10000K Light Out- Need Serious Help

[lasek2k1]

Hey people. Well my tank is starting to hit disaster. To keep the topic narrow, the 10000K bulb on my coralife blew out and I don't even know when. The guy I had coming over to my house didn't do a very good job nor noticed the color of the lighting during the day. And of all the things I had to worry about went wrong- I don't think he fed the tank properly.

Anyway to get back on track, since the 10000 went out, my toadstool mushroom is slowly dying and I don't think he will make it. You would think I should just go out and get a new bulb but its a little more complicated. My parents got back from vactaion this morning but I got stay back for a few more weeks. I'm in CA whereas they are in PA. They called me in the mornig and gave me all the bad news. So they are pretty tired and have to worry about unpacking and making sure their expensive souvenirs aren't broken. The LFS is about 40 minutes away and they are a bit jet-lagged.

Main question is how long can the tank go on Actinics alone- considering that the mushroom might die so I would only worry about the fish's interal day/night cycle.

Also, how hard is it to change the bulb on the Coralife? Along with the bulb they need to get, should they get those bands also? I'm not sure if they break easy or not. This will be the first time we change the bulb. Can you write down any tips please. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[malkore]

Well I'm no coral expert, but most mushrooms I know of are low light. They may not flourish under half normal wattage, which is why they look bad right now...they're confused about the day night cycle (fish will be ok though)

As for the bulb...it's easy. Slide the cover off, remove the retaining bands, pop the bulb off the clips then unplug it from the 'plug' inside, plug in the new bulb, put back on the brackets and put the retaining bands back on. They are silicone so they shouldn't break easily..but if they are really old they may need replacing...should be $5 for a 4pack of those. If this is the first time you've changed the bulb, the fixture's probably 2 years old, so the band are probably still in good shape.

 

[revhtree]

How long has it been without the light?

Also how many watts is the light that went out, and how many more watts of light do you have on the tank? Is it just the actinic?

 

[lasek2k1]

How long has the tank been without the 10000- I don't know. The guy never bothered to call and tell me.

I only have 2 bulbs. The 36W 10000 and the 36W Actinic. Thats all.

 

[Brenden]

I think you will be fine if it is replaced in the next day or so. Look at it this way. There is not full sun in the ocean every single day of the year.