Changing lighting and Filtration

[sangria]

I have decided to change my lighting in my 35 gallon hex tank from PC to metal halides/T5 and to change the filtration from HOB biowheel filter to 10 gallon refugium w/ protein skimmer. The overflow is hang on so I will not have to modify the tank at all to change the filtration. 2 questions.
1.) Will changing the lighting put any stress on my fish? Should I only have the lights on for short periods the first few days?
2.) Should I cycle the refugium as I would any other tank? I am going to put live rock, live sand, chaeto, and copepods in it. I am a little concerned about the change over because my clownfish and chromis will be introduced to different water.

 

[namas05]

For the light, do you have any corals in the tank? If yes you should definetly reduce the time, and I would also use the screen method to acclimate them to the new light.
Get yourself 4-5 pieces of screen(non-metal screen, fiberglass, ect) large enough to cover your tank. When you put the new light on put the screen over the tank and then remove one about every 4 days.
As for the fresh water you should be fine as long as the temp, and other perameters meet that of your tank. so there is no shock thing going on. Be sure that the rock is cured or you could see a spike in your ammo, trite, and trates.

 

[mr_x]

i agree with namas05.
the screen method is a must with corals, but fish won't care either way.
the live rock and live sand will need to be cured. you might as well do it in the sump tank. then connect it when ammonia and trite read zero, and trate is down.
as far as purchasing pods, i think this is a waste of money. just cycle the tank with the rock, then connect it. when you add the macroalgae, it will bring with it plenty of life. between the macroalgae and what survives on the live rock, your refugium will be full of life in no time at all.