Lighting question from a NooB

[KorD]

I am somewhat new to the saltwater tank, and have had this tank for a month now.
There is one problem I am having and I think my lighting is too strong for what I want to keep.

My tank was pre cycled at the LFS (as a display). They are a good group of people I have felt with in the past for a few years.

The tank is 4gal, housing a plethora of things from
a clown fish
two shrimp (peppermint & Sexy)
hermit crabs
Lavender Clove polyp
mushrooms
Red finger gorgonion
a zoanthid
nassarius snails

I tried to add a torch polyp and within a week the thing started to drop dead. I had it out of the major current like they said and even tried to block it from the majority of the light when I noticed it got ill.

How can I tell how powerful my lighting is to see if that is what chased it's demise?

The light that they gave to me with the tank is an Aqua Top HiaYang LED-50

This is the only info I could find on the light.
URL is here: http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2010Q1/HaiYang_LED_SNL450.jpg

Any help you can in giving me would be greatly appreciated. Even if it is to toss that light to the curb and get a different one.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I haven't the faintest idea which one you have there, as the one you posted doesn't match any listed in that pic. But I'm going to assume that the PL means planted tank LED unit, and not meant for Marine tanks. Don't really know. But if it is meant for a Reef, its not what killed your Torch coral, as the torch needs more light than your current inhabitants do. Im thinking water quality might have done it. Can you post your parameters, such as.
Ammonia
Nitrites
Nitrates
Phosphates
SG
Temp
Cal
Mag
Alk
PH
And, how did you acclimate the coral to your tank?

 

[KorD]

Thanks for the write back.. I thought I was lost in the sea of threads. I have the SN-300 model.
I do not have all the parameters. I will be getting a small test kit for checking all the levels. I am new and impressionable so I have been taking my water sample to the LFS for testing. They have said all my levels could not be better.
Now the question is how much BS are they blowing back at me.. After the death of the torch, I will be keeping a record on everything done to the tank and the levels.
Sorry That I could not be of more help.

 

[KorD]

Sorry almost forgot.

Everything in the take was set up for months at the LFS when I bought it.. I got it home and did what they said.

For the torch… I acclimated him gently.. slowly adding water to the bag he was in for 2 hours. placing him in a lower lighted area of the tank (being a pico, most of the tank is brightly light), and then gently moving him to his home where I wanted him.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Ok, acclimated him good. Now we just gotta wait to see what those parameters are.
You may have caused a minor cycle with the move, just a guess. And that light should be plenty.

 

[KorD]

I just didn't know if I needed a darker environment for him.. It seems like all the LFS stores keep they frags under darker lights with more blue.
I have a kit on order right now. It should be her in a few days and I can let you know the outcome.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, more and more we are shifting into the bluer range, more 4:1 blue to white range, as this is where the corals get the majority of the light from. I can't really tell what you've got on there, but it won't kill the corals, its got enough wattage to them. But, it may not be in the correct spetrum.

 

[Tek]

When you explain how the torch look when it died or the progression after you set it up? Did it ever open? Did it shrink when the light was on and opened when lights were off? Did it just melt or fell apart slowly?

 

[Tek]

How are your other corals?