Lighting Upgrade Question

I have recently finished building a canopy for my 60gal (I'll post on DIY if anyone wants to see it). I included a 2X250 MH retro kit inside so I could finally get some SPS frags. The tank currently has 2X24" T8's (36 watt?) 10k coral life bulbs, one on each side. So my question is how do I go about switching the lighting as to not kill all the life in the tank? I saw something about starting the MH off at 1 hr a day and then increasing 1 hr each week. That would take over 2 months to get to a full lighting schedule. Is there a faster way that the life we be able to adjust to?

 

I have heard of the 1hr a day trick. Another trick I have seen used is to use window screen. Layer it up prett thick and gradually start removing one screen at a time.

 

If you can raise the whole canopy and slowly lower it that will help too. You can work with distance, intensity and duration or all 3

 

I wouldn't be able to raise the canopy and my wife would probably rather I not spend any more money on this to puchase layers of screens.

So, would starting with a 4 hr photoperiod be ok and then increasing 1 hr per day or two?

Thanks.

 

1 or 2 hours a day for a week and uping it an hour a week will be fine. You just have to be patient. Depends on what types of corals you have now. But you just have to be friends with patience for the moment.

 

Patiece and me have never been friends, lol. I have a few mushrooms, a few zoanthids, 2 brains, a candycane, a frogspawn, and a hitchhiker sponge. Any way of cheating the acclimation time?

 

I switched to MH as well and I started at 4 hours a day and then increased it be an hour each week. It has been working great so far and Im at 6 hours a day and I think next week Ill bump it to seven and stop there.

 

You could do like arent did and go that route since the corals you have don't demand that much light. They do but they don't. You feel me.

 

I dont understand how acclimating the lights would be any different then adding a fresh frag into your tank that came from a lower lighted tank. I dont understand the hole light acclimation thing. So do you do this each time you add something to the tank?

 

Ok got ya. Will do as instructed thanks for the help.