How should I acclimate my new SPS?

[Everyones Hero]

I have a 4x54w T5 setup that is about 3-4" over the water's surface. I replaced the bulbs on Monday & received 4 monti caps, a montipora digitata, & an acro on Thursday.

They are coming from a tank that was running 8 T5s for about 6 hours & 2 for about 8-9 hrs/day.

They were in transport for about 26-28hrs.

I've been running my lights for 10hrs a day.

How far from the surface should each of these corals be right now, what kind of photo period would be best for them right now & how should I go about increasing how close to the surface they are & increasing the time of the photo period?

Thanks,
-Nick

 

[divewsharks]

I always start my new additions on the bottom of the tank, and then work them up to their final resting spots. My lights are left at their normal distance from the water and normal photoperiod.

 

[Everyones Hero]

Thanks. I didn't know if starting them at the bottom was necessary since they were coming from a tank with twice the lighting I have.

How much do you move them up & how often?

 

[divewsharks]

It depends on the coral and where its final resting place is going to be. It could just be a single move or could take a couple moves to get to final spot. No hard and fast rules.
I try and keep my handling of them to a minmum, no desire to add un-need/un-wanted stress.

 

[Everyones Hero]

My biggest concern was having them too low in the tank for too long & them dieing off from not getting enough light.

 

[alovely]

It depends most T-5 can run sps corals just has to depend on how deep the tank is and where they are place. What kind of T-5 are you running like the reflectors and such how deep is the tank?

 

[Everyones Hero]

It's a 75g so 24" inches or so deep.

This is the kit I'm running:
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...put_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_AquaIllumination

4x54w HO T5 w/ individual parabolic reflectors. Bulbs 1 & 4 are Blue plus, 2 & 3 are Aquablue Special & Icecap Midwater. Bulbs are probably 3-4" off the water.

I had a montipora cap & a montipora digitata before & they were maybe 6"-8" from the water's surface.

I plan to have everything close to the surface, I just need to make sure they get acclimated to the tank so they don't die off/bleach on me. The Monti spongodes frag I got seems to be loosing a little bit of color near it's base, but everything else seems to be doing fine. The montipora digi that I got is starting to extend it's polyps.

Today I moved most of the caps about halfway down the tank & left the digi & poker star cap about 6" & the acro about 8" from the surface because they all seem to like where they are.

 

[divewsharks]

My biggest concern was having them too low in the tank for too long & them dieing off from not getting enough light.

in general they will not die, they will not be down there for long. You can always move them up at any signs of stress. In your case with your setup, you will have plenty of light down at the bottom; but obviously the most light loving corals you would want up near the top of the tank. Generally speaking your Monti's don't need to be at the top -- but there are always exceptions where there are some particular ones that just love the light.