Need advice on adding a new MH light to a T5 tank

[wienerdog]

My 90g tank has about 300w's of T5 lighting. I have a 716w MH/T5 arriving today. I plan on hanging the fixture about 20" above the tank and every week dropping it about 5" until it's about 6-8" above the tank. What doyou guys suggest???

 

[Ultimate Corals]

Since your more than doubling the light on your tank i would take it really slow. Maybe only drop it down 1-2 inches a week and definitely shorten how long you keep the lights on each day.

What's your current stock list and how long do you keep the T5's on now?

 

[wienerdog]

Since your more than doubling the light on your tank i would take it really slow. Maybe only drop it down 1-2 inches a week and definitely shorten how long you keep the lights on each day.

What's your current stock list and how long do you keep the T5's on now?

My lights come on around 10am and go off around 9pm. have mostly soft and LPS. However, I did just get some SPS at the swap in anticipation of my light comin in. Just gonna throw some hooks in the ceiling with some cheap chain until I can get it down to where I want it or where the light is beneficial to the tank. How far above the water should I plan on keeping that light?

 

[Ultimate Corals]

I have mine about 6-8 inches off the water on my 90. I'm running 2x250 MH and 4x32 PC.

Personally I would keep your current 10-9pm cycle on the T5's and do the MH's an hour a day increasing by 30 min every other day. All while lowering your fixture 1-2 inches a week.

As for the newly acquired SPS keep them high in the tank for now and if you notice any browning or bleaching lower them. I would also recommend picking up a few additional CUC members as doubling the light may give you one hell of an algae outbreak.



Mark S.

 

[wienerdog]

I have mine about 6-8 inches off the water on my 90. I'm running 2x250 MH and 4x32 PC.

Personally I would keep your current 10-9pm cycle on the T5's and do the MH's an hour a day increasing by 30 min every other day. All while lowering your fixture 1-2 inches a week.

As for the newly acquired SPS keep them high in the tank for now and if you notice any browning or bleaching lower them. I would also recommend picking up a few additional CUC members as doubling the light may give you one hell of an algae outbreak.



Mark S.

Thanks mark....never thought about the algae takeoff. Grab some turbos and blue legs this week.

 

[howze01]

You can also use some window screen over the tank to help filter out some light.

 

[wienerdog]

Got the light. It is a great fixture!!! Unfortunately, I cant hang the fixture. Is it OK if I keep the light about 8" above the water line...that is where it stands with the accompanying legs. I will use the screen idea...thinking about 7 sheets of window screen and increase the ON time about 1/2 hour a day and emove a sheet every other day or so.

 

[wienerdog]

After a ton of research, I have found that I should use the screen method. I am going to use 4 sheets of the non-metal screen. I will remove one sheet every week. I think I should keep the schedule the same and not decrease the MH time. It seems as if I should keep the same schedule so they aren't anymore shocked than they're goona be with the new lights. I am going to get a surge protector and put three timers in it. I'll add the MH plug, T5 plug, and the LED (moonlight) plug. Heres my proposed schedule...
930am LED moonlights OFF
930am T5's ON
1100am MH ON
700pm MH OFF
930pm T5 OFF
930pm LED Moonlights ON