Swap lights during the day or after lights out?

[Karen00]

Hello fellow saltines,

So I just purchased a used Prime HD (not the 16) and I plan to ditch my knockoff "reef" light today. Should lights be swapped during the day or after lights out? I'm busting at the seams to get this up and running. Actually here's the quick backstory because the Prime is already running as of this morning.

I received the Prime a couple days ago and after getting the required hardware so I could attach it to my old light's mount I managed to get it all swapped out last night (after lights out) only to find the previous owner still hadn't removed it from their account even though that was the first thing I asked of them. I discovered this trying to add the light to myAI and couldn't. I emailed the previous owner last night but didn't expect to hear anything back until at least today. In the meantime I managed to get into a crude scheduling interface by connecting to the light directly so I setup a schedule to see if it would work. It does and it came on this morning but there's too much white so I want to change it. As it happens I just heard from the previous owner and the light has been removed from his account. I plan to do a reset and start again so my question is can I do this now or should I wait until lights out?

 

[Utubereefer]

 

[shakacuz]

wait until lights out. when you setup your new light schedule make sure to put it in acclimation mode as well as set the levels a bit lower to help adjust.

 

[Utubereefer]

 

[Utubereefer]

You don’t wanna shock the corals at lights out. Do it now!!!

 

[Porpoise Hork]

The best option is to make sure the PAR levels and spectrum are set as close to the existing lights as possible. If you have access to a PAR meter from a local reefing club it'd be best to borrow it and test the new light after you have the spectrum setup. If there's not a local club available BRS does rent them. As for when to swap once all the levels are a match or as close as you can get then it's entirely up to you but I'd run the acclimation on period on the new lights for at least 2 weeks and set the starting reduction power by 10-15%.

 

[Utubereefer]

 

[aSaltyKlown]

I would do it anytime, the biggest concern would be to not have it too intense compared to the old light. Be sure to run in acclimation mode for at least 14 days, 30 would be recommended.

 

[Karen00]

wait until lights out. when you setup your new light schedule make sure to put it in acclimation mode as well as set the levels a bit lower to help adjust.

Thanks for this! What is a good setting for acclimation mode? I was able to do enable this in the light's interface and left it at the default of 50% (I'm assuming that's the start point) until Feb 1st. When it got to full intensity at noon today it seems really bright for 50%. I had forgotten I even set this so now I'm thinking maybe 30%?

 

[Karen00]

I want to play with my new toy! LOL

 

[shakacuz]

Thanks for this! What is a good setting for acclimation mode? I was able to do enable this in the light's interface and left it at the default of 50% (I'm assuming that's the start point) until Feb 1st. When it got to full intensity at noon today it seems really bright for 50%. I had forgotten I even set this so now I'm thinking maybe 30%?

30% is a good start.

 

[Karen00]

I would do it anytime, the biggest concern would be to not have it too intense compared to the old light. Be sure to run in acclimation mode for at least 14 days, 30 would be recommended.

Thanks for this! I enabled acclimation mode in the light's interface and left it at the default 50%. That seems really bright but it could be because there's so much white. Maybe I should do 30%? I mentioned this in a previous reply. I'm curious as to what folks do. The tiny GSP seems to love all the white (which could be a bad thing). It seems to have doubled since yesterday. Haha.

 

[Karen00]

30% is a good start.

Thanks!!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Fire it up!
D

 

[Karen00]

Fire it up!
D

Honestly I think I'm going to have to. I keep hovering around the tank just itching to hit that reset button. LOL. My fish are like "Why won't she leave?". Haha.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Honestly I think I'm going to have to. I keep hovering around the tank just itching to hit that reset button. LOL. My fish are like "Why won't she leave?". Haha.

Or "Why won't she feed us?!?!"

 

[Karen00]

Or "Why won't she feed us?!?!"

So true... Even though they were just fed. Haha Short memories or dashed hopes. Both apply to them. LOL

 

[Sean Clark]

 

[Karen00]

This is it!! lol!

 

[Karen00]

Did it, love it! Running the Saxby in acclimation mode right now. Wish I had picked up this light (or at least a proper reef light) from the beginning. I might've spared a couple corals from a withering demise.