How long can coral survive with no light?

hsanchez

hsanchez

Member
I'm going to purchase some frags this weekend. I ordered my lighting and it should of arrived today, but it won't til monday. I'm going to either pick up my frags on sat or I could maybe swith it to a unday night. I won't be able to get my lighting on the tank til monday night. I would like to wait but I have already cleared my plans and got a babysitter to make the 1hour and a half drive to get them and back. How long will the be ok with out any lighting?? Currently I have just a regular florescent light.
 
ags

ags

Member
Assuming you get your lights a day later, you have no trouble setting them up and they work properly 1 day without lights should not be an issue. However, that is assuming everything works and you have no issues installing it.
What type of frags?
 
hsanchez

hsanchez

Member
what type of trouble could I have with the lighting?? I thought I just put it ontop of the tank and plug it in. Its not a retrofit or a kit or anything it's the whole set up. I never had one before but I assume you just plug it in. The first zoo is maroon skirt, teal center with a purple mouth (don't know the name) and Second piece is 15 heads of pink zoo (palythoa type) polyps.
 
ags

ags

Member
Personally, there are too many things that could go wrong to take the chance on losing your corals. If you are buying them from a LFS just ask that they hold them for you.
As for your lights, assuming you purchased them online, which it sounds like you have, the ballast, a light, a wire, an end cap, etc all could be bad, broken or damage causing problems.
 
sweetreef

sweetreef

Active Member
i have went with out light for three days done a total black out on my tank covered it with a black garbage back to kill of some red slime and they corals did just fine with out no light at all!!!
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
Originally Posted by HSanchez
what type of trouble could I have with the lighting?? s.
Why can't you wait? Sounds to me like your in a big hurry to add corals to a tank that's not ready for em. You don't have a clue how your tanks going to respond to the new lights.
 
hsanchez

hsanchez

Member
Well when you have three kids, Its really damn hard to find a babysitter to take them all for 4 hours. Like I said above, This will be one of the only chances I will be able to take the drive to pick them up.
 
thangbom

thangbom

Active Member
i say wait till u have the lights.... your want to put any and all aquarium inhabitants in a best home it can be in.... however... i do think corals and suck can survive a 48hrs period of no light... i mean .. just think of t-storm in the tropical area.. heck.. no sun when it rains.. and when it rains.. it really rains... (so actually they can probaly live even longer then 48 hrs.. but i wouldnt push it becuase it's a little diferent envirenment in a tank...)
 
stuckinfla

stuckinfla

Active Member
They are just zoo's, and even for a week or so, they will be fine high up. I know how you feel, I have 2 little one and am overjoyed when I get the chance to shop without them!!!
 
tthemadd1

tthemadd1

Active Member
I would assume they would be fine. As long as your water parameters are really good and everything else is OK. Zoos are really pretty hardy animals. I say go for it.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
Originally Posted by HSanchez
Well when you have three kids, Its really damn hard to find a babysitter to take them all for 4 hours.
you can do better then that..I have 3 kids, they have all been to just about every LFS in the area.
I wouldn't be worried about the corals...I'd be more concerend about the way the tank handles the new lights.. How long has this tank been setup?
 
hsanchez

hsanchez

Member
Yea I take my kids with me to the LFS. But you know how it gets in the car with 3 kids in the back seat and 2 are still in diapers. Fighting, bathroom breaks every 10 mins, taking their seatbelts off and jumping around. And the drive is about 1 1/2 hour. But it's not a FS I won the frags on

[hr]
, and there for pickup only. And all i need is for my babies to tear this guys house apart.
My 20g has been set up for about 4 months, 2 false percs, one bicolor psuedochromis, and about 30 lbs of live rock, 10lbs of live sand and 20 base sand.
 
teresaq1

teresaq1

Member
I would love to find a sitter for my three when i have to go to lfs. I spend more time chasing them, then looking, and mine are 5, 7 and 10 I think they will be fine under flores lights for a few days. when they are shipped, they are in total dark for up to 2 days.
 
thangbom

thangbom

Active Member
... yeah.. if it's zoos you are worrying about then... heh . just go for it.. if u know u will get the lights with-in a few days... just to let u know.. some people 'dry ship' there zoos... yes u read it right.. 'dry ship'' what they do is take the zoo out of the tank.. and let it sit in the open air for a few minutes.. so that it shrinks... then they wet some paper towels and wrap the baby up.. then off to the post office.....( i havnt don this myself but i know for a fact that they do send them this way...) ... so anyhow.. zoos are some tuff stuff...
 
hsanchez

hsanchez

Member
Well I was on my way to pick them up and about halfway there BAMM I hit a pot hole pretty hard and bent my 20" rim.
then I had to wait on a buddy to come help me remove the custom lug. So it took about 2 hours in all and I wasn't gonna drive on a donut for 2 hours. So just went home. I guess it just wasent meant to be.
Now I gotta figure out when I can go get them. Might just leave the wife at home. :thinking:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top