Metal Halide too much for softies

I recently started a new tank which included a 150w 14K HQI pendant. I've never had lighting this strong on tanks in the past. I prefer to keep soft corals, mushrooms, buttons, etc. but I'm getting concerned this lighting is too strong. I've had various mushrooms in the tank for two weeks now and they don't seem to be expanding as much as I thought they should. All are close to the bottom of the tank. The tank is 20 inches deep. Water flow is moderate to low at that level. Water quality is good SG - 1.024, ph 8.4, No 2 & No 3 both 0, amm 0 (that's all I have tests for). I do have 3 Ricordia heads in various places, low in the tank, and THEY are reaching for the light. But the mushrooms seem blah. Any ideas?

 

Sounds to me like they're just getting used to the new intense light. How long has it been over the tank?

 

i run a 150w HQI over my 10 gallon and my muchrooms dont need to expand as much as they used to, im pretty sure your talking about when they stretch up to get the light?? with a halide they really dont need to stretch, as long as they dont shrivle up you are good.

 

The mushrooms have only been in my tank 2 weeks. The seem like they've shrunk somewhat and are not opening very well since I first got them. The whole tank has only been set up for about 7 weeks so the light is new.

 

7 weeks??? thats way to young to be adding any livestock, did you start up the tank yourself? what are your params?

 

Softies are good starters, they should make it ok. I had a 150w over my 30 long and they got huge eventually.

 

Mushrooms tend to look a little "blah" at times when under MHs, nano tanks esp, have rough times keeping mushies w/ MH. Since you tank would technically fall under the nano category I would keep them at the bottom and try to "shade" them if possible. They also tend to do better w/ more dissolved organics, as do other softies exp xenia. On the plus side it is probably better you are using MH instead of T5 because the way MH light refracts there WILL be areas that aren't as "bright" where as T5 is intense all over.

 

my dad has some shrooms only 6 inches below a 250 watt, i thought they would die but there doing ok have alot more intense blue color now

 

To be exact I actually have had the tank set up for 8 weeks now, had to go back and look at my log. As of a few minutes ago my params are:

temp 79
SG 1.024
PH 8.4
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
Amm - 0

My tank was set up with 40 lbs of live sand and 30 lbs cured live rock that was pretty well established already. Plus I have live rock rubble in my filter instead of bio-balls. I've set up tanks like that in the past and had very good luck with quick cycles. I decided to move my mushrooms from the center of the tank, directly under the light to the far right and lowered them to the very bottom (about a 3 inch drop down from where the were before. The first picture was a BEFORE the move, the second is a day after the move. Much better now, although the frilly type mushrooms haven't opened quite as much yet.

 

I'll try to figure out the light situation. My past tanks had PCs and were also much bigger so I think I just have to adapt my thinking a little and not make assumptions from my past experiences . The tank came with the MH as part of a package. However I do think the overall color of the tank seems washed out compared to tanks I've had under the PCs. I do like the shimmer however. That is pretty cool.

Thanks to everyone for their words of advice!