending on what is in each tank.

[zec01]

My tank is 30"x18"x18, I have four tubes running two interpet 24" 18w tripluswhite tubes, one arcadia 24" 18w blue actinic & one blue moon tube!

I have live rock in the tank and coral sand at about 1.5" deep, I would like to keep some coral (undecided on type) an anemone and some invertibrae with a few fish!

[rayjay]

Well it seems funny me suggesting someone not having enough light for what's in the tanks, as I have much less than what people feel I should have.
BUT,,,,,You don't have enough light for a hosting anemone, and not enough light for the majority of nicer corals.
That lighting is ok for mushrooms, leathers, some polyps, and pom-pom xenia. (xenia won't look as nice as it will under more light however)
I don't have any experience with them, but many hobyists have upgraded their lighting to using power compacts and are having pretty good success with them. They're small enough to fit a hood that would fit your tank.

[Poseidon]

I would say look at some of the new T5's. I think 4 T5's 3 white one blue all with independant reflectors would work great! I would skip the Anemone and Clams until you have had the tank up a year or so. By then you should have your routine down, and will be more prepared as a reef keeper to keep the delicate animals.

[zec01]

Cheers guys!