Too Much Light?

[Demodiki]

As you can see, this coral appears to be very washed out. I think because it is getting too much light. I have a 90 gallon tank with 6 over driven T5s (IceCap ballasts). I don't have a ton of rock in the tank and I'm not sure where to put him. All parameters are fine: 1.025, 420/9, 0 nitrates.

You can see the candy cane to the left not open as well. This is just a small piece that has branched...it grows like crazy but it just doesn't open. On the bigger piece, the polyps at the bottom, out of the light, are open. Someone suggested that I take the reflectors off of my lights to reduce the brightness. That seems like such a step backwards! Anyway...any ideas? Thanks!

[Brooks]

You could try shading it, but it doesn't sound like you've got too much light.

[Starsprinkle Rainbowsmile]

Does your light still work without a bulb or two?  If so, and you really think it is the light, you could try removing a bulb.  I've also heard of cheap, or bad bulbs browning out corals, but I don't know too much about that.

[JeffT]

What bulb combo are you using and how old are they?

[tmelhiser]

I'm making a few guesses here, but your 90g is probably 48" wide. So I am guessing your t5 fixtures are 48" as well, which puts them at 54w each.

What kind of wattage does an over-driven t5 put out? Even if it was 50% over driven that only puts it at 81w per bulb... for a total of 486w, or 5.4w per gallon.

Those numbers don't seem like too much light for that tank. But if they are, I am quite concerned about my lighting situation.

I'd +1 the bulb condition as my first suspect.

-t

[+dapettit]

Could be old bulbs. How is your pH?

[Demodiki]

This is my bulb combination. I just replaced the bulbs in January from Reef Geek.

1 x 54W 6500K Daylight T5 HO Fluorescent (GE0005) by General Electric = $14.95

4 x 54W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent (ATI1013) by ATI = $83.80

1 x 54W Fiji Purple T5 HO Fluorescent (KZ0005) by Korallen Zucht = $29.95

I haven't checked the PH in a long time.

[Brooks]

You run a in a very blue spectrum, so I don't think your issue is too much light. Is it in a high flow, or low flow area? Maybe it isn't getting ENOUGH light. You could try moving it up.

[tmelhiser]

Well, as I was reading about "over drive" for t5's, I learned that doing that will make them need to be replaced faster. So if a 6month cycle is normal for a t5, I would think these are just about at there end of life before the spectrum shift.

-t

[Demodiki]

Those numbers don't seem like too much light for that tank. But if they are, I am quite concerned about my lighting situation.

-t

I know, I know I am grasping at straws . The truth is that the coral has never looked great...it should have a nice burgundy color. I know I am also trying to tie in the candy cane coral as having the same issue when it may be something completely different.

[+dapettit]

Low pH levels will cause browning and burning of your corals (I found out the hard way). I would check your pH. I also think your lighting in on the blueside. You might want to added an additional 10K. . .

Just my opinion.

[dclegern]

nothing for nothing, but 3-3.5w of full spectrum/10k or higher + a couple of blues.....should make your tank purrrr.......

throw the 6500 out, and get 4 good Geismann bulbs. ( thus roughly 250w whats of true) and keep your two actinics for aesthetic purposes.(thus roughly 130 of color enhancement)

should keep things rockin' along just fine.