New MH unit - suggestions on acclim

[speg]

My brother got a new outer orbit MH system for his 75 gallon tank today (I know its not Christmas yet..). Anyways I want suggestions on how slow to acclimate his new stuff to these lights so tomorrow I can print this page out and give it to him. I've never had MH so I dont know the exact routine.
His current lights are 2 65 watt pcs over a 75 gallon tank (sucks horribly). Now he has 2x150 10000k watt halides and 2x130 watt actinic bulbs. I suggested to him that he drop everything coralwise to the bottom of his tank and only keep the lights on for a few hours a day for the first week. He have a couple LPS (bubble, FP) and several leathers/xenia/shrooms.
Anyways I told him what >I< think he should do.. now what should I have told him?

 

[thegrog]

Actually, this is what I would recommend.
Don't move your corals around, keep them in place. Less stress that way.
Start with the halides on 5-6 hours per day with the actinics on the full day. Have the halides high above the tank.....like 12-15 inches above the water surface. Every other day, increase the lighting period by 30 minutes and every 4-5 days lower the lights an inch. Keep this up until the lights are 8-10 inches above the water surface and the halides are on for 9-12 hours per day. You can do the actinics 1-1/2 hours before and after the halides for a dusk-to-dawn effect.
Merry Christmas!!!

 

[speg]

Well the outer orbit is a heavy unit, and they come with mounting legs.. so I dont really think he'll be able to adjust the height of the unit.

 

[thegrog]

Originally Posted by Speg
Well the outer orbit is a heavy unit, and they come with mounting legs.. so I dont really think he'll be able to adjust the height of the unit.
Then just go with the timing schedule I mentioned.

 

[bigmac]

Keep using the 2x65 watt PC's and start out adjusting the corals to the 2x130 watt actinics...maybe 1-2 hrs to start and add 1/2 hr every 3-4 days....After youhe get's the actinics up to 8 hrs a day or where he want's em I'd start adding the MH's, 1 hr to start and bump it up 1/2hr every 3-4 days until he gets where he want's em.
You can also use layers of egg crate to screen out the light....There's no reason to go fast.

 

[harndog]

I went from 260 CL pc to 2 150 de mh and 4 65 w pc atinics. I ran my atinics for 12 hours everyday. I ran them 6 hours then the mh 4 hour the first day and the atinics 6 hours after. The next day went up to 5 hours on mh then 6 and that is as long as I run them. Had to place some shrooms and LPS doughnut on the sand bed to bright for them. He will love them my corals are so much hardier now.

 

[harndog]

Problem with MH you have to run them 4 to 6 hours for break in so I chose to mount them and run them 4 You can place some plexiglass on top of the tank to cut back on strength as well. or eggcrate