2 zoa questions

[jamest0o0]

had 2 quick questions....

my zoas are under PC's atm, but will be under MH's soon. Would it be okay to keep them on the sand bad with MH's?

second question, since they will be under stronger lighting will their colors brighten up?

 

[viowyn]

Yes you can keep them on the sand bed with the MH's. Just watch to make sure they are happy. Stronger lighting doesn't always make them brighten up.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Be sure to start the MH way up high or you'll bleach your corals.

 

[650-IS350]

As long as the zoa's are acclimated properly to the new lighting they can be placed under strong MH's. You can use eggcrate as lighting diffusers, raising the light first then slowly lowering them as time goes etc.. I have some friends that acutually have them upder 250s or 400mh's.. and are only a few inches under the water surface. They are growing crazy as well.

 

[grouper25]

I converted mine to MH lights by placing a long piece of door screen over the Tank. This helped diffuse some of the MH intensity until they were acclimated. Worked great.

 

[650-IS350]

some folks do that trick, some use layers of eggcrate ( taking off a layer a week ).

 

[jamest0o0]

Could I just run the halides for less time a day, and slowly increase the time they are on?

 

[jamest0o0]

?

 

[Pufferpunk]

I still think the jump in power would hurt your corals.

 

[flyyyguy]

decreasing the phtoperiod does nothing to acclimate to the higher intensity and you can still bleach your corals even if you cut the photoperiod back to almost nothing. eggcrate doesnt do all that great of a job of cuttng it back either as it is every bit as intense in the gaps. true window screening and starting the lights up high and the corals down low is the safest route

 

[jamest0o0]

so same photoperiod just with window screening on it would work? how long should I keep it there before I take it off?

 

[flyyyguy]

i would reduce the photoperiod as well.

Bottom line is dont take any lighting change for granted, especially one that is a signifigant increase in power/par.

with the information you have provided I would suggest cutting the photoperiod in half along with several layers of window screening. let it ride for a couple of weeks and see how everythng is taking it. then remove a layer every week and then when the screening is gone start adding 5 minutes a day to the photoperiod until it is where your tank tells you is optimum.

You could probably be more agressive than that, but there is no point in being agressive with it imo.

 

[jamest0o0]

alright, I'm assuming I can find window screening at home depot?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yes, use the plastic fiber kind.

 

[jamest0o0]

I think I might actually have that at my house. thanks!

 

[goldmaniac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12518909#post12518909 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyyyguy
decreasing the phtoperiod does nothing to acclimate to the higher intensity and you can still bleach your corals even if you cut the photoperiod back to almost nothing. eggcrate doesnt do all that great of a job of cuttng it back either as it is every bit as intense in the gaps. true window screening and starting the lights up high and the corals down low is the safest route

+1

the amount of time under lights is different than the brightness of lights during the time.