can corals be affected by new lights?

slysock · 02-04-2008, 07:47 PM

my pulsing xenia is starting to bend in places and a couple of small green star polyps have opened up, like their mouths open and white. could adding a new light have shocked them?

panmanmatt · 02-04-2008, 07:49 PM

Did you increase your lighting or just change the bulb?

Any change in lighting could affect the corals.

slysock · 02-04-2008, 07:57 PM

i changed the lighting, i quadrupled it. im guessing that was bad to do

BigAl07 · 02-04-2008, 07:59 PM

with ANY light changes you need to acclimate your tank to the new conditions. this even included replacing old worn out bulbs. You can RAISE the light further from the tank or use window screen material (several layers to dim the light) and remove a layer every few days. This lets the corals acclimate to increasing light intensity. Corals are similar to us humans... an increase in sun-light will actually hurt them if it's not done slowly and deliberately.

panmanmatt · 02-04-2008, 07:59 PM

Did you acclimate the corals to the new lighting? I'm guessing not. lol

I would add 3-4 sheets of fiberglass window screen between the lights and tank. Remove 1 layer each week until they are all gone.

Varga · 02-04-2008, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slysock

my pulsing xenia is starting to bend in places and a couple of small green star polyps have opened up, like their mouths open and white. could adding a new light have shocked them?

sly,

yes, i just had this problem. 3-4 weeks ago I added halides after 5 months of pc lighting. pulsing Xenias are still semi closed. all other corals took a week or so to come back to normal. i even started with halides on for only one hour per day and now they are on around 7 hours per day.

some small rocks with tiny zoo's died off completely! even my clown fish are not crazy about the new lighting, after a few hours they hide in dark spots.

good luck.

slysock · 02-04-2008, 09:23 PM

thanks. where might i be able to buy this screening?

panmanmatt · 02-04-2008, 09:27 PM

Any hardware store will sell it. It is the same screen used to repair window screens.

Varga · 02-04-2008, 09:42 PM

wouldn't the screen melt?

thanks

panmanmatt · 02-04-2008, 09:45 PM

slysock · 02-04-2008, 10:21 PM

thanks so much, this should really help me i hope my xenia and other corals pull through this.

Frankie · 02-04-2008, 10:42 PM

Keep the lighting off for now until you get the screen. They can go a day or so without light.

slysock · 02-04-2008, 11:00 PM

ok. the light is off. ill get some tomarrow before school. how many layers should be put in front of the light?

Frankie · 02-04-2008, 11:19 PM

That is a good question. I would turn the light on and see how it looks adding one at a time until i thought i put to many on. then back off one. I have never done this myself. I put my timers on a cycle and let my coals get one more hour for 8 days until i was up to 8 hours. That is how i went from 175 mh to 250. Worked great for me. i had the t'5's on as normal 10 hours.

slysock · 02-04-2008, 11:39 PM

hmm
how much do you think this screen runs for?

02-04-2008, 07:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
slysock Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: calistoga Posts: 296 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	can corals be affected by new lights? my pulsing xenia is starting to bend in places and a couple of small green star polyps have opened up, like their mouths open and white. could adding a new light have shocked them?

02-04-2008, 07:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,028 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? Did you increase your lighting or just change the bulb? Any change in lighting could affect the corals. __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

02-04-2008, 07:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
slysock Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: calistoga Posts: 296 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? i changed the lighting, i quadrupled it. im guessing that was bad to do

02-04-2008, 07:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
BigAl07 Reef Addict (hopeless) Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 12,665 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? with ANY light changes you need to acclimate your tank to the new conditions. this even included replacing old worn out bulbs. You can RAISE the light further from the tank or use window screen material (several layers to dim the light) and remove a layer every few days. This lets the corals acclimate to increasing light intensity. Corals are similar to us humans... an increase in sun-light will actually hurt them if it's not done slowly and deliberately. __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. >((((º> Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...(-NO3=WC%) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!! Allen's testimonial . . ."Let Me help you help YOURSELF" (Click Here) Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Now in STORAGE and Dry-Docked BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

02-04-2008, 07:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,028 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? Did you acclimate the corals to the new lighting? I'm guessing not. lol I would add 3-4 sheets of fiberglass window screen between the lights and tank. Remove 1 layer each week until they are all gone. __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

02-04-2008, 09:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
slysock Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: calistoga Posts: 296 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? thanks. where might i be able to buy this screening?

02-04-2008, 09:27 PM	#8 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,028 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? Any hardware store will sell it. It is the same screen used to repair window screens. __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

02-04-2008, 09:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
Varga Golden Moray Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,312 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? wouldn't the screen melt? thanks

02-04-2008, 09:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
panmanmatt Golden Moray Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 2,028 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? nope __________________ The mind is like a parachute, it only works when opened. (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(")

02-04-2008, 10:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
slysock Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: calistoga Posts: 296 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? thanks so much, this should really help me i hope my xenia and other corals pull through this.

02-04-2008, 10:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
Frankie Angel Girl's Daddy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: The End Of The World Posts: 8,499 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? Keep the lighting off for now until you get the screen. They can go a day or so without light. __________________ If we ignore the environment maybe it will just go away....

02-04-2008, 11:00 PM	#13 (permalink)
slysock Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: calistoga Posts: 296 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? ok. the light is off. ill get some tomarrow before school. how many layers should be put in front of the light?

02-04-2008, 11:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
Frankie Angel Girl's Daddy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: The End Of The World Posts: 8,499 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? That is a good question. I would turn the light on and see how it looks adding one at a time until i thought i put to many on. then back off one. I have never done this myself. I put my timers on a cycle and let my coals get one more hour for 8 days until i was up to 8 hours. That is how i went from 175 mh to 250. Worked great for me. i had the t'5's on as normal 10 hours. __________________ If we ignore the environment maybe it will just go away....

02-04-2008, 11:39 PM	#15 (permalink)
slysock Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: calistoga Posts: 296 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: can corals be affected by new lights? hmm how much do you think this screen runs for?

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