Quote:
|
Originally Posted by StirCrazy
nope good Way to lead to bleaching if you are stepping your lights up enuf.
there are 2 ways to do it, recommended by most big names and this is using a screening in several layers (about 10) and removing a layer every couple days or there is the increasing interval, which is good for people who can use screens due to the layout of the tank / cabinet or what ever. so start 1 hour on then 1 hour off and do this for the normal photo period so 10 to 12 hours a day, after 3 or 4 days increase it to 1.24 hour on .75 hour off for another 3 or 4 days, then 1.5 hours on 0.5 hour off for 3 or 4 days then 1.75 hour on .24 off for 3 or 4 days then full on, the problem with this is you do need a digital timer to pull it off. if you are going from good PC's to say 175's or what ever for the most part you should be able to get away with the switch, but if you were going from PC's to 250HQI's or 400s and even some normal 250 watt setups then I suggest one of the methods.
|
Hmm. All sounds pretty complicated, plus you'd have to stay home all day long if you didn't use the digital timer, which would be a PITA to set anyway. Not to say these methods wouldn't work, but I think I'll stand by the "1 hour every two days" theory.
Actually, I just upgraded from PC to MH recently, too. (Before Snappy started this thread). To be honest, I didn't think to follow much of any regimen at all.
(Kudos to Snappy for being conscientious). I pretty much ran the new MHs right from the get go, with a few "overcast" days per week where they were left off all day and just ran the actinics on those days. All my corals seem happy and have actually shown signs of improvement with the new lights. No bleaching has occured. My
Trachyphyllia sp. didn't like it at first, but it was directly under one of the new MH bulbs so I just moved it down to the substrate and off to the side some and now it's doing very well. My
Plerogyra sinuosa also appeared to be unhappy after awhile as it too was directly under one of the new MH bulbs. Again, moving the coral has resulted in improvement. And my
Pachyclavularia sp. is starting to display a deeper and more vibrant green colour. All in all, all my corals are doing better since the MH upgrade. As for following a regimen, I've learned a lesson and won't be so non-chalant about it next time, when I replace the MH bulbs in two years. But I think that increasing the exposure by 1 hour every two days is sufficient and one does not have to be anymore complicated than that.
Cheers,