Reef Without Lighting

[shibby]

how long can a reef last without lights on??

somehow i managed to blow both bulbs, changed bulbs dosent work so somethings blown in the actual starter or fuse, if anyone has an idea also what could of blown that would help!!

so i need to figure out how to fix it or get a replacment lid somehow!

 

[n3ont3tra]

They should be able to last a while, in QT and in most LFS they only get standard strip lights and they are okay. If you can't get any new lights soon and are worried about the corals, see if your LFS will hold them for you.

 

[pengy666]

I reckon 24-36 hours would be ok, just keep your heater on?

the normal daylight will stop it freaking out!

I think you need a starter if they aint working? I'm sure an ordinary starter for flourecent will be ok? I'm presuming T5's right?

sounds silly but you checked fuse in plug??

If you completely stuck I can pop round and look if you like? two heads better than one?

PM me if you like ?
I work in weston?

let me know before tomorrow and I can take other car into work!

 

[Musho3210]

many people have their lights off for 3 days in a row every few months and have shown great results with it, less algae etc, storm clouds can block light in the wild.

 

[SkiFletch]

3 days at least, perhaps more like 4-5 even. Like Musho said, a 3-day blackout is very often used to treat algae outbreaks.

Your ballast/starter is clearly the problem. Look into getting a new one

 

[shibby]

cool cheers for the replys im hoping weve got a spare aq3 lid at work so il ring and check that, also il replace the fuse in plug. and if needed i can try and get a space free in my main tank, since the puffer should be okay with a few of the corals.

 

[Lynden]

The puffer won't eat your corals, man.

 

[shibby]

i no im now happy he wont i just cant be botherd to bag them up and move them i think it may do more harm then good if i did!!!


i depict the puffer as evil, he did eat my shrimp but hes 100x better so will never go

 

[Lynden]

Yup.

 

[shibby]

well my attempt to get another lid failed at work we expected 16 aq3's to turn up of which i could have a lid from one and in the end 0 turned up. so i have 2 options move them in the main tank which i dont wanna do since its too much hassle and there mainly attached to rocks here there and everywhere or use my tropical light which is just white and on a tropical tank. decisions!!

its been 5 days now ive taken the lid off to give them sunlight but theyve all gone back in and drooped now since weve had hardly any strong sunlight!

 

[pengy666]

oh dude its a right dilemma!!

hope you sort it out!

 

[SkiFletch]

Get the tropical light on there... Better than nothing

 

[shibby]

just put on the tropical light its a t5 so not all bad i could try and get a marine t5 if the lids havent come in by tomorow!

i can add lights to the growing list of technolgy that hates me ... tv, camera, toaster, mp3 player all of which have broken on me recently


hopefully my bush and toadstall will stop being so droopy and come out now they have some light.