# Light burnt out Corals in trouble?



## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

I lost one bulb i noticed today when lights came on, i have 2x20w 50/50 coralifes on 10g tank, the irght side burnt out, i noticed my xenia that is in the middle is leaning into the light in the left towards it, but have anemone and ricordia on the right in the dark i just ordered a coralife PC fixture to replace the entire hood and be protectant from water evaporation but chances are not going to get here til next week, so should corals be cool if i move them over into the lighted part or just leave them be? They are blue mushrooms, blue ricordia, pulsing xenia, carpet anemone, and liverock lol


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

move them over if there is enough space.


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

You should be OK. The sun isn't at full intenst all the time. Storms block the sun and even daily clouds block the sun. Just try to get the light going as soon as possible


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

I have to disagree... even through clouds, (light being reflected off water droplets etc) our lighting is no match for the suns. And with this light out for a week... I think some might start to bleach.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

well, they all fit in the ample space i had to the left ordered the light the day off so hope it shows up, decided to order a coralife power compact strip light instead of the incand. hood with 2x20w coralife 50/50 builbs. All are still opening BIG and lookin fine, bleaching possible with softies? like my xenia and mushrooms?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes, it happens.

I'm glad you moved them. I hope you kept them at about the same level as they were originally?

I know a guy named Santiago Gutierrez (sp?) who invented an LCD cloud cover simulator. It's a gizmo that sits between your lights and your tank, and the flowing patterns of lcd shade the light in varying ways, doing a very good job of simulating the effects of random cloud cover during the day, and he can set it to "heavy" for a few days to simulate a big storm system moving through the area.
Not a bad invention for a young whiz kid about Hail Sniper's age, eh?
This was several years ago, so it surprises me that this thing hasn't hit the market yet.

Anyway, even when there is cloud cover, the sunlight getting through is pretty intense, even though we don't see it well. Bees can navigate on sunless days just fine, because they can see the sun when we cannot. They do this because they see in ultraviolet, and UV punches through the clouds unhindered, travelling down into the water where the corals likewise "see" it and use it.

There is a big difference between a cloudy day and a light not being lit. A couple of days wouldn't matter, maybe even 4 or 5 days, but any more than that and it's a very high bleach-risk, because the zooxanthellae are by then proving too much a burden on the coral.

Of course, there is a lot of room for species differences and individualism, but, overall, moving the corals was a very good move if it'll be that long a wait for new lights.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

Yup! Just about got the refugium done too just waiting to hear back if any locals can hook me up with small amount of cheato to fill it. Most of the corals cover the bottem of the tank only the anemone is a the top of it on the rocks..so guess that's good for this part lol. 

That is indeed a interesting gizmo wouldn't mind seeing that in person, will have to research for that more on the net and reef central...


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

It is amazing on how people try to tell you something that they may have read or something. Do we have frequent DIVERS on this Forum. Well I do dive here in Florida, and when the clouds move @ 50 + feet you lose visual of what is in front of you. Fish have lateral lines and other senses to feel there way around down there, But seeing is believing. It rains down here and when it rains it can rain alot. 
People want to talk about photosynthesis and ultra violet with the birds and the bees. We are talking about light underwater. Have any of you seen an hurricane park of your coast for days? 
MalawianPro i am glad to see that everything worked out good for you. Give us a picture so we can see how everything settles in


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Wrasser, I think you forgot to go to your high school atmospheric science class... even though there is clouds and storms, there still is light... and a good amount of it coming through the clouds... thats why people can get sun burned on a cloudy day... UVA/UVB radiation still goes through. I have been diving before and understand light and water. You realize that a coral reef can be severely damaged by a hurricane right?


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

Yes reefs are damaged by hurricanes, But not by the absent of light. Being sun burned out of the water or even in the water @ 4 feet of water is a lot differnt than 50+ feet. Look at your tank, We all have problems taking care of 2 feet or less with the light we have.
It is called ADAPTABILITY and nature is a h#!! of a lot better at it than we are. 4,6,7 days would not have hurt the corals. proper flow and food for the corals with half light would have been fine. Instead you had him move those corals with all that detris and what ever else on the rock moved into the main stream, and he had to put it back We are talking half the light, we are not talking pitch black (a good movie), and even if both lights went out, we are not talking about for ever. there was probably light coming in from the windows. Granted it is not much help, but it is there.
Nature is not perfect and that is when adaptability come into play


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

We wanted to prevent his corals from bleaching... yes they possibly could survive... but that half of the tank was probably very dark causing the corals to bleach in an effort to sustain themselves... don't even get me into adaptability, and why would it hurt to move them in the first place??? Wouldn't it just be better to not take the risk?  Oh wait I forgot... its not your pocket book and not your tank... so therefore you think it's alright to give people advice that might threaten their tanks, have something suffer, or worse.  Here at fishforums, the key is GOOD sound advice, and I'm glad he did all he could with the situation and wasn't lazy about it like you were suggesting.

If you are so sure about this whole thing, and you truly believe in what you say... why don't you turn off one half of your lights on your tank for a week and a half... :roll: :lol:


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

LOL, yea half of the ten gallon tank was DARK. Do you even remember what you read.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Like I said above... do it to your own tank and see if your right.


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

lol yes doc anything you say


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

well if you aren't willing to you must have some conflict in your opinion? Common Wrasser, out with the BS.


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

:roll: the only bs is what you are shovling, remeber it is a 10 gal. tank and you being 21 want to draw all your guns and blast them. So hey you are right in your mind you are right :wink:


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Your a pretty old 14 year old yourself, you do realize that a 10 gallon is pretty much the same proportionally as a larger tank right? So why don't you just go ahead and turn off half your lights and prove this 21 year old gun slinger wrong? I find your whole, you are right in your mind you are right argument very childish... I give no advise that I would not try myself... why can't you do the same?


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

well got riled up here lol.

Anyway, new light came in yesterday so wasn't too bad everyone is still cool, also had time this past weekend to build a refugium out of the ac300, gonna get pics once tank is back in pristine order, and can't wait to see the effects on the tank after that fuge begins running,.

I have 13w bulbs, and ones came with it are the atnic and 10k bulbs 9w on the coralife fuge light, i just grabbed two of the same size bulbs from HD, shouldn't be a problem in wattage difference should it? since should only power the bulbs to 9w or whatever?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Wattage isn't the problem. Spectrum is the problem. You're going to have to replace those Home Depot lights with aquarium-spectrum lights pretty quickly if you don't want problems.


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## wrasser (Apr 5, 2005)

Try to get 1 10,000k and 1 atinic instead of 50/50, It will be alot better for your corals


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

sorrry should have been more clear, the ones i reaplaced is the coralife mini light, i put the HD bulbs in to replace the 10k and atnic, as it's going over a AC300 fuge i built......i do want just regular bulbs then right? more yellow light....


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