bulb changing question

[airdog67]

Hey everybody,

I just bought 2 new coralvue 12k to replace the coralvue 20k that Im currently running. The 20k are about 3 months old, Im replacing because they are too blue for my taste. My question is do I need to acclimate my tank with the new bulbs, or just plug em in and go, any input would be great thanks.

 

[cward]

Yes, I would raise your lights up about 4 inches, then drop them an inch per week. Or, if you have access to a light meter, you could measure the output of your 20k bulbs at the middle of your tank, then mirror that measurement with your new bulbs.

 

[wrestle1952]

One thing I would caution. The 20K are great for coloration of coral. Reverting back to a more "yellow" bulb may improve growth but be prepared for coloration loss.

 

[cward]

I like my Radium's because I don't need actinic supplementation.

 

[airdog67]

Like I said, IMO I like the combo of actinic and the 12k, I have a fixed lighting fixture that cant be adjusted, and unfortunately my ballasts will not fire radiums