How to light acclimate? Ai prime

[Treenk]

So I ordered a new ai prime to replace my current orbit marine, in my 29g biocube. I understand that it will be significantly more light. Over the last week I've slightly moved up my frag wrack a little closer to the light every day a little passed half way now. It was maybe 20% from the bottom. I will move it back down to where it was when I put the light in. I've read up on the ai primes acclimation mode but I'm struggling to figure out best amount of days to set it for. Some people do a month which seems crazy to me.. do they do that everytime they get a new piece of coral?

 

[Quietman]

So I ordered a new ai prime to replace my current orbit marine, in my 29g biocube. I understand that it will be significantly more light. Over the last week I've slightly moved up my frag wrack a little closer to the light every day a little passed half way now. It was maybe 20% from the bottom. I will move it back down to where it was when I put the light in. I've read up on the ai primes acclimation mode but I'm struggling to figure out best amount of days to set it for. Some people do a month which seems crazy to me.. do they do that everytime they get a new piece of coral?

For low light corals I've had good luck with just a couple week acclimation.

What's your dominant coral type?

 

[Treenk]

Zoas and euphyllias

 

[Treenk]

Anyone else do something different of so why?

 

[Quietman]

Zoas and euphyllias

Should be fine if you run the acclimation for 2 or 3 weeks. Corals (and those in particular) can tolerate lower light better than high light. The output that those Orbit Marines put out is less than 1/2 of what the AI Prime can based on a cursory search (assuming you didn't run the dual IC Pro - if you did, I may cut it to 2 weeks - may not, there's no hurry). True PAR readings require a meter obviously, but < 1/2 the wattage and half the PAR at same depth leads me to that conclusion.

I would start my acclimation at 50% (if not lower because the intense light of the AI Prime is going to be reacted to differently than the bar spread on the OBO).

Your corals should be able to tell you if you're going to fast.

 

[Treenk]

I'll probably start around 30-40 then it's only going to be 4 inches from the surface, but there will be plastic between. Thanks for the info. Also do I do this everytime I get new coral?

 

[Quietman]

I may dial down the intensity for a week (may not depends on corals I'm putting in). I use an in tank frag rack now, so I acclimate by starting on bottom of tank and raising up over a few weeks, then I move to rocks and move up again. I have Radion at 80% to support mixed (hardy SPS top, LPS bottom) and so far, that seems to be working well. I have no corals that are really sensitive to light intensity changes though. If I did I may dial down the intensity more or for longer.

 

[Treenk]

I switched from the orbit marine to the ai prime yesterday. So I ended up doing David Saxby schedule and started it at 35% to acclimate for 21 days. My hammer coral which stayed in the same place is barely opening. I moved the frag wrack down and my vamp in drag looks like an umbrella. Do you think I started it too low of light? Or too hectic of changes? What should I do? Or nothing? Also watermelons aren't as open and duncan absolutely loves it, the rest are close to the same.