how do I acclimate my sps from Radion back to MH ?

kevensquint · 11/21/2012, 08:28 PM

Hello, I had MH for years, I've been using the Radion LED for about a year, and I will go back to MH next month. My radion is on for 12 hrs total and at its most intense about 5 hrs above 60% total intensity.
So if I replace it with a Pheonix 14k HQI (250w), what should my starting photoperiod look like?
I thought of 4 hrs MH with 12 hrs actinics. Eventually increasing the MH to 9 hrs.
The high intensity of the MH is what concerns me, since I never could get my radion above 70% or some monti's would bleach. I'm especially interested in reefers who have switched back to MH from led, but any opinions are very welcome.

hollister · 11/21/2012, 10:40 PM

You need to start out small. 1 hour per day for a few days. 2 or 3 . Then increase an hour or so and wait and repeat untill amount reached.

ajcanale · 11/22/2012, 08:29 AM

I don't see the need to acclimate, especially if 14k is what you had the radions programed to. I've found a single Radion unit to be much more intense than a 250w MH... hence the easy bleaching of SPS. Before someone starts rambling about higher par readings with MH's.... PAR is not an accurate measurement of LED intensity (spectral error.)

I know of a couple people who made the switch without issue, though not from radions. Several months ago one of my units failed so I had to revert to using a 250w (20k) MH for a week or so with no problem.

kevensquint · 11/22/2012, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcanale

Several months ago one of my units failed so I had to revert to using a 250w (20k) MH for a week or so with no problem.

How many hours per day was your LED and how many hrs per day was your replacement MH on for?
And your right, Led light and MH are not delivered to the coral surface in the same way. The spectrum of MH is much more homogenious and I find my radium has spectrum hot-spots. There is a very big difference in my corals color/growth depending on if I move it to the left a few inches for example. I never had wierd issues like that with MH. I could go on and give the list, but thats not what this thread is about.

screamingibis · 11/22/2012, 10:50 AM

I would go with the same amount of time, just raise the mh higher in the beginning and watch

Palting · 11/22/2012, 12:31 PM

I have an MH/T5 fixture, and all the bulbs are due for replacement. Thinking about going to LED's, Radion being one of them. So, now I'm curious as to why you are going back to MH?

ajcanale · 11/23/2012, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevensquint

How many hours per day was your LED and how many hrs per day was your replacement MH on for?
And your right, Led light and MH are not delivered to the coral surface in the same way. The spectrum of MH is much more homogenious and I find my radium has spectrum hot-spots. There is a very big difference in my corals color/growth depending on if I move it to the left a few inches for example. I never had wierd issues like that with MH. I could go on and give the list, but thats not what this thread is about.

Well the cycle of the Radion is a curve of course. I want to say I ran the halide for about 8 hours in sync with the other operating Radion at >60% of its programed schedule.

barjam · 11/23/2012, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcanale

I don't see the need to acclimate, especially if 14k is what you had the radions programed to. I've found a single Radion unit to be much more intense than a 250w MH... hence the easy bleaching of SPS. Before someone starts rambling about higher par readings with MH's.... PAR is not an accurate measurement of LED intensity (spectral error.)

I know of a couple people who made the switch without issue, though not from radions. Several months ago one of my units failed so I had to revert to using a 250w (20k) MH for a week or so with no problem.

Are you talking about the par falloff that the apogee meters have in certain blue wavelengths? That isn't a huge percent I think 10% when I calculated it for t5/Phoenix bulbs.

Interestingly enough I calculated it for a Phoenix bulb at the time that like the LEDs produce a huge percentage of it's lights directly at 450nm so too suffers from this measurement problem.

kevensquint · 11/23/2012, 11:15 AM

I predict when an expert writes an article in the near future with very accurate LED measurements. We will be surprised to see that with narrow band spectrum led lights its very, very easy to over-do it. Just think that if a radium has a good amount of light in 450nm and its only a hint of blue looking, what happens when you use 8 450nm leds focused on your corals and the tank looks very blue? I can't imagine something so un-natural not causing any impact on the animal. Either way, since I was not pleased with the results from my radion, I can't help but be more on the side of MH. Thats just me, to each his own.

Sk8r · 11/23/2012, 11:33 AM

You can always turn lights-out for 3 days to cure cyano. Then if using one of the intense lights, mh or led, you go actinic-only for a day to wake the corals up gently. I'd think a precautionary 2 days of actinics, to let the corals settle, then start what I assume would be new mh on a slow program of adding hours a day. If you're worried, start with 1-2 hours, after an hour of actinic. Then bring the on-time up about an hour a day. I prefer to break in a new mh bulb slowly, as is.

11/21/2012, 08:28 PM	#1
kevensquint Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: new york Posts: 2,277	how do I acclimate my sps from Radion back to MH ? Hello, I had MH for years, I've been using the Radion LED for about a year, and I will go back to MH next month. My radion is on for 12 hrs total and at its most intense about 5 hrs above 60% total intensity. So if I replace it with a Pheonix 14k HQI (250w), what should my starting photoperiod look like? I thought of 4 hrs MH with 12 hrs actinics. Eventually increasing the MH to 9 hrs. The high intensity of the MH is what concerns me, since I never could get my radion above 70% or some monti's would bleach. I'm especially interested in reefers who have switched back to MH from led, but any opinions are very welcome.

11/22/2012, 08:29 AM	#3
ajcanale Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Memphis 10 Posts: 1,098	I don't see the need to acclimate, especially if 14k is what you had the radions programed to. I've found a single Radion unit to be much more intense than a 250w MH... hence the easy bleaching of SPS. Before someone starts rambling about higher par readings with MH's.... PAR is not an accurate measurement of LED intensity (spectral error.) I know of a couple people who made the switch without issue, though not from radions. Several months ago one of my units failed so I had to revert to using a 250w (20k) MH for a week or so with no problem. __________________ If the spirit moves ya, let me groove ya Current Tank Info: 150g Starphire Pensinula SPS

11/22/2012, 12:31 PM	#6
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	I have an MH/T5 fixture, and all the bulbs are due for replacement. Thinking about going to LED's, Radion being one of them. So, now I'm curious as to why you are going back to MH? __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

11/23/2012, 11:33 AM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You can always turn lights-out for 3 days to cure cyano. Then if using one of the intense lights, mh or led, you go actinic-only for a day to wake the corals up gently. I'd think a precautionary 2 days of actinics, to let the corals settle, then start what I assume would be new mh on a slow program of adding hours a day. If you're worried, start with 1-2 hours, after an hour of actinic. Then bring the on-time up about an hour a day. I prefer to break in a new mh bulb slowly, as is. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/21/2012, 10:40 PM	#2
hollister Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,037	You need to start out small. 1 hour per day for a few days. 2 or 3 . Then increase an hour or so and wait and repeat untill amount reached.

11/22/2012, 10:50 AM	#5
screamingibis Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Maysville, GA Posts: 375	I would go with the same amount of time, just raise the mh higher in the beginning and watch

11/23/2012, 11:15 AM	#9
kevensquint Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: new york Posts: 2,277	I predict when an expert writes an article in the near future with very accurate LED measurements. We will be surprised to see that with narrow band spectrum led lights its very, very easy to over-do it. Just think that if a radium has a good amount of light in 450nm and its only a hint of blue looking, what happens when you use 8 450nm leds focused on your corals and the tank looks very blue? I can't imagine something so un-natural not causing any impact on the animal. Either way, since I was not pleased with the results from my radion, I can't help but be more on the side of MH. Thats just me, to each his own.