Ramp up halide photoperiod?

[Steve175]

For a variety of reasons [not the point of the theead please ] I have decided to switch back from LEDs to a T5/Halide mixture over my SPS dominated reef. My display tanks are deep, so I have always run 400W halides. I have set it up with Radium 20K mogul bulbs (Giesemann fixtures). I have 4 T5 bulbs as well: currently running old actinics. My LEDs were running with a peak of 80% blue and 30% white. My main question: how long and rapidly should I introduce the halide photoperiod. I am thinking of going pretty slowly with only an hour of halides a day for a week and then add an hour each week until I get to 8h. However, I would love the advice of some SPS gurus on what they would do over their reef in this situation. Also, it has been a while since I ran T5: what bulbs should I run? Thanks in advance, Steve

 

[kevin_e]

I recently went from 150 watt halide plus 4 t5s to a single 400 watt halide. I am running a radium. I started with 3 hrs and ramped up an hour a week like you plan without adverse reactions. I'm at 7 hrs now, which seems perfect for my tank.

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[thegrun]

I would also think a 3 hour MH photoperiod would be a good starting point. T5 bulb selection would be dependent on what color you like in your tank. I always felt like the Radion 20 bulb looks closer to 14K.

 

[hkgar]

I have gone through your same changes - from LED to MH/T5 and now all t5 over my 180. Mt poersonal advice go to the full T5. Here is my SPS tank.

Re reading your post - How deep is your tank? Mine is 24, but I am not sure t5 will punch down with par deeper than 24. Its punch diminishes pretty rapidly compared to MH.

 

[alton]

When I ran Radium/Phoenix lamps in the summer I would cut back on my MH lamps to only 3 hours during the summer with running my BML Leds 9. My SPS and LPS never noticed the difference and growth stayed the same. I started increasing the length in September and up to 8 hours day by November to help with heating the tank. Run your T5's full time with MH part time you will be fine.

 

[Steve175]

I have gone through your same changes - from LED to MH/T5 and now all t5 over my 180. Mt poersonal advice go to the full T5. Here is my SPS tank.

Re reading your post - How deep is your tank? Mine is 24, but I am not sure t5 will punch down with par deeper than 24. Its punch diminishes pretty rapidly compared to MH.

Yeh, my DTs are 32" deep which I why I have always run 400W MH (and why I wish my arms were longer :-/ )

 

[Steve175]

I will try 3h and increase 1h per week to a total photoperiod of 8h.

 

[Joe0813]

Oops I didn't do this when I went from LEDs to halides

 

[Steve175]

Oops I didn't do this when I went from LEDs to halides

How long ago? Any issues with SPS? Were they 400W? Perhaps I failed to
mention that I am to lazy to move high colonies down for the transition (admitting my laziness is the first step lol, plus several are very encrusted.

 

[Joe0813]

How long ago? Any issues with SPS? Were they 400W? Perhaps I failed to
mention that I am to lazy to move high colonies down for the transition (admitting my laziness is the first step lol, plus several are very encrusted.

Mostly SPS and I switched from radions to 250hqi radium's. The SPS was fine but some of the lps was pretty mad

 

[kevin_e]

You can also try the screen method. My light is 19" off the water, if I remember right. That's something I forgot to metion.

I will try 3h and increase 1h per week to a total photoperiod of 8h.

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