Switching from PCs to MH HELP!

[flugelnuss]

I have about a 3" baby maxima in my 46g bow front for about 2 months now. I have 192 watt PC lighting with the clam basically perched up near the top of the tank.

I have a 10g nano that I just upgraded to 39 watts T5s and a 70 watt Metal Halide that i would like to transfer the clam to. I'd like for the clam to be on the bottom of the tank on the sand.

What would the recommened acclimation process be?

TIA!
Jeff

 

[Peabody]

Well, you could start the lights out high, and lower them a half an inch every other day or so. Or....you could reduce the photo period and slowly work it up to the length you want. Good luck! (And Welcome to Reef Central!!!!)

 

[flugelnuss]

Thanks for the welcome! I have the MH and T5s in a hood approximately 5" above the water. There is currently nothing else in the 10g tank. The clam is used to about 12 hours of Actinic PC lighting & about 10 hours of 10K PC lighting.

What would you recommend for the T5s and the MH photoperiod to be?

Thanks again!
Jeff

 

[mfinn]

I don't know if this will help with your tank, but I switched from pc lights to mh and pc on my zoanthid tank. Raising the mh and then lowering it over a couple of weeks was not an option.
So I put some eggcrate over the top of the tank and put 3 layers of screen door /screen material over the eggcrate. Every 5 days or so I would remove a layer of screen, letting more light in. Plus I started out on a 5 hour light period working up to 10 over s 4 week period.
Good luck

 

[Peabody]

That is also another option, and a very good one (forgot about it!)

5 inches seems a little low for the MH to be to the water....if any droplet of water hits the bare bulb it will likely explode. Most people keep 'em about 8-10 inches. Or, do you have some sort of splash shield?

In the end (although this is a VERY subjective topic) I'd do a 12 hour photoperiod with one hour of t5s on either side of a 10 hour MH period

 

[flugelnuss]

I have a piece of UV glass in between the DE bulb and the top of the tank. Thanks for all of the help! Any other ideas out there?

I plan on acclimating today after floating and then dripping. Should I turn off all lights while floating? Or would the clam appreciate the light?

Jeff

 

[Peabody]

I'd keep lights out when acclimating to the water, then use one of the above methods for acclimating to the light. Good luck!!

 

[flugelnuss]

Thanks for all of the help!

Jeff