?? for SPS people

[Awibrandy]

Need to understand something that may have a simple answer or none at all.
I've had these sps frags for about a year doing nicely 3 days ago a friend was stopping by, and I thought I'd wake them up earlier then usual. Normal light cycle is 10 AM to 11 PM 96 watts of PC - 5 PM to 10 PM 250 watts X 3 MH except for Tuesday: when I manually turned the MH 1/2 hour after the PC. I then left the house and totally forgot to turn off the MH. Consequently the lights were on until 9 PM when I returned home to find the first coral with 2 bleached out branches. The next morning to my horror all the flesh was simply melting off of the coral. The second coral lost a branch to what ever this is.
None of the other corals seem affected. I have a total of 17 sps frags including the 2 that have been injured. Not counting montie or caps.
The only other change was a small water change in months. Small because it has been months and I didn't want to shock the animals.

Do you guys think I burned the coral, or could it have been the w/c? Also, do you think there is the slightest chance it may regrow the skin?(doubted)

This is a 155 gallon RR Bow Front mixed reef, 4-koralias 4, eheim 1260 & Eheim WDRLT 40 returns.
Parameters as follows:
Sept. 18, 2009

following 20 gallon water change 9/15/2009

11:30 AM
PH 8.3
Temp 77
Ammonia 0
Trite 0
Trate 0
Cal 450
Alk 9.6 dkH
Mag 1260
Sept. 4, 2009 12:46 PM
Sal 1.025
PH 8.6 - may have been false reading (calibrated meter 9/17/09)
Temp. 78
Sal. 1.025
Ammonia 0
Trite 0
Trate 0
Cal 475
Alk 8 dkH
Mag 1260

 

[Quang]

wait, so your metal halides were on for 3 days straight? Err... I think it was definitely the lights.

 

[jackson6745]

If I understand correctly your normal MH photoperiod is 5 hours and that one day it was on for 10 1/2 hrs ???

That would do it Awilida. The first one is toast. The second coral should recover. If you see algae growing on that one branch, frag it off.

 

[Awibrandy]

Of course not Quang. :tongue1:

If I understand correctly your normal MH photoperiod is 5 hours and that one day it was on for 10 1/2 hrs ???

That would do it Awilida. The first one is toast. The second coral should recover. If you see algae growing on that one branch, frag it off.

Rich, you got it. I was pretty sure that was what happened to it. What a stupid mistake to make.:irked: Caused this beautiful poor animals live. For now on, lights will stay on their timers schedules.
Thanks Rich!!