Lighting

[SI-Reef]

I have a 30 Gallon BIO cube which has been running for a year.
I have been using a 150 watt 20K XM bulb all my corals were happy
I just replaced the bulb with a Phoenix 150 watt 14K bulb and my corals don't look so happy.
Do the corals have to get use to the new lighting or do i need to go back to the XM bulb

 

[CleanYourTank11]

It'll take a bit for them to acclimate, keep an eye on everything. Just my 2 cents but if everything did good with the old bulb and you like the appearance I would have stuck with the same company and spectrum.

 

[SI-Reef]

The bulb went out and i needed a replacement. Marine depot was out of the XM bulbs so i tried the Phoenix since i seen good reviews on it.

should i reduce the hours until the corals get use to the new bulb

 

[CleanYourTank11]

Ahh I see, personally I use phoenix and love them. I would leave lighting cycle as is, keep an eye on everything daily. If you see any issues then you can slowly ramp down the lighting. Other then spectrum your still running the same wattage, the least changes now the better IMO. Also going from 20 K to 14 K visually your corals will look different especially right off the bat. Don't think you'll have any issues with your new bulb.

 

[Rob&Gab]

You deffwill getgreatgrowth with the phoenix bulb and pretty good color. You will be fine just give them a week or so.

 

[mandown123]

what can happen is the old bulb has lost intensity over time, and the corals are used to that. So, when the new bulb was installed, it may have been at the full intensity, and the corals are re-acclimating to what your lights do at full-strength again.

 

[marrone]

what can happen is the old bulb has lost intensity over time, and the corals are used to that. So, when the new bulb was installed, it may have been at the full intensity, and the corals are re-acclimating to what your lights do at full-strength again.

+1 When replacing bulbs, or going with strong ones, you should cut down the lighting period and then build it back up. In the beginning the corals may like the higher intensity but usually it's too much for them to handle and a lot of times they wouldn't open because of it, and it takes time for them to adjust from there.

 

[SI-Reef]

I'll try cutting down on the lighting to see if that works.
I currently have the lighting running for eight hours each day. How many hours should I drop it down to and how long between increments for increasing light.