got mh lighting today!!

[vsnsofadrgn]

YAY! i got the sunpod 150w mh lighting today! my css65 came too! everything is up and running. WOW.

just have 1 question tho. do i turn the mh on for an hour a day and gradually work my way to more, or should i get the screen to block it and take some off every day (so everything has a chance to get used to it)???

 

[roka64]

You could go either way. If you chose to not use the screen, just watch your corals.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

one way isnt better than the other? and how long should i do it for?

 

[Devilishturtles]

It'd probably be easier to just leave it on for a few hours then cut it off, IMO. What are you upgrading from? Your myinfo (thanks for keeping it updated!) says you just have those couple of polyps, which is good. Keep them toward to bottom of the tank and do a couple days at say... 3 hours. In a few days, go to 4 hours. In a few days, go to 5 hours, etc.

 

[Ziggy953]

When I upgraded to MH I took 2 weeks before the lights were on for a full 9 hours...slow and easy wins the race and keeps corals from being unhappy!!

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

im upgrading from t5. i have xenia and polyps. the xenia is on top and the polyps are in the middle but they are kinda in a shady area.

ill just add an hour every few days then.

 

[Ziggy953]

That's how I did it...no stress and everything in my tank loved the new lighting!!!

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

heres a pic with the blue leds on. i forgot to take one while the mh was on but i will torrow.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Awesome! Keep a check on the temp of the water, make sure it doesn't climb to high. Can't wait to see the tank when you start adding more corals and stuff. Gonna be cool.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i cant either. the first one on my list is a frogspawn. i LOVE those.

 

[lando]

that looks GREAT! What type of fixture is that? I would g the screen method for phot-acclimation. That is a big light difference on a small tank.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

. its a current sunpod fixture. 150w w/ blue led. YAY. it was my xmas/anniversy present, LOL. dont ya just love that, every present after gettin into sw, has to do with sw, hehe.

i think i should be getting screen too, the xenia really doenst seem to like it . the polyps dont mind tho.

(ps - its COLD here in FL, i cant even imagine the temps up there)

 

[MT79]

I would g the screen method for phot-acclimation.

I agree. Especially w/ finicky coral like Xenia and low/medium light polyps. Good luck
PS-looks good 8)

 

[lando]

(ps - its COLD here in FL, i cant even imagine the temps up there)

Just had 66hrs straight of below zero temps, and three weeks with sub-zeo temps during a portion of the day. It is going to be like 25 today...I think we will enjoy the balmy weather with a trip to the Minnesota Zoo!

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

bbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

its 49 now. hehe.

heres a pic of the polyps under the lighting. theyve never been open like that before!! the xenia is comin around too. today it was pulsing and looked good again.

 

[MT79]

^^I did not realize you had zoos, I was thinking button polyps. Zooanthids love MH lighting and are fairly tolerant of lighting changes. I'd still recommend using a layer or two of screens for light acclimation. Wait until you see how fast they grow and color-up w/ MH.

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

ive never seen them open that much. it was pretty cool. i cant wait to see more growth! i love the look of them and i want more. the glow under the blue leds was sweeet too, hehe. the xenia seems to be gettin used to it. they were pulsing and looking happy again today. i have to say this was one of the best purchases weve made (besides the sump, lol).

 

[Devilishturtles]

Awesome looking zoos. Glad they are taking well to the light!

 

[Guest]

Wow i love that light. i been looking at the same light for my Aqua pod. also. i think i will buy it tomarrow. lol but i thinking of getting the 24" not the 20" i dont like my aqua pod and thinking of making it my hospital/curing Tank. good luck .. tank realy looks sweet with that light.
have u been having heat issuses with the light heating up the water?

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

i havent noticed any heat issues, but its been chilly and we have the windows open, so it would be hard to notice any changes. temp is stable with the heater tho. the fixture has a fan built in, so hopefully that will resolve any issues.