20G Lighting Suggestions/Question

[hooked82]

I'm setting up a 20G tall *nano* tank in my room and have extra VHO equipment lying around. Icecap 660 ballast and all the endcaps, etc. so I would like to use these to save some money and buying more. The tank is 24" Long x 12" Wide x 16" Tall. I was thinking of putting 4 24" VHO's(2 10K uri aquasun bulbs, and 2 super actinic bulbs) for a total of 300watts.

So theres info on the setup, and heres the questions.
Are the 24" bulbs 24" by themselves or are they 24" when the endcaps are on?
Will that be too much lighting for the small tank to house some softies/zoas/shrooms since it will be about 15w/gallon?

Thanks guys

 

[kendog261]

David Ive got a ballast for 2 55w cf and bulbs if you want them

 

[ronj]

i am about to do the same thing on a tank in my room, except i have a 20long..i am going to use 2-3 VHO's on mine..most likely just the 2 bulbs..i keep leathers, shrooms, yellow polyps, and other misc polyps in it...some of my shrooms don't like alot of light!!

 

[Elmo18]

I'd run 2-3 55/65W PCs, or 2-4 24W T5 HOs...with SLS or IceCap reflectors, on Workhorse Ballasts..or IceCaps.

Best,
Ilham

 

[mfinn]

Will that be too much lighting for the small tank to house some softies/zoas/shrooms since it will be about 15w/gallon?

Thanks guys

If you acclimate the softies to that lighting, they will be fine.

 

[Haole]

David,

Don’t include actinic’s in your total wattage of a useful daylight spectrum.
So that’s really only 150 watts.
I run 24” vho bulbs on my 40 gal tank. 2 URI actinic white (1200k) and 2 URI super actinic. I use these endcaps and also these endcap mounts.
I measured my setup and the bulb with endcaps roughly measures at 24&3/4”.
With the endcap mounts it measures at 25&3/16".
hth