how high to mount new t5

[rivensteve13]

going from a 130w pc sitting on the glass to a 234w t5 nova pro fixture. I'm in the process of building a canopy for my 29gallon( 18" deep) and was wondering about how high to have the light from the water. I have mostly lps and a few softies. I plan on starting the light even higher but just looking for a final height to leave it at after my corals have been acclimated.
thanks for the help,
steve

 

[double0banks]

I have heard that when upgrading like yourself it is best to acclimate your corals to the lighting upgrade. It's been said this is best accomplished not by having the light higher but using a series of screens to filter the light. You can then remove the screens one by one untill the light is full strength. I have never done this so somebody else will need to chime in to give an amount of time before each screen is removed. Best of luck

 

[levischilz]

usually the mesh like in a screen front door. Use 3 sheets remove 1 sheet every 2-3 days. 2" usually above tank on those type of fixtures that have splash guards in the end.

 

[divewsharks]

starting higher in the canopy is ok as well; alot of people use the screen method because it normally much easier than moving lights and you can cut out about as much light as you would want by just using more screen. Ultimately as Levi said, you'll want the lights pretty close to the water, as long as you have a good splash guard, if not, keep around the 5" height mark.

hth

 

[rivensteve13]

i appreciate the advice. i am going to start on my canopy this weekend, and starting the drawings tonight.

thanks again