Lower light for corals

[eferna]

When you goto a LFS and buy corals they usually have then under MH lighting. I was wondering if there is any effect on the corals being bought back to you home and put under less light.

[Sahin]

I thought about this too.

But I always buy the stuff thats on the lower racks in my LFS.  Even though its MH lighting, the lower racks are about 1 meter below the MH lighting so the intensity cant be that much greater than the lighting in my tank. Where dist from light source to subtrate is only 12 inches...compare that to 1 meters depth.

 

So I think its alright.  Maybe slightly less but I am sure the corals can adapt.

[SLOreefer]

its not a big deal since the corals are usually not in there for any more than a week anyway. they dont have much time to adapt to the lfs tank so it shouldnt be a problem. however if your tanks lighting is much more intense i do recomommend acclimating a bit.

[printerdown01]

If they have been under MH for a long time, and then are moved to a lower lighting level you will notice a decrease in pigment intensity. The pigments are actually sunscreens (well we think), and if they are not needed they will be shed. And it would follow that a coral under MH would need more "sunscreen" than a coral under 27W of PC (If distance was held approx constant of course),

[JIM27]

As SLOreefer said, the corals arn't usually their for a long time so they won't be used to the lighting. Most of my experiences with corals originally under MH lighting have been successful. The frogspawn I bought about a month ago ar double the size they were at the lfs(under MH).