My new carpet anemones...

[Scrandrew]

...So, I decided to throw caution to the wind and break the bank. First, I caved and purchased a blue carpet anemone. I put it in the tank and it initially did very well, for about 10 days or so. However, each day, it appeared to be opening less and less. About 10 days later, the second carpet arrived, the red one. Becuase by the time I got the second red one I was very worried about the first blue one, I made a change.

Initially, I had the blue carpet sitting directly below a 400 watt 10,000 K metal halide bulb in a 29 inch tall 210 gallon reef tank. The change? Instead of the metal halide bulb, I replaced it with a few t5's that I had in a different fixture.

Since then, the blue carpet has been opneing much more. In fact, it is open much more, about twice as much, as it had been open in the previous days. That being said, and I guess I am asking an obvious question, is there such thing as too much light? My two new carpets seem to be doing very well...and are wide open, under 4 t5's. Thoughts?

 

[2Addicted]

I always acclimate new anemones to the lights. You can use multiple layers of window screening above the tank and remove a layer about every 5 days.

 

[Haddonisreef]

I always acclimate new anemones to the lights. You can use multiple layers of window screening above the tank and remove a layer about every 5 days.

+1 i have a blue and red! Mine are under 120 watt leds! Lets see some pics bro!

 

[devildog999]

+1 on pics

 

[D-Nak]

I'm assuming you're talking about haddoni and not gigantea (I've never seen a red one anyway). Gigantea tolerate a lot of light since they are often found in very shallow water.

After your haddoni are used to the T5s, I'm guessing that you can swap you halide back in and have an easier time getting them used to the higher intensity using the window screen technique described by 2addicted.

 

[Mabyboi]

It's not a matter of "too much light" Its just "too much light too quickly", you'd be better off acclimating them to the lights, using less powerful ones to start and then switching them out for more powerful ones later on.

 

[Scrandrew]

I guess the logical follow up is:

If I could successfully keep the carpets, which by the way are Haddoni, under less powerful lighting, then why would I want to use more powerful lighting? Obviously, I am saddled with the power sucking 400 watt MH's at least until I opt to replace them. Your comments of gradually increasing the light make sense. But again, if I could get away with less, shoiuld I? Are haddoni carpets, and any coral for that matter, happier under more powerful lighting? I visited a fellow hobbyist whose tank is illuminated by LEDs. The LEDs do not produce the same power of lighting that my monsters do. However, even though the light was not as powerful, his corals absolutely glowed.

I have been active in this hobby for nearly 15 years. It was always my theory to blind the tank with light. I have been successful for the most part. In fact, I have had some SPS that have matured from a single frag to the size of a basketball. But, the appearance of my coral under halides is substantially different than the appearance of the same coral under different lighting.

I know this post is slowly shifting into a lighting post, but, please bear with me. I purchased a frag of SPS from a fellow hobbyist. In his tank, the frag displayed multiple colors - he had LEDs. I then put the same coral under my 400 watt MHs. The color shifted to tan with purple tips. It is growing, but, I can say unequviocally that the thing looked better in his tank.

I am just beginning to think with the haddonis that even though more might work, less might be better. Which anemone is perceived as healthier, one that is thriving under high lighting, or one that is thriving under lower lighting? Is there any detriment to the lower lighting? I pose this question of the din of the electrical meter spinning on the side of my house.

Thanks for the replies! I will work on the pics.

 

[Scrandrew]

That should read, "...as the din of the electrical meter is spinning on the side of my house."

I also notice that some corals thrive and others do not. Palythoa and Zoas do not open in my tank. SPS that extend their polyps in the tanks of others only extend them in the night in my tank.

Thoughts?

 

[marc price]

In general S. haddoni doesn't require a great deal of light, E. quadricolor BTA , LPS light levels are fine. Although i have been told the Blue morph are collected in shallower water so use more lighting with them, still T5's would do. Try it and let us know how you make out, you can always add more.

 

[Tmoriarty]

Your lights do not touch the par values of the sun even using 400w MH's. You still have to acclimate them to the light because it is more focused in certain spectrums depending on the bulbs. LED's use less watts not because it is less light but because they are more efficient. LED's can run towards 100lumens/w where as MH's are far less, 50-70lumens/w. In most cases 250w worth of LED's is equal to 500w of MH, thats why LED users get away with less wattage. Hope that all makes sense.

 

[lil_man72]

colors changing in your tank may have to do with water more than light.
i've had corals change color due to both.
most anemones don't need as much light as sps.