Help with lighting

[SaltyDawg]

Right now I have 2 10 watt 50/50 PC over my 10 gallon. Time to get some better lights. I am looking at the wavepoint 4X24 watt T5 HO fixture but I'm a little worried that it could be to much. Will 96 watts shock everything to death. I was thinking that I could run 2 bulbs for a while and add the other 2 later so things can adjust. The other light I'm looking at is the 70 watt Viper MH. The worries with that is the heat factor and how to adjust it to not shock everything. They are about the same price and puts me between a rock and a hard place. Or are both lights overkill. The wife thinks I should get the 2X24 T5 because it's half price lol.I am about 70/30 on going with the T5's but any opinions either way would be appreciated.

[Phurst]

The Viper fixtures are junk IMO. Go for the 4x24. I had a 4x24 over a 15 and it was definitely NOT overkill, especially if you only have 2 daylight bulbs (and presumably 2 actinics).

[SaltyDawg]

What would you suggest for light acclimation? Thats a big jump in watts. 2 bulbs then 4 on the same schedule I'm on or all 4 for a few hours and slowly increase the time they are on?

[Phurst]

It depends on the ballast and wiring of whatever fixture you get. Some will not function without all the bulbs in place. Many fixtures will have multiple cords or switches though, so if you get one of those, you could go the 2 bulb route for a while, then turn on all 4. If you have to use all 4 bulbs, I've found it's more effective to block some light with multiple layers of window screen, removing a layer every few days than to actually shorten the photoperiod.

[Amphibious]

+1 on what Phurst said about blocking the light instead of shortening the photoperiod.

[SaltyDawg]

Well I went and picked up a cheap light. I went with the 2X24 instead of the 4. For 60 bucks I'm not expecting it to last long but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Compared to the 50/50 10 watt pc's I was running....what a difference. My tank seems a 10 times brighter with those little T5 HO bulbs. None of the corals have retracted if anything they are as puffy as ever. The clowns on the other hand are freaked out bad. One is under an overhanging piece of rock on the sandbed and the other wedged himself into a gap between two rocks. Is that normal? If anything I would have figured the clowns doing fine and the corals freaked out. As long as they stay on the bottom I wont worry but without a hood now I'm worried about them jumping.
After I do a little cleaning I'll take some updated shots and put them in the FTS thread.

[Phurst]

I've never seen clowns react that way, but if the only thing that changed was the light, I don't think I'd worry too much.

[SaltyDawg]

They are coming around now. I was a little worried at first. The only time they hide is when the wife gets close to the front of the tank. She thinks they don't like her.lol

[CarmieJo]

You have to let her feed them so they come up to her and do the little puppy dog wag of the tail end!