Light Acclimation

[NeveSSL]

Hey all...

Just curious on your recommendations for lighting acclimation once I get my T5s.

I am planning on doing the method Jack mentioned in his "Stupid Aquarium Tricks" post and do eggcrate with screen.

My question is this: Considering I'm having quite a drastic change from NO to T5HO, how many sheets of screen would you guys recommend starting with and how often should I remove one?

Any other thoughts would be welcomed too.

Thanks!

Brandon

 

[Fanof49ASU]

Re: Light Acclimation

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11661654#post11661654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
My question is this: Considering I'm having quite a drastic change from NO to T5HO, how many sheets of screen would you guys recommend starting with and how often should I remove one?

What is NO? How many watts in that T5?

 

[H@rry]

I don't know about T5 but I've heard MH is 3 sheets, remove 1 per week.

 

[NeveSSL]

Thanks guys. I was hoping 1 per week. I've heard of some people doing like one every 4 weeks... no way for me! I WANT THAT LIGHT! :lol:

Mark: NO is normal output... IE pretty much freshwater bulbs. I'm getting 4 39w T5s... soo... 156w I think. Quite a bit for T5 on a 36" tank, but my tank is 24" deep, so it should work well.

Brandon

 

[ocd_mariner]

Honesllty, you probably wouldnt even need to do that.

I replaced older radium 20ks 400w with reeflux 12k, which should have been way more par, without any change in the height of the light, nor the photoperiod. Two weeks later, I replaced my crappy reflectors with lumenarc minis. No change in photoperiod, no adjusting of the height. They are pretty close to the water, 6" above, I probably have some sps that are 7" below the surface (the very tip of them).

The only reaction my sps have had is growing like flippin mad.

I would venture to guess, that if you have mostly softies/lps/zoas, you arent going to hurt anything by switching out your lights and doing nothing.


Just my experience though.

 

[NeveSSL]

Cool deal. Thanks Chuck. I probably will simply because I'm going from very little to a whole lot of light. But thats encouraging that it may not take too long to fully enjoy my new *cough*expensive*cough* lights.

Brandon

 

[gsusfreak]

brandon, you might not even need to do the screen method....just put all your corals on the sandbed...then after every couple of days, place it higher, and higher...until its where you will like it

 

[NeveSSL]

Thats not a bad idea, John... but its so much easier just to move some screen instead of my corals. :lol:

I think what harry suggested sounds good. 3 sheets... take one off per week. Fair enough.

Brandon