TOO MUCH LIGHT??

[deucey]

Okay first off i know you know all about this Wamp.....but i was just looking for other oppinions and yours are welcome too... .... okay so here is the deal....i have a 36g bow front tank...which is 30" long, 15" wide, and 22" deep....and well i have a custom built canopy that is 12" high....11" off the water.....and on this tank for lighting i have a 175w MH (hamilton true 10000K with white reflector), and (2) 65w PC ultra actinics.....for a total of 305w of lighting...okay here is the question....do you all think this is too intense fo lighting for this tank?? i have noticed my frog spawn and finger leather are getting lighter....and the light has been on there since january.....what are you guys thoughts......comments....sorry so long....

 

[kris walker]

I think that lighting is great.
kris

 

[nm reef]

Sounds like a nice lighting set-up. Interested in info on filtraion/water chemistry/circulation....how long has the system been set-up. Could be any of a number of things that would cause a problem with your coral besides lighting.

 

[deucey]

well as of this past sunday these were my water perameters....
calcium....400ppm
nitrate....0ppm
nitrite....<0.3mg/l
pH..........8.0-8.3
total ammonia...0mg/l
carbonate hardness...9dH *German degrees hardness*
carbon dioxide content...by chart..2.7mg/l
i use 15ml of parts A and B of C-balance per day... for circualtion i have my return line from sump, an 201 PH, and a power sweep PH.....i am running a Aquaclear Wet/Dry with 100 micron pre filter and bio balls and a Seaclone PS in sump....an 802 PH for return pump....will be changed to a mag drive 7 tomarrow..if it comes in....temp says around 79-82......i am dropping my PC back to 12 hours....the have been on for 16...didn't realize it was that long....so that will be fixed.....MH is on for 9.5 hours a day....thanks for help and if you need more info ask me its np!....thanks again

 

[deucey]

You there NM i posted my water parameters.....what else can cause a coral to get light....and can a leather bleach......i didn't think they could but i donno......thanks......

 

[blondenaso1]

First off, there is no such thing as TOO MUCH light! Secondly, you set-up and parameters sounds great. My guess is that the problem with your corals would have to be from tank placement or circulation, unless there is something else
(parasite, ect.) affecting them. Try moving them around in the tank and see if there are any changes.

 

[deucey]

yeah i don't think that my circulation is what it should be......but i didn't realize that circulation could cause coral probs....(bleacing possibly)......i donno.....my tank has been rearranged and the frog swan is getting full blast lighing.........and better circulation now....but i don't think there is a real prob with the finger leather....it is open all the feelers are out.......so i think its okay........
i donno though.......

 

[nm reef]

Possible that the leather is reacting to the change in lighting....the finger that I have has gone through some extended periods where it appears to be bleaching and sort of shriveled up. Origionally it was one large coral but it is now 3 smaller frags....after splitting them up each reacted differently depending on location. You may want to try moving it to a more preferable spot and see if there is any improvement...I have noticied that mine tends to do better in a little less direct lighting and a moderate current. Whenever mine have been in direct light they seem to withdraw a bit and don't extend as much.Same sort of situation for the frogspawn....I've never been able to keep a frogspawn(2 died due to sudden hightemps)...but I do have a large hammer and torch that do very well. Again the problem may very well be location. Mine prefer direct lighting and a stronger current.....just to compare my lighting is 2x110 03 actinic vho's & 4x65 10k pc's...current is on the high side and random.(ph's turn over the system approx 10 times per hr)....sounds to me like it may simply be a matter of adjusting to the lighting and location if there is not any noticeable tissue damage or if they are not receding.
Sounds like a well planned and developed system!!!

 

[tvan]

I don't know if this is going to help but, is it possible the frog spawn stung any of the other corals I've heard the can be problem children.
HTH Tom

 

[deucey]

thanks NM i have rearanged things bit and i will be getting that new mag drive 7 installed as soon as it comes.......i hope all the corals make it....the only thing that i have noticed receading is my Flower Pot but hey i guess that is to be expected huh......oh well thanks for the input and if anyone has any other ideas please feel free!!! thanks guys.....

 

[ironreef]

IME you can have to much lighting. maybe not for most sps ,clams which an suck alot of light and calcium .But my green open brain doesn't like full halide. IME I had dark green frogspan= under just vho 440w. It would remain dark but not very thick. But under 250w halides and vho it would lighten up but the branches would get denser. Sometimes colors darken when not recieving very much light. they change different color shades under different lighting. IMO if they still grow I wouldn't worry. If they bleach/die then i would think it maybe to much lighting for the corals you keep.

 

[deucey]

yeah my frog spawn still opens and acts pretty normal...it doesn't open as large as it used to..but it does have thinker, denser branchs.....it is some lighter...and the finger leather is lighter in color but it still opens and all the feelers come out like normal...it is just lighter in color....CAN A LEATHER BLEACH??
THANKS FOR THE INPUT IRON REEF!

 

[coraltrapper5020]

I have both a leather and a frog spawn, under temp lighting of 36watt pc and a 20watt marine glow NO. My leather takes up over half my 29 and turns white in the polyps. My frog spawn opens and waves its polps but look yellow. The leather is Yellow Fuji"So I was told." and my Frog spaw was green at first. I also use c balance. But the both still look great. I just want my pc bulbs.