How many watts??

[airbrnebkr]

I am just starting my tank and I was wondering if somebody could give me some help on what the minimum light wattage for a 55 gallon beginner reef tank would be. I am planning on starting out with power compact lights if that helps and I plan on starting slow with just some live rock and slowly building up the reef as my experience allows.
Thanks,
Doug

 

[OrionGirl]

Depends on what corals you want to have. Many will be okay with 4-5 w/g, while others will barely hang on at that level. Decide what animals you want to begin with, and research their lighting needs.

 

[airbrnebkr]

Thanks for the info.
Doug

 

[Ray Pollett]

I total;ly agree with OrionGirl. Tanks should be set up around the animals we want. Tell use what type of corals and we can give you some generalizations.

Ray