Q: Switching from 65w PC to 175w MH

[tjkohler]

Ok, my nano currently has a 65 watt power compact running about 12-15 hours a day. I bought 1 175w MH because I'm putting together my 75g tank. I want to put the MH in the nano for now and put the PC over my curing (it's actually cured now) LR bin to start growth of other stuff.
My question, how should I precede on making the switch over? Should I still try to run my 65 watt for the 12+ hours and just start the MH an hour a day? Actually I dont think I can get both in the hood. So it comes down to taking the PC out and putting the MH in. How many hours on and what increment to increase it at?
Here are a list of my inhabitants:
Xenia: top is 3 inches from water surface
Red Brain: top is 3 inches from water surface
Toadstoal: top is 4 inches from water surface
Mushrooms: about 6 inches from water surface
Green Sea Stars: about 8 and 10 inches from water surface
T Maxima: Adobting this from a clueless individual with NO lights (2 1/4 inch from end to end so I'm going to still be feeding DTs)
Thanks for your time!

 

[jonthefb]

if your nano is thriving, why change everythign, id put the mh over the rock tank to cure. i think that if you jump up to a 175 mh in that tank you are gonna burn corals right from the start. mh is pretty intense stuf, and i think you will shock your corals, and burn them, even if you run them for one hour at a time!
good luck
jon

 

[attml]

I agree with jonthefb. An addition of that much lighting is going to send your system into shock! It will also cause a pretty big algae outbreak! If you still want to add the MH lighting you should filter it to start. If you can put some sort of opaque cover over the tank to filter some of the intensity of the MH that would be helpful (make sure it's not a fire hazard!). If you don't have anything like that you can put a piece of cardboard over the center of your tank so that your corals only get indirect light around the sides of the cover from the MH. You can gradually make the cardboard smaller over the next couple of weeks so that it isn't as much of a shock to your system. This would be better than risking bleaching all of your corals.

 

[dave espi]

Me being a http://www.nano-reef.com guru, Id say you can do it, BUT proceed with extreme caution.
Attml and Jon make good points.
ask yourself this....
DO I NEED THIS HALIDE?
WILL IT BENIFIT ANY MORE FROM IT?
WILL IT BE WORTH THE RISK?
and my favorite...
WHY?
if the tank is doing well, dont monkey with it.
UPGRADE-ITIS is a disease experienced only by Car fanatics and reefers. dont pick at a scab, it wont hurt.