I have to disagree with you on the lighting period Dan not to sound negitive to your post , let's look at the sun when its out you are getting Omega A and B in which the corals take from. When its cloudy out you are still getting B rays, not the Alpha rays. SO in true terms turning the lights totally off you are depleting the corals of any Alpha or Beta rays. and then that is where the corals tissues are lacking the proper sun light. causing them to grow and convert sun light in to growing tissues.

Fish will not starve, they can go weeks without food acctually.

Tinfoil? Ya as long as its not touching the water should be fine. Don't have a bath towel you can stretch over?

I agree, cloudy still has some light. Was more of an example I guess. Main hting is I read alot on lights out before i tried it too, On RC, and a few other fis forums. Alot of people reccomend it and 2-3 days wont harm anything, was a common consensus between them all

no worries my friend I remember about reading about that too. I thought that i had Dino's too one day it came and then it went within 3 days it was gone, I was lucky compared to some of the tank that i have seen. I here that a guy went 4 days with out light and put his lights on full day light time and had no problems. But at the end of the day not every tank is the same.

Well, I'm going to try 2-3 days and see if there is any improvement - if so I will continue. I could stretch a towel over, yeah....what if I just close the blinds (it's downstairs - very little light comes in that window anyhow and it's around the corner from it) and block off the sides of the tank? Moonlights too I guess?
It just makes me nervous putting anything over the tank.

Oh my poor clam will be so sad...Oh well, at least other ppl have gotten thru this!

Keri why not try the blue light trick only at night, I read about it somewhere that if you use just the moonlights you are getting some lights but not enough to trigger the DINo's I can't remember where that was i read it I think it was in the bible of Reefing on RC.

Ya Moonlights might be enough light to help corals but not feed Dino. I havn't got my moonlights done yet so cant say for sure

I will try this! Thanks.

Corals will be fine for 2-3 days but a week is pushing it. But dinos will likely survive 2-3 days lights-out. Try it first maybe, but don't be surprised if they come back, if they do, prepare for a longer period.

Moonlights will do zilch for coral photosynthesis. They would only be useful to see what's happening in the tank.