how do i adjust corals to mh lighting

[egos4life]

I currently have t5's on my 55 and the bow front i am considering will be mh how do i adjust my corals so I do not kill them?

 

[mfinn]

One way is to get enough eggcrate to cover the tank. Get enough window screen material to cover your tank atleast 3-4 times. Every 3-4 days remove one layer.

 

[PCFishman]

just move them up slowly over a few weeks time. Depending on where the coral is now under your T5s they might be experiencing medium MH intensity lighting. Basically, just move the coral into higher light slowly, rushing will result in an unhappy/dead coral.

 

[egos4life]

and how long should i run the lights my t5's the actics come on at about 7 daylights 8 daylights off at 9 actics off at 10

 

[Mopar Reefer]

You can start your photo period on a few hrs per day with your MH's and then over the span of a few wks up your time from say 3-4 hrs to 7-9hrs.

In regards to the duration of your photo period, this is something that is tank specific IMO. It depends on the corals and your supplemental lighting. Me personally, I run my MH's for 6-7hrs a day and that is it. If your corals start to fade and look bleached move them down and visa versa. BTW metal halides will do wonders for your corals, congrads on your upgrade.

 

[PCFishman]

the photo period on my tank is about 12 hours. 12 hours with actinic T5s and 10 with MH. As Mopar Reefer said, your corals will tell u then they have had enough, so adjust it accordingly. The key is to just be patient, nothing in this hobby can be hurried.