lighting and corals

Question
Hi,
I am upgrading my FOWLR to a reef tank and purchased lighting. My LFS recommended the Nova Extreme T5 fixture, but I would like a second opinion as it does not seem as bright as I was expecting. I would like to keep  polyps, mushrooms, and maybe some soft corals in a 30 gallon bowfront. Is this sufficiant lighting? Thanks

Answer
Hi Lauren. I am not sure of the length of your tank. I know of a thirty-six gallon bowfront and a twenty-six gallon, so I am guessing your tank is thirty inches long? These lights have four bulbs usually two actinic and two 10,000 K.  Anyway just do the math. You will want to have somewhere between 3-5 watts per gallon. 5 watts per gallon if you have a very tall tank and 3 watts per gallon if it is very short. Four watts per gallon would get you right in the middle and you would be fine with that. The T5 lighting systems are a very good choice. They are a step up from the compacts and a step below the metal halides. Current is also a very good company that makes very high quality products. I would highly recommend using the T5 nova extreme fixtures for a reef tank.