Holy Crap! What did I just get myself into...

fishkid13

Active Member
Well I purchased a 6' MH unit. Comes with a few bulbs, older ones, and two fans on either side to keep it cooler.I got it for $180 which is pretty good. I put a $100 down for now and will pick it up and pay the rest when I get back from christmas vacation. I got a question, as always. Will my current fish two tangs, goby, and scooter blenny, be affected in a negitive way to the much higher light? Should I try to gradually turn switch the lights, if it is even possible sense I would just be switching my current light system with the new one.
The person I bought it from also has an 180 gal for $250 dollors which has the depth I want, that my current tank doesn't. Going to try to get some frags to, sense their are some interesting ones.
 

flower

Well-Known Member

Fish won't care about light. If they think it too bright they will hide and come out when they are more accustomed to it. Coral needs to acclimate to the new light because they are stuck where they are, and can't seek shelter.
Good find indeed!
 

kraylen

Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3192275

Fish won't care about light. If they think it too bright they will hide and come out when they are more accustomed to it. Coral needs to acclimate to the new light because they are stuck where they are, and can't seek shelter.
Good find indeed!
Depends on the fish actually... I wouldn't be risking high light with rare/finicky deepwater species that normally are not used to bright light. I.E. Ventralis Anthias, Helfrichi Firefish and others... The overwhelming light could cause some terrible results.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Kraylen
http:///forum/post/3192281
Depends on the fish actually... I wouldn't be risking high light with rare/finicky deepwater species that normally are not used to bright light. I.E. Ventralis Anthias, Helfrichi Firefish and others... The overwhelming light could cause some terrible results.

I admit I am not familiar with the fish you listed, I do see in my book that some fish need dim lights.
good call...

So To OP...check on what type of fish you have and do your homework.
 

deejeff442

Active Member
not just the fish but adding alot more light all at once will usually cause an algea bloom either green or red.
when i added my mh to my 90 reef i had red slime for a few months before it finally went away.
fish tend to adapt better to light than the corals.alot of times you will have to start moving them around with new lighting.
nice find though cant beat that mh shimmer.i bought a 6 foot 3 250 watt system with 4 98 watt pc for my 225 fowlr just for the shimmer
 

fishkid13

Active Member
Fish:
Yellow tang, not usually a deep watered fish.
Powder Brown Tang, same as yellow, higher up in the water colum..
Scooter blenny, can hide in the caves
Baby YellowWatchmen Goby, can hide in the undersand piping
Thanks, for the replys. I hadn't even thought of a large algae bloom. Won't red slime take off more with poor water cicluation then new lights? And for corals so far a have a rock of polyps and a few scattered mushrooms that I could easily move under a overhang for a while. Another question... my pc and heat make it so I have to fill for evaperated water about once a week. Is this likly to triple or double adding the MH? It sounds dumb but will my coraline be shocked with the new light and stop growing at their current rapid pace for awhile? Thanks for all of the input again..
 

deejeff442

Active Member
when i added my mh i just put it on all day,i did get the red slime but my water always checked perfect and i have always run phosphate remover.
it did eventually go away.polyps like dimmer light but mine seen to grow faster ,go figure.
as for the purple coraline that stuff picked up pace like crazy.in fact i wish it would slow down already.the stuff is everywhere in a few months.i have to scrape it off the glass at least once a week.
i dont have any heat issues .but the tanks are in the basement.
 

spanko

Active Member
6 Foot is a long unit! How many bulbs and what wattage? Best bet when purchasing a new light is to replace all of the bulbs. This way you know when they went in and when to change them. No use using older bulbs that may be experiencing or will soon any spectrum shift that may help to cause an algae bloom. Then to acclimate the tank inhabitants get a few layers of window screen and put them between the tank and the light. Once ever 3 days or so take a layer of screen off. This will help the tank acclimate. You may experience some heating with the unit so be ready to add some small fans to blow across the top of the tank. Evaporation is a given and you with little doubt experience more.
JMO
 

fishkid13

Active Member
Originally Posted by deejeff442
http:///forum/post/3192686
when i added my mh i just put it on all day,i did get the red slime but my water always checked perfect and i have always run phosphate remover.
it did eventually go away.polyps like dimmer light but mine seen to grow faster ,go figure.
as for the purple coraline that stuff picked up pace like crazy.in fact i wish it would slow down already.the stuff is everywhere in a few months.i have to scrape it off the glass at least once a week.
i dont have any heat issues .but the tanks are in the basement.
Hopefully my polyps take off. I also wouldn't mind more coraline on the sides. Do you run a chiller?
Originally Posted by spanko

http:///forum/post/3192699
6 Foot is a long unit! How many bulbs and what wattage? Best bet when purchasing a new light is to replace all of the bulbs. This way you know when they went in and when to change them. No use using older bulbs that may be experiencing or will soon any spectrum shift that may help to cause an algae bloom. Then to acclimate the tank inhabitants get a few layers of window screen and put them between the tank and the light. Once ever 3 days or so take a layer of screen off. This will help the tank acclimate. You may experience some heating with the unit so be ready to add some small fans to blow across the top of the tank. Evaporation is a given and you with little doubt experience more.
JMO
It is a long case with 3 evenly spaced bulbs, don't currently know the wattage. I figure I shouldn't use the old bulbs but the new ones are in the hunderds at the cheapest. That is one worry I have about adding the MH is the algae bloom(s). Interesting thought, Does it need to be tinted at all or just clear, and with a few layers it will of clear it should reduce it enought, right? If the unit has fans does it still need fan's at the surface to keep it cooler? Can't ever not have evaporation can ya.

Thanks for the inputs.
 

spanko

Active Member
Just basic window screen, fiberglass not metal, that you would use to redo a screen in your house. Yeah, bulbs are expensive but you need to know the wattage and whether it is HQI - double ended or Mogul - single ended, bulbs.
 

fishkid13

Active Member
Wattege still, don't know, guess I didn't do my research.
Bulbs are single ended. For the first while I could use the old ones right? I expected to change them once I got enough money, Christmas drains ya. Are the single ended ones cheaper then the double ended bulbs?
 

deejeff442

Active Member
the bulbs should have the info on them.
i get cheaper bulbs on e--bay havnt had any issues.i dont run a chiller .never had an issue with heat.but i keep my home at 72 degrees and the tank at 78.
maybe that helps.i suppose if the home is at 76 it might make the water warmer.
 

fishkid13

Active Member
Well thats good. Have you found any good bulbs a c list? Our, my family and me, is about 75, I think. That is interesting you don't have major heat problems. How far should I have the halides about the surface of the tank?
Thanks for all of the input so far.
 

deejeff442

Active Member
my unit on my 90 reef is old style the huge sheet metal block all enclosed with a fan on one end.it sits right on the rim so the water is only 5 inches away.it has 2 175 watt mh.on my 225 it is the new style with the legs on it so the water is probably 6 inches away that unit is 3 250 watters.
water in both tanks are at 77 degrees right now.
never looked on c-list for bulbs.
 

fishkid13

Active Member
The one I got is the old style. If it is a 175watt, don't know of course, could I still keep some basic stonies?
 

deejeff442

Active Member
i have a couple sps under my 2 175 watters they look great.i have all kinds of corals in there all are doing awesome.no clams yet though.
 
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