how long with new MH's?

[coloradodeb]

Just put up my new lighting system on my 125......instead of VHO's. I now have 3 125 MH with 2 super actinic R flo.. Question is, how long do I leave them on each day till my tank has acclimated? Any help is most certainly welcome
Thanks
deb

 

[golfish]

deb,
I'd run the VHO's like norm and start the MH's out at about 2 hrs per day....increase maybe 1/2-1 hr per weeks until your where you want to be. No reason to rush since you have the VHO's.

 

[wocka]

y not just put them it on at once? thats what i did with my new pcs.. didnt do anything

 

[coloradodeb]

Thanks for the help....I don't want to bleach/burn anything so I was a bit wary about overusing them at first, Thanks for your help:joy:
deb

 

[wocka]

u should probly run them for 5 hours 3 days then after that run them for 10.. i run my pc lights from 11 to 9

 

[golfish]

Originally posted by wocka
y not just put them it on at once? thats what i did with my new pcs.. didnt do anything
MH's and PC's are totally different lights. Running MH's full bore on any tank that's used to VHO's or PC's will surly do some damage to corals.
Deb, don't you just love that shimer effect from MH's

 

[wocka]

so it will burn hard corals? do u just run it for a few hours a day or something

 

[golfish]

Originally posted by wocka
so it will burn hard corals? do u just run it for a few hours a day or something
Like I said above. MH's are a different light then VHO'sPC's...MUCH MORE INTENSE. all corals should be acclimtated to any lighting change rather it be new bulbs, different K rating or upgrades.

 

[robchuck]

When I first used MH, I did something similar to what golfish suggested in the second post of this thread. I upgraded from PC to MH, keeping the PC as actinic supplementation. The PC stayed on for 12 hrs/day and I started the MH out at 4 hrs/day. I added 15 minutes to the photoperiod every other day until the MH were on for 8 hrs/day.

 

[robchuck]

I'll add that I didn't lose any corals in the lighting transition. The corals at the time were a mix of ricordea, xenia, assorted softies, and assorted LPS.

 

[coloradodeb]

Oh my gosh.......the green colors that I am seeing with just the actinics are just amazing! I woke my hubby up just to look at them,,,,,,lol.....he was not amused......but I sure was! I can't wait until everything is totally acclimated to the new lights......just wish I would have had the money sooner to do the much needed upgrade:happy:
debs