Aclimenting my tank to MH's

[shadofax69]

Hi, I just received my 250W metal halides today. I was just wondering what the best way to acliment the corals I have now to the more intense light. Thanks

[John Brancheau]

Start out with a couple of hours a day, and slowly over a couple of weeks increase the time by about an hour, then after you get them at the desired lenght of time, set them on a timer and all will be good....

[cwbroden]

Definately acclimate them slowly as John Brancheau said. I was just answering a question for someone who went from 76W of PC to 150W of MH. His softies are all shrinking up. Change like that is just too drastic.

[shadofax69]

I am going from a 96W PC and a 20W NO to a 250W DE HQI. I left my MH on for about 3.5 hours last night and none of the corals shriveled. Hopefully they continue to act like this through the aclimation period. Iwas planning one taking a month or so to aclimat them. Thanks for the responce guys.

[Phan]

you could use egg crate on the top of your tank...with several layers of screen layed on top of the egg crate. remove one layer at a time slowly. seemed to work for me.

[Omidon4]

This is semi-related.. I haven't purchased my tank, DSB, or LR yet, but I am going straight for MH and cutting out the step I know I would eventually take anyways... So my question is being that there are live organisms both in the LS and LR will I have to acclimate them to the MHs? If there are corals on the LR I would like to preserve them as much as possible (free coral, heck ya!).

Would the MHs hurt non-photo synthetic organisms, such as craps etc?

Just somethings I'd like to clarify without talking to the LFS. I am most likely not going to buy my MH from my LFS and they might be angry if I'm asking them questions about equipment I didn't buy from them. I go there often so they would know. Since there are only two stores in G'ville that sell salt water supplies they assume I buy from the other (which I do *snicker snicker cackle cackle*). Anyways Thanks in advance!!