175-400w MH upgrade, Acclimation Suggestions?

[dsb1829]

Okay, here is the low down on my situation. I have been running 2 x 175w 10,000K Ushio. I just bought 2 x 400w 6,500K Iwasaki to better serve our increasing interest in brightly colored SPS. I can't raise the bulb any farther than it's current location.

How would you recommend acclimating my tank to the new lighting intensity??

Tank is a mix of softies, LPS, and SPS.

I have read all the posts I could find on this, but there has been little in the way of solid advice. I would really like to avoid bleaching corals due to dramatic increase in intensity. Please throw in your $.02 and let me know 1)what you have done, 2)what you have heard of others doing.

Thanks in advance!


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Doug

"Wait a minute. There's no Shamus McCloud in North Kilt Town" Homer

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[naser]

i would just start out alittle higher if you could... then every week or so move it to were you want it.

[dsb1829]

Originally posted by dsb1829:
I can't raise the bulb any farther than it's current location.

No one has done this sort of upgrade????

I think my best bet is a modified photoperiod, but I wanted to get a little feedback on how you guys did this. Anyone have experience with new bulbs and a reduced photoperiod??



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Doug

"Wait a minute. There's no Shamus McCloud in North Kilt Town" Homer

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[PerryinCA]

I think you should start out about 1-2 hrs photo period per day, and bring it up by about 30 min to an hour every week till you get to the desired level. Or if you move all the coral to the bottom 1/4 of the tank, you'd probably be safe to start out with longer photo intervals. Just keep an eye out for bleaching...if some fo the coral start turning a pastel pretty color, don't mistake that for great coloration in just a weeks time, its likely bleaching, so take it slower on the acclimating.

HTH

-Perry

BTW, good choice in lights!

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Some call it evolution,
And others call it God.
Each In His Own Tongue (1908)
William Herbert Carruth 1859-1924

[reefland]

Perhaps continue running 1 of the 175's if possible and acclimate one 400watter at a time. This will also allow you to move any corals that may bleach under the 175 until they can adapt to the 400w.

[lehrens]

You could get some lightly colored fiberglass window screening and put over the top of the tank for some time.

[Personifer]

When I upgraded from 175 watts to 400 watts I started out at 2 1/2 hours a day and increased the time by 15 minutes every 3-4 days. I had no problems doing it this way.

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Jeff

http://www.homestead.com/jeffsreef/index1.html

[dsb1829]

Personifer, in the 10 or so weeks that you were using the reduced lighting what did you supplement with?

I have a 660 ballast and was planning to run adaylight bulb in it to make up for the minimal day period. Right now it is just actinics. But a 14 hour actinic day seems wrong by itself with only 2-3 hours initially.

Thanks for the possitive input.

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Doug

"Wait a minute. There's no Shamus McCloud in North Kilt Town" Homer

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[Personifer]

Doug, I only used my acitinic 03's. That is a good idea getting a daylight bulb. You could probably be more aggresive and increase by 15 minutes every 2 days. I decided to err on the side of caution.

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Jeff

http://www.homestead.com/jeffsreef/index1.html

[Trapper]

I just went through the same scenario. I upgraded from 3-175MH,2-140vho actinic 03, to 3-400MH, kept the vho's the same. I started out at 30 minutes a day. Increasing 30 minutes a day until I reached 8 hrs. These were just the two outside bulbs in the hood. I then put the center bulb in and started it at a 2 hr hour period and moved up 30 minutes a day until I reached 8 hrs. I have noticed quite a shift in coloration on the sps's,no regret's. The actinic's have been on a 14 hour period continually. Enjoy.

[Bamm Bamm]

i like the running one 175 but I also noticed you have them for sale so probably not an option I did like perry suggested when I went from p.c.'s to mh's i started out with about 1-3hours a day of MH and gradually moved up over a period of a few weeks everything is doing perfectly..

Dan

[dsb1829]

Thank you guys for all the help.

Check out this thread as well if you would like a bit more information on how others are doing this. http://www.reefland.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/000907.html

I think I am going to try a little bit of a spin on the reduced photoperiod. Here is what I am thinking. Two actinics as normal on the VHO plus one daylight for esthetics and to support LPS & softies. Start the MH out at 2.5 hours and bump 15 minutes every three days. I know this is a slow acclimation, but I don't want any acclimation related casualties. I figure that it will take about two months to finish this cycle, hopefully giving everyone time to adjust. I will update everyone at the end of this period.

After a couple more days I will compile all of my findings on the subject and post it for all to share.



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Doug

"Wait a minute. There's no Shamus McCloud in North Kilt Town" Homer

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