Acclimating w/ New T5 Lights?

I am finally picking up my new T5 light fixture tomorrow and wanted to know what type of acclimation process I should use?

Current fixture: Current USA Satellite Power Compact [36"]
-1 96W 10k/420nm
-1 420/420nm

New fixture: Sunlight Supply Tek [36"] w/ Giesemann bulbs
-1 Aquablue
-2 Actinic+
-1 Pure Actinic

Tank is 70G and the dimensions are 36x18x24. I mainly only have LPS w/ a few soft corals. I have a Fiji Leather up top, frogspawn and torch in the middle, acans in the middle and bottom, brains middle to bottom, mushrooms middle and bottom.

I figured that I would cut the light length in half and slowly add an hour each week, but that is just my rough guess of what to do. I'm very much welcome to anyone's opinion on safely acclimating the tank with a new T5 lighting system.

Thanks!

 

That is an excellent way to acclimate. Good job. You could also raise the height and lower it over time if you have it hanging.

 

Anybody else?

 

if your running your twin PC fixture for about 12 hours each day now

if it where me
I would run my new T5 fixture for 8 hours for 2 weeks
10 hours for next 2 weeks
and then after those 4 weeks , resume my 12 hour lighting period

one other thing to bear in mind aside from potential light shock to corals
is the potential for a nuisance algae outbreak, due to increased light (coupled with any excess nutrients)
so if your not testing for Phosphates and running GFO currently - now may be a good time to add it IMO before you start increasing your lighting
also double check your nitrates just in case

if both these nutrients are in check then you should be good to go.

Steve

Steve

 

I think he's upgrading from PCs to T5s if I'm not mistaken in which case this won't work. I would go with Steve's idea and just gradually increase the lighting period over several weeks. That's what I did when I upgraded from PCs to T5. Worked great for me.

 

Correct...from PCs to T5s.

Steve, your idea sounds pretty solid. I think I'll go that route. Thank you!