Acclimatization on switch to Halides.

[stubbsz]

I've got Metal Halides on the way after weeks.. nae months of reading, emailing and head scratching.

I'm wondering about what course I should take to acclimatize my Corals.

One concern is a very large soft coral (sold as a colt a seven years ago but is more likely something else). It has a large part of the tank to itself and it reaches the surface of the water. It looks real cool and it's paid for a lot of corals and equipment in my tank as I have had to prune it a lot over the years.
http://homepage.mac.com/stubbsz/PhotoAlbum4.html

Another concern is a few SPS's that are pretty near the surface. They are high because I have PC lighting at this time and I wanted to get them enough light to thrive (they've grown ok but some don't look as beefy or as colorful as I'd like). I'm gonna have trouble moving these down in the tank.

So what should I be doing; reducing the period the lights are on... some kind of tank shielding that I can reduce as the days/weeks go by? Anything else? I dont think I'll be able to move the position of the lights up and down.

-Adrian

Lights now: 4 * 96watt 10000/7100k combo bulbs
Lights soon as I've raised the canopy : 2 * 250 Watt PFO HQI, DE 14000 Phoenix bulbs....(just maybe with two of those PC's; probably not)
estimated height about water: 9 inches or more.

 

[Anonymous]

a few people have gotten window screen material from HD(the fiberglass/rubberish kinda, NOT the metal screen) and laid multiple layers inbetween the tank and lights, and each week removing a single layer so that the tank gradually gets brighter as the weeks progress.
Others have gone with extremely short light periods, and slowly increasing the duration over weeks...

 

[Anonymous]

When I got halides I ran them for only 4 hours a day for several (5?) days, and then added another hour every day after that until they were on for 8 hours.

 

[Anonymous]

I did similar to laura. I started with 1 hour and added a half an hour each week until I reach 6 hours which is what I run now.

 

[stubbsz]

Thanks everyone. I'll definitely go with the reduced lighting period. And I may even screen the big softie.

Can't wait to get my lights in... although as my plans keep shifting for the canopy, it may be a while.

 

[bradl.]

I used a couple screens.Removed one each week. No problems. Your gonna love your halides. Just plan on dealing with heat issues from the get go.

 

[Jolieve]

I used the screens. Window screen is cheap. I cut up four pieces of window screen to fit and laid them on top of the tank. Every Friday, I removed a screen, and at the end of the month, everything was open and none of my fish were hiding ;-)

J.