xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
I just ordered the 48" Aqualight Advanced, 2x150 (20k) MH fixture and wasnted to know if I was now able to place my 2 Maxima clams on the sand level and off of the rocks that they are now perched on?? Thanks
It's coming....Metal Halides Fixture Question about Corals
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
MYTY1705
Aquarium Advice Freak
How deep is the tank?Are you supplamenting the light with PC or VHO lighting?
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
21" No Need to supplement they told me. I have 1W Lunar lights attached to my tank but thats it.
MYTY1705
Aquarium Advice Freak
I know alot of people recommend the 4-5 watts per gallon of light for a tank depending on the critters being kept. Clams are the most light craving that I know of. You still may want to supplament light during other parts of the day. LFS for what it's worth suggested to me 6 hours MH, 10-12 PC or VHO. Also make sure you acclimate the clams to the new lighting. They may go into shock if you just ramp the lights up. Try placing some screens over the lights and removing one per day. This will give the clams time to adjust to the higher intensity lighting.
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
All companies online that I have talked to also LFS and Forums suggest that this unit gives enough blue hue that there is no need for actinics. I have 250W PC now so with the MH it will be 300 so def more light. This is the best unit I have found. Can you explain how to allow the clams to adjust to the lighting. The companie said put MH on for 4hrs first day 6hr next, then eventually 10hrs per day.
MYTY1705
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have seen on other posts an idea for putting screens over the lights somehow. I guess where the track is for the glass. place 5-6 screens in there and remove one of the screens every day or two to increase the ammount of light that comes through. After 5-6 days there should be no more screens and the clams should be adappted to the increase in light.
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
i will do a search if you happen
MT79
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is what I would recommend doing over the period of a few weeks. Cover the tank top w/ layers of screen and remove a layer every few days. It is possible to acclimate your tank to the MH w/ a shorter photoperiod but that is very stressful, sometimes fatal, to corals, clams, etc. No matter how much you shorten the photoperiod, your still blasting the tank w/ a light intensity it is not used to. I went through this myself, I wouldn't do it that way again. Also, I would lower everything in the top half of the tank while light acclimating to be safe -JMO. Welcome to the brighter side 8) HTH
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
Ok Thanks for the info. So I should get window screening and cover the entire top of the tank with 6-7 layers. Then like every 3 days I will remove one layer until all layers are off. This shouldn't effect my corals all that I have that is high in the tank is a http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/ take a look. I get the MH in 2 weeks. Is it also true that I should keep the lights on for 4hrs day 1 then a lil longer each day? Also I should have open water or egg crate correct instead of glass canopy? Did you take a look at the one I ordered.
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
http://www.hellolights.com/aqadse.html this is the unit
gooyferret
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My friend josh is actually doing the screen thing right now. He borrowed some egg-crate from me and placed the screen on top of that and has been doing it now for a couple weeks and working well for him. HTH
ellisz
Aquarium Advice Addict
I did the photo acclimation procedure listed in the article section on this site 
The screen idea is listed but I just used the staggered time method. I am actually doing it now for a clam I bought that had been under PC lights for a few weeks. I have the MH's on for a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening. I will increase the time a bit each week. I have 2 T5's actinics as well so the tank is not dark though.
The screen idea is listed but I just used the staggered time method. I am actually doing it now for a clam I bought that had been under PC lights for a few weeks. I have the MH's on for a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening. I will increase the time a bit each week. I have 2 T5's actinics as well so the tank is not dark though.
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
Check my Previous posts what do you think about the unit I purchased. I do not want to add supplemental lighting 300W MH I think is good for a 55 21" deep. I read and questioned companies and forums
revhtree
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think with 20k lighting you will need no supplimental lighting... 
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
This method seems great the screen and eggcrate for the the top I will be at Home Depot tomorrow preparing for my MH arrival. One question about this process as I do this method when I recieve my MH how long should the lights stay on? I don't want me corals to be effected since they won't have any more PC for 10hrs on.
MT79
Aquarium Advice Addict
The idea of the screen is to limit the intensity, so theoretically you could go w/ a regular photoperiod right off the bat(10hrs). To be safe though, I wouldn't start at 10 hours a day. Try 5-6 hours a day for a few days(2-4), see how things are reacting (look for signs of stress), and go from there. It boils down to judging just how much light is being restricted by the screen/eggcrate in comparison to what you had before. Best of luck.xxnonamexx said:
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
I purchased the screen and eggcrate today I expect my Light next week. I will cover the entire top of tank with the screen lying on the eggcrate. I will put the lights on for 5hrs for the first week. Would it be ok since my corals are used to PC for 10hrs? Thanks
MT79
Aquarium Advice Addict
My answer above may help more since I edited it...in short yes.
saberry
Aquarium Advice Freak
You won't need supplementation for color, but you may consider a different combination if you want to put a clam at the bottom of a 21" deep tank with 150 hqi's.
Natural sunlight has a kelvin rating of around 6,500 K. The higher the kelvin, the bluer the light and less red. 20K is pretty blue and brings out coral and fish colors but isn't the best for growth. If you want higher growth and a better ability to keep sps, clams, anemones; then you may want to go with 10K metal halides and add your color by supplementing with VHO or PC actinics.
A third option is to split the difference and go with a 14 or 15K lamp. It won't be overly blue, but you should have better growth without having to add aditional lighting. A couple good choices would be the phoenix 14k or XM 15K.
HTH
Natural sunlight has a kelvin rating of around 6,500 K. The higher the kelvin, the bluer the light and less red. 20K is pretty blue and brings out coral and fish colors but isn't the best for growth. If you want higher growth and a better ability to keep sps, clams, anemones; then you may want to go with 10K metal halides and add your color by supplementing with VHO or PC actinics.
A third option is to split the difference and go with a 14 or 15K lamp. It won't be overly blue, but you should have better growth without having to add aditional lighting. A couple good choices would be the phoenix 14k or XM 15K.
HTH
xxnonamexx
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well this unit they say is supposed to be the best and newest unit avail. Slim no need for actinics and with 20K from what I have read/asked people is supposed to be plenty for color and growth thnanks anyway.
