help with MH setup

[yellowtruck75]

Well Santa came through and I got my 250 MHs but I have two questions about setup.

1) I have a 6' long 125, now should I set the bulbs (3 of them) up parallel to the lenght of the tank or perpendicular?

2) What process should I got through to acclimate my corals to the new light (upgrade from VHO)? I have mostly softies with 3 clams and one SPS frag.

[Snookie]

My new hood has the MH's (2) perpendicular to the tank. Tag can help with the acclimation (I’ll need help on that one too). :confused:

[GarSrtn]

From what I've read, the orientation of the MHs depends on the reflector used. Some reflectors are designed to be mounted perpendicular to the tank, others parallel to the tank. I have one over my 65, and it's mounted parallel to the front of the tank.

[yellowtruck75]

my reflectors are the spider type (i think thats what they are called) so I think I am gonna mount them perpendicular

[Snookie]

Tag is temorarily AWOL but I'm sure he will respond. I think I read a post where he had some bleaching issues with his softies (?). My light won't be on for another month or so. :(

[picassomike]

2) What process should I got through to acclimate my corals to the new light (upgrade from VHO)? I have mostly softies with 3 clams and one SPS frag.

Best way IMO,which is also the method I used to acclimate my tank from VHO to 400w MH,is by the hour on hour off method.At the time I also had many softies,LPS,SPS,and I didn't have one single bleached coral.Some electronic timers work best,and make it much easier.

First you dont need to move your corals at all.Its an easy process,by which you run the lights 1 hour on then,1 hour off,then 1 hour on.Lets say you want to run your MH's from 9am to 7pm.You would run them on at 9am,off at 10am,on at 11am,off at 12,and etc until they would normally be off at 7pm.Then all you do is add 1/2 an hour every week to the on intervals.Like next week they would be on at 9am,off at 10:30am,on at 11:30,off at 1pm,etc.Just keep doing this each week until you have the full photoperiod met,yes it will take sometime to do.

Also if you are running any actinics,you can run them only,in the hour that the MH's are off.

Do you understand what I'm saying??I've confused many people with this method.

HTH
Mike

[Snookie]

Mike, you nailed it. Even a buffoon like me understands (at least I THINK I do). :rolleyes:
That will be easy---the only issue I have is that my timers have only 1 hour intervals but I will be looking at better timers anyway when I make the switch. Does that on and off system drive the fish a little nuts though?

[picassomike]

That will be easy---the only issue I have is that my timers have only 1 hour intervals but I will be looking at better timers anyway when I make the switch.

Thats why I recommended electronic timers,its also much easier to punch it in on elctronic timers,rather than you standard timers.


Does that on and off system drive the fish a little nuts though?

Thats another reason why I recommended running any VHO or PC actinics while the MH's are off during the hour intervals.

Mike

[Tagamet]

Originally posted by picassomike

Then all you do is add 1/2 an hour every week to the on intervals.Like next week they would be on at 9am,off at 10:30am,on at 11:30,off at 1pm,etc.Just keep doing this each week until you have the full photoperiod met,yes it will take sometime to do.

Mike

The way I read this, it would only take three weeks?
Tagamet

[Fizz71]

I count 19.

--Fizz

[Tagamet]

Originally posted by Fizz71
I count 19.
--Fizz

In the example given, 30 minutes were added to EACH of the time periods. So in 3 weeks they would butt up against each other and the light would be "on" the whole time.
Tagamet

[Fizz71]

Add 30 minutes to the ON time a day.

Week 1..9-10, 11-12...
Week 2..9-10:30, 11:30-1pm...
Week 3..9-11, 12-2..
Week 4..9-11:30, 12:30-3...
Week 5..9-12..
Week 6..9-12:30...
Week 7..9-1...
...
Week 15..9-5, 6-7
Week 16..9-5:30, 6:30-7
Week 17..9-6
Week 18..9-6:30
Week 19..9-7

--Fizz

[Tagamet]

I was wrong.

Tagamet

[Fizz71]

I had to read it twice too. :)

--Fizz

[Tagamet]

Originally posted by Fizz71
I had to read it twice too. :)
--Fizz
That's the problem. I read it FOUR times, and STILL got it wrong (lol). I was sure that the way it read (all four times) that ALL the periods were being increased by 30 minutes. DUH.
Thanks for the help.
Tagamet

[Snookie]

Tag, I don't know about you but I'm just skipping ahead to week 19. :rolleyes:

[Tagamet]

Originally posted by Snookie
Tag, I don't know about you but I'm just skipping ahead to week 19. :rolleyes:

This is me, not being surprized. :fun2:

Tagamet

[Snookie]

I'm trying. I'm trying REAL hard. It's not easy being Mr. Instant Gratification. :(

[Highlander]

When I moved my SPS over to halides, I used a full day of actinics from day one, and started with one hour only of halides at "mid-day", increasing by one hour each day alternating earlier and later. I was up to full day lighting with the halides in 12 days and had zero bleaching.
Just FYI

[yellowtruck75]

I think I am gonna hang my lights at 18" and lower them about an inch or two a week until I am at about 6" above the water. How does this sound?