corals getting lighter?

[prodman]

I recently switched out my 3- 250w de setup for a 2-400w setup. Only to change back to the 250s 1 week later. After changing back I increased the photo period a little bit. And since I feel that my coral colors are looking a little washed out. I suspect too much light as th culprit. The part I am unshure about is was it the 400w lights that did it or the 250s? the change did not happen as far as I can tell until several days after I took the 400s off.
My photo period is as follows
2- atinics 3 hrs before and after mh
1-20k blv 8hrs
2-14k blv 5 hrs
I increased the atinics to 12hrs and the 20k for 1 hr.
Thanks

[CAReefer]

Try raising the lights for a few days and see what happens. Just like our skin, It is not the length of time we are in the sun, It is the intensity of the sun were in. You get just as burned being outside for 1 hour in midday as you would all day. In other words it is not the length of time the bulbs are on, it is the intensity. Especially going back to a DE fixture that point a more intense cone of light directly below the fixture. Is there any correlation between the corals that are lightening vs the placement of the reflectors? If so, this would be a clue.

I am by no means an expert, just regurgitating some of the things I have learned over the years and read on the various boards.

HTH
Marshal

[Orion76]

You get just as burned being outside for 1 hour in midday as you would all day. In other words it is not the length of time the bulbs are on, it is the intensity.

Actually that's not entirely correct. You will get sun burned much more severely the longer you stay in the sun if you have not built up resistance against its intensity.

The same goes for corals. It's a combination of length of photoperiod and intensity.

[CAReefer]

IF you have not built up the resistance. I'm speaking more from a first day out in the sun aspect. I was just trying to illustrated that the spot par readings from a DE pendant are going to be higher than the SE bulbs. Thanks for helping me clarify that.

Marshal

[The Kid]

Try keeping the 400 watt MH lamps 16 in. from the top of the tank and keep the photo period around 5 hours a day . As I have also missused these laps they are verry strong,

[prodman]

Whatever the previous problem was it seems to have gone away. My coral colors are back and better than ever.

[cookie extreme]

Actually that's not entirely correct. You will get sun burned much more severely the longer you stay in the sun if you have not built up resistance against its intensity.

The same goes for corals. It's a combination of length of photoperiod and intensity.

disagree with you. if you live in new zealand you will get badly burned in the middle of the day due to the ozone hole in a very short time, i never got burned so fast and badly in the hottest sun while living in europe (18 years)and holidaying on the Med. as in NZ. i would say that the same applies to M/H lighting it just depends on the bulb and ballast.