How long can corals go without light?

[MyNameIsJoe]

I just recently acquired some frags from an associate:
1- purple mushroom
1- hairy mushroom
5- Kenya trees
3- zoa polyps

These are the very first pieces i have owned. today, unfortunately my lights were accidentally dropped into the water. DOH!!. I am going to need to order some new lights of course but they may take a week to get in. Currently i have a 75watt flood light on one side and a cheap 18watt 24" light on the other side of my standard 55 gallon.
How long do you guys think these frags will last? I'm hoping I can salvage them, but the outlook doesnt seem to be bright. Also, if I feed them phytoplankton, will that help extend their survival 'till my new lights arrive? Any suggestions, other than going to the LFS and paying up the wazzoooo for lights?

thanks

-joe

[twisted]

im sure ill be corrected if wrong, but i dont think you'll have too much trouble as long as you are lightless for too long. if they were acclimated well before adding to your tank, i think you'll be fine. check out foster and smith. they are having a sale on some current lights. if you are real worried about them, maybe get a few cfls in a blue spectrum and white. the spiral ones. it might help...good luck

[gregony]

How'd they do?

[MyNameIsJoe]

so far all corals are still alive, not thriving, but alive. All I have on them is the two 18watt t-12's that they sell at walmart. The kenya tree frags and the mushrooms seem to be acting normal. However, the polyps are closing up a lot and seem to be losing their color. All are still alive though. I should be getting my lights this week and hopefully everything will blossom a little more.

[sunken3]

shrooms and zoas can go a while under minimal light /bad light.. as long as your water is ok, these guys are HARDY. I've piled rocks on top of them before or lost them into the back crevices of my tank for months.. only to find them still holding on.. they may not thrive, but they are unlikely to die..