well, you're definitely right that it depends 8) I think a good rule of thumb is that for the easier soft corals, you'll need at least 3 W/gallon... for stony corals you'll want at least 5 W/gallon, perhaps more. I'm not sure if there are any wattage requirements for fish-only, at least I've never come across any mention of them.
If you can list specific corals that you DO plan to keep, we can give you more specific requirements, such as type of lighting (e.g. VHO, MH, etc...) in addition to total wattage.
well, i cannot spend 800 bucks on lights. i know cheap and saltwater dont go together, but i just cannot spend that much, id like to spend like 300 maybe. i can go a lil higher. also, how would i know what i already have? cuz some light came with my tank
The watts per gallon recommendations are only a very general guide. Depth of tank, type of lighting, and the reflectors are also relevant. If you are looking to save money, I would recommend looking into local reef clubs for used fixtures. If you can get your hands on a few small used PC fixtures, you can dismantle them and retro yourself an adequate lighting system at a substantial savings. This would likely be adequate for a reef with soft corals, and maybe a few LPS corals. IF you are looking to go with SPS corals, I recommend seeking out a Metal Halide fixture.
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