Is There Such A Thing

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FishGeek

Elite Fish
#1
May 13, 2005
4,294
5
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38
South Carolina
#1
I am wondering if there is such a thing as too much light for a tank. Right now my 12G tank has 130W. I am looking to lower it a bit. I am looking at getting the 20" version of this light. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11418&N=2004+113345
Is that ok? I just think that there is WAY too much light on this little tank. Please post answers and help me ASAP. Thanks.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#5
You can have too much light, though it's difficult in all practicality. What do you have? What do you have, compact fluor?

It's more easy to have totally excessive that altho' it isn't harmful isn't doing too much good. It's limited returns beyond a point
 

lordroad

lordroad

Large Fish
#6
Sep 2, 2004
989
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43
Shelby, NC
www.joshday.com
#6
I have a green mushroom that's never done well because it's too high in the tank, too close to my 96 watt lights. It's a faded, almost orange color and never truly extends.

Also zoos may bleach under extreme high lighting.

I should probably move that mushroom now that I think about it, ha.

Guppy, I'd keep that lighting and just arrange your corals on the very bottom, maybe even set up some shading.

These lights would be great for a crocea clam placed atop some rocks. I'm doing this right now in my ten gallon and the new growth on the clam is pretty amazing.

Edit: I have compact fluorescents, 50/50. In larger tanks, metal halides are usually the norm for croceas, which need the most light out of the giant clams, but mine's about 4.5 inches under the light and isn't lacking.
 

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F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#7
May 13, 2005
4,294
5
0
38
South Carolina
#7
F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#9
May 13, 2005
4,294
5
0
38
South Carolina
#9
Here is what the tank looks like now. My montipora is turning white (I just noticed it). There is also a pic of my Green Candy Coral. It is doing much better now that it is in my other tank. The one in the pic that is dead already was dead when I bought it (I didnt notice it until I bought it) Anywayz, it was the 2 on the bottom that were starting to die.
 

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lordroad

lordroad

Large Fish
#10
Sep 2, 2004
989
7
0
43
Shelby, NC
www.joshday.com
#10
Unfortunately, I'm only familar enough with zoanthids to offer any further advice...

I have some industry standard brown buttom polyps that were looking pretty ugly for a while... bleached and faded. I broke up the rock colony and moved them to two different locations, making an ad hoc experiment. One I put under the "shade" of a powerhead, and the other I put in the path of stronger water movement.

The half that was shaded is doing much better, but that's not enough to draw a fair conclusion on anything.

Wish I could help you out more!
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#15
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
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#15
I don't think too much light is your problem, I think it's more likely water quality. Your tank is still going through a few stages of different algaes, and until you get that sorted out and in balance you're going to struggle to keep many corals alive. I see the zo's have algal overgrowth. You need corals from a back lagoon or other dirty enviroment at this point. I am not surprised the monti has bleached

Things like zo's and monti's are generally pretty resistant to excessive lighting - they can stand exposure out of watert o direct sunlight at low tides, so I doubt a 130W of PC fluor is going to bleach them. Most corals that appear in the trade are collected in very shallow water, especially the cheaper pieces.
 

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