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i just got new bulbs in and i am going to install tonight but was wondering if i should turn lights back on timer because of the lights on the tank being old and not as intense as the new ones
You should state it's 260W PC lighting and the type of corals you have (elegant, mushrooms, xenia, and orange sun polyp) for better answers in the future. Or just fill out your "myinfo" button in your profile.
Usually if just replacing bulbs and not upgrading lighting you only need to reduce your normal lighting schedule by a couple of hours for 2-3 days.
You can just cut back the photoperiod and slowly increase it back to normal over a week or two. The safest method is to combine that with the screen method. Place a layer of screen, ie. nylon srceening for doors, on top of the tank while increasing the photoperiod. After the lights are back on your regular schedule for a few days, remove the screen.