Clownfish Tank

[Macscale]

Hey everyone, I just got my new 20 gal tank set up. It has 20pounds of live sand and 10 pounds of live rock for now. I want to put a pair of ocellaris clown fish in the tank. I was wondering what you guys think I should put in the tank, coral-rock-invertebrate wise. Also I am not sure if my lights are good enough for a reef. There are 6 five bulb LED lights. It seems to get light evenly throughout. I am relatively new to saltwater tanks but have been doing freshwater for quite a while. I live in LWR, FL. We have some great local fish stores, so finding the coral won't be an issue. I'd like to thank everyone in advance.

 

[Donya]

At least a small CUC consisting of a few grazing snails and scavengers like Nassarius snails and small hermit species should go in the tank before the fish even if you build it up more later as the tank matures. 
 
Can you give more specs on the lights or link to the specific ones you have on a site somewhere? Bulb count doesn't really say much about how well suited the lights are to supporting corals.

 

[Macscale]

I don't think they are sufficient. What lights would you recommend to put on it?
 
 
Would these work?
http/www.petco.com/product/119203/R2-Extreme-LED-Moonlight-And-R2-Dual-Extreme-LED-Moonlight-Aquarium-Light.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch
 
Should I get a T5 or LED or what? 
 
What about these?
http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+23753&pcatid=23753&r=488

 

[Donya]

I don't think those little lights you linked will provide anything other than color accents and night lighting.
 
 
For T5, 2-bulb is minimum and works for less demanding corals. 4xT5 would give you a lot more stocking options. I used to use a 24" 2xT5 Corallife fixture and more recently switched to a 4xT5 fixture of the same brand on a 20gal-high. Both have worked very well for me. The downside with T5 is that they are higher wattage and run hotter than LEDs, which is potential overheating problem if the room gets hot regularly. Size is also a consideration. 2xT5 is usually small enough that it doesn' tmatter, but 4xT5 can easily span most of the depth of a 20gal, so some standard hoods will not work at all with 4x fixtures if the tank needs to be covered. I had to get a bit creative with that when I upgraded by 24" fixture.
 
LEDs are more expensive upfront for the same light output, although you don't have the recurring costs every 6-9 months of replacing bulbs. LEDs suitable for corals tend to come in two varieties: fairly minimal for softie reefs and and more serious (and expensive) fixtures that let you keep just about anything.  
 
Using the same site, these fixtures are minimal as far as supporting corals. You would be limited to mostly softies and some LPS. A reasonable variety, but not everything in the shop.
http/www.petco.com/product/114553/Marineland-Reef-Capable-LED-Aquarium-Lighting-System-with-Timer.aspx
http/www.petco.com/product/122155/Fluval-Sea-Full-Spectrum-Marine-And-Reef-LED-Aquarium-Light.aspx  <-- I have one of these on a 55gal. I like it, but I have primarily a softie reef that isn't very demanding.
 
That retailer doesn't stock the higher-end fixtures as far as I'm aware. Here are a couple that let you keep pretty much anything you want, although they have sort of the same size issues as 4-bulb T5:
http/www.bulkreefsupply.com/aqua-illumination-vega-color-led-module.html
http/www.bulkreefsupply.com/ecotech-marine-radion-xr30w-gen-2-led-light-fixture.html?gclid=CIL77qaZ7bsCFSbNOgod8TwACA

 

[Macscale]

I didn't think they would work either. Would any 24" T5 fixture work? I found one for a good price and I am not sure if its good or not. What do you think some good softies are? 
 
Here is the link to the lights. 
http/www.ebay.com/itm/T5-Dual-24-Lighting-Aquarium-Light-Strip-Marine-Cichlid-Tropical-Fish-48W-HO-/300688858198?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460273dc56

 

[Macscale]

What if I add extra LEDS to the tank? Maybe 5 more? Do you think it would work?
The tank originally came with these

http/www.tetra-fish.com/Products/led-aquarium-lights-artificial-plants-nets/led-aquarium-hood-lights.aspx


This also may be a good choice?

http/gbgreensun.en.alibaba.com/product/982168081-213300324/120w_Dimmable_Led_Aquarium_Light_2_Dimmers_2_Detachable_Plug.html

 

[Donya]

For T5s, any fixture will work as long as you get the correct bulbs. I got my 24" 2xT5 used for $20 and just bought new bulbs for it. The fixture on ebay already comes with appropriate bulbs (10,000K white and actinic), although again you will only be able to keep very undemanding corals with a light like that.
 
I wouldn't take a chance with random, super-cheap LEDs for a first marine tank with corals unless you can find an example of someone successfully growing the corals you want to keep long-term under the light. Neither of the fixtures you linked above look suitable for a reef aquarium to me. Both seem to be aimed at freshwater, which means the spectrum is likely rather different from what you would want in a marine setting. 

 

[Macscale]

Ok thank, I'll probably go with a 4x T5 if I can find a good price!