New Light acclimation?

[Vauche]

I recently changed my lights in my Solar Flare and I'm having some trouble with my SPS. Well, basically they are all dying.

I changed to: Front to Back
Aquablue
Blue+
Aquasun
75/25
Blue+
Aquablue

2 Blue+ on 12hrs and rest currently on 2.5hrs.

My question is when changing lights how exactly should I start with the acclimation to the new lights? I start with the blue+ at 12hrs for a week than added the rest at 30min every 5 days. Well with the new lights all I'm getting is fried tips and dying coral. Algea start growing at tips of coral and the tissue just receeds down, not quickly mind you but I can't figure out how to stop it.

Levels: (salifert test kits)
Ca=440 (typically in the 450 range)
Mg=1320 (typically in the 1350 range)
Alk=7.4 (at end of day prior to addition of baking soda)
SG = 1.025 (about 52.6ms)
NO3= 5-10
PH = 7.95 (freshly calibrated and cleaned pinpoint meter)
Temp: 78-80 best I can tell (might have had temp problem as pinpoint meter may have been off-it reads 86 while old traditional thermometers read 78-80).

Could this be a light acclimation issue? (Old lights were about 12mo old.) If so is backing off what I should do? Or, something else all together?

Sorry so long, just wanted to give all the info.

 

[mike_cmu04]

could be shock form the lights decrease the lighting period in half and see if that helps

 

[Vauche]

Will do, thanks.

Would you decrease the whole period or just the "day" light period? Dusk/Dawn as well to 6hrs with an hour of "day" light.


Makes me wonder how slow you really have to go then?

 

[sedor]

I have to say, i'm a little surprised that switching out some T5 bulbs is frying your SPS! I would just move real slow, maybe an hour the first day, 2 the next, then 3 for a week, then 4 etc etc. You also could use a couple layers of screen (not the metal kind) material that you get at the hardware store and every week remove another layer.

 

[Vauche]

I agree sedor, the only thing I will say is the Solar Flare is over-driven all 6 bulbs. Add that to the fact that my old bulbs were say 1-3mo over due, depending who you talk too, for a change and maybe. Obviously I don't know!

 

[klepto]

I don't find that particularly surprising. The PAR will certainly jumped after changing them- especially if they were that old..

Did you change the bulbs all at once?

Sorry to be nitpicky, but you referred to them as lights- but I believe you mean bulbs. Right?

I would recommend cutting your photo-period back from the 12 hours on the two bulbs. Go with something like 10-11 hrs max for now and see if that helps.
Raising your fixture until things acclimate to the higher PAR is an option- or using screen as Seldor mentioned.

 

[Vauche]

Thanks Klepto. I suppose I could've said "lamps" or "bulbs" to be more clear, it was late and I was in a hurry. I actually backed off to about 6hrs today and will gradually increase the time.

Yes, I did change them all at once. However, I didn't start them out all at once. I basically started with just the 2 bulbs (blue+ - dusk/dawn) for the 12hrs for about a week and gradually added the day lamps in at 30min intervals every 5 days or so. I didn't have this issue the first time I swapped bulbs so I didn't expect the coral to be so touchy. Live and learn and slow, slow slow for now.

I guess I'm thinking I will increase every 7 days by 1hr. Sound good? Or slower yet as the corals are pretty stressed out right now?

By the way, THANKS for all the input, it's a great help.

 

[klepto]

Good stuff. Things should recover pretty quickly I reckon. That's strange that you didn't notice a similar effect previously.. Did you replace the same bulb combo initially?
Perhaps the first bulb change happened before the year mark so the PAR didn't decrease as much. Or possibly your corals weren't as established, so adapting to the higher intensity lighting wasn't a problem.

As far as photoperiod... You will have to choose what works for you. Looking at how your corals are reacting will be a great indicator. I would probably keep things at 8hrs for a few weeks after moving up from 6 and then go from there.

Oh yeah.. cutting off those algae tips will help the tissue on your SPS recover. Use some bone cutters or other good clippers that you can make a clean cut with.

 

[Vauche]

Thanks again Klepto. You hit a few points on the head. The corals weren't that established, still small frags for the most part. I believe I may have been earlier with the first change but I know I put in a stronger (more PAR) set of lamps this time around, definetly a lower K value this time. I wonder if the strong blue dusk/dawn to a pretty crisp white might be causing an issue now that I think about it?

Some of the corals were cliped already, I will see what they look like tomorrow as I will be home when the lights are on. The disadvantage to a short photo period..