Acclimating Tank to New lighting !!REVISITED!!

[cj10488]

Ok so I am getting my new lights here in 2 days.. Wooo hoooo can't wait.. Anyways I am going from 6x55watt PC to 2x250watt MH bulbs using the Xm 10k bulbs on a 55gal... The MH lights are going to be retrofit into the old canopy which means I have to remove at least 2 of the 55watt pc bulbs but was planning on removing 4 of them... What is going to be the best way to acclimate the entire tank over to this new Intense lighting.. I must stress that the 4 old PC lights Have to come out of the hood in order to use the MH bulbs.. The absolute max I can have the lights off the water is 14 - 16"... You can look in my profile for a current list of inhabitants..

The lights that I was thinking about having remain from the old setup is 2x55watt actinic PC bulbs.. so the new Combo would be 2x250watt Mh 10k and 2x55watt Actinic PC lights.. I know this is going to be a Major upgrade so I want to do this right so I don't loose anything... I have lost enough lately..

TIA,
James

 

[reefrunner69]

I would use a photoperiod acclimation starting with 3 hours per day and increasing by 1/2 hour per week until you reach your target photo period. The PC's would run their normal schedule. The MH would come on 1 hoour after the PCs and run for 1.5 hours, the PCs would run the rest of the day, 2.5 hours before the PCs went off, I would have the MH come on again for 1.5 hours. I would add 15minuts to the middle each week. Hope that was understandable, LOL.

 

[cj10488]

Ok I think I understand but I NEED to remove at least 2 preferably 4 PC lights in order to mount the MH lights..

And from what i figure out on the lighting from what you described is..

10am actinic on
11am PC and MH bulbs on
12:30pm MH off
8:30pm MH on
10:00pm mh off
11:00pm pc off
12:00am actinic off

And add 15mins to the middle of the schedule for the MH each week so at like 4pm turn on the MH for 15 then turn them off. The Next week turn them on for 30 mins and so on..

Did I understand correctly? Also how high should I have them off the tank Moving them higher also means I MUST move the pc lights with them... How can I still perform the above schedule even though I must remove at least 2 but preferrably 4 of the PC lights..

TIA,
James

 

[BBReef]

i think hes saying to remove the two day lamps and run the 2 remaining actinics their normal time. then once the mh's are acclimated, im sure you can remove the two remaining actinics. HTH

 

[reefrunner69]

Well, I think you got it right, remove whatever PCs your going to for the MH. Whatever is left whether it be actinics or actinics and whites, you should run their normal schedule. The only thing wrong was the time increase. Basically each week you tack on 15 minutes more to each photoperiod. until the meet in the middle

 

[cj10488]

Ahh ok.. I want to just leave the actinics in and remove all 4 daylight bulbs.. Going to place them on my 29gal tank... How far should I have the MH bulbs from the water.. Right now my pc lights are about 2" above the water... Should I start all the lights out at the max I can have them at of 14" or???

I am soo Excited lol Tomorrow by this time I will have the fixtures and by this time thrusday I will have the bulbs yeeeeeeeee haaaaaaa lol

TIA,
James

 

[reefrunner69]

I personally have my MH bulb 8" off the water.

 

[cj10488]

Alright that should work.. Everything will be ok in the tank with just the Actinics on their normal schedule and the MH lights coming on as suggested correct???


TIA,
James

 

[jackdp]

Reefrunner...is your MH bulb covered or open? I'm getting ready to build a new canopy with MH to upgrade from my PC lights...just curious...everything I've read says to keep MH like 12" above.

 

[reefrunner69]

There is nothing between my MH bulb and the water. Yes that is what most of the literature says, but I think you'll find, if you poll MH users, that mine is the norm or close to the norm.

James, everything should be fine. They are going to get more light in those three hours than they have been getting all day. The gradual increase in light will also give your clean up crew time to adjust as well, you may find you need more herbivores

 

[cj10488]

LOL yeah I think I just might... I am hoping that Everything goes well.. And everything Adapts and Enjoys the lighting..

I haven't decided what I am going to do with the other 4 lights lol

Keep them and put them on my 29gal and have 7.5wpg frag tank???
Or
Put all 4 of them on a 10gal and enjoy the 22wpg and see how stuff does..

Its 1 single ballast so I cant split them

Or sell the 4 lights as package to a fellow Reefer..

Ideas???

TIA,
James

 

[jamal-188]

What should I do if I cannot run my old and new lighting at the same time to allow everything to get used to the new lighting? I have just 2 48" florescent lights on the tank now and my 2x250W MH's will be coming late this week early next. I only have some crabs/stars/shrimp/urchins in the tank now until my fish are rid of ick in my Q tank in another week or so.

 

[reefrunner69]

With no coral or photosynthetic inverts, you don't have to worry about it. When you do start adding them follow the same as above, as I told james, the coral will be fine with the reduced photoperiod. But you can also start your corals out low and under overhangs to reduce light intensity and over time bring them out and further up in the aquarium. How you acclimate new animals is determined by what lighting they came from, James have been under and gotten used to more reduced lighting that he is putting on the tank.

 

[cj10488]

HOLY #@&% let there be light WOW I just got the MH bulbs for my tank and got everything hooked up.. Like I said Before HOLY COW let there be light.. It definetly made a difference and I am extremely happy I switched to MH.. The 10k Xm bulbs are nice too..


Thanks Again Guys,
James

 

[cj10488]

Ok So after doing alot of research on the acclimation process I have decided to follow what Eric Borneman has suggested.. Using Several layers of Window Screen below the bulb to cut down the intensity of the lights.. After a few days or so Remove one screen and so on.. I have decided to go about this method as it seems like the best since it blocks out alot of the intensity and slowly increases it.. Sounds very logical and easy as well as much more possible in the wild (cloud Cover)..

Thanks again to all..
James