How do you guys recomend acclimating SPS corals to High Lighting

[saltycritter]

Just as the thread states, How do you guys recommend acclimating SPS corals to high intensity lighting. I have a 75 gallon bow front with a current USA fixture, 2 150watt 14K bulbs. This is the only light that i have on the tank. Can you please give me methods? The light is about 5 in from the surface of the water, and can't be moved as i don't have the system hanging from the ceiling. Any comments would be greatly helpful

[Seahorsedreams]

If you can lower the coral, put them towards the bottom and work their way up. You can also use a light diffuser, like the sheets you can buy at home depot. I actually taped mine to the light fixture over the lens. If your lights are HQIs, don't remove the lens/glass in place already to slide the diffuser in there for I'm not sure if the diffuser blocks the UV.

[lReef lKeeper]

i used fiberglass screen in 3 layers directly under the bulbs, and removed 1 layer per week until they were all gone.

[saltycritter]

By putting sheets of what ever you guys use, dosn't that block most of the light? What about the corals im not trying to acclimate? Don't those see a reduction in light? Will those corals start to make a turn for the worse if i take there precious ihigh intensity lighting away? i dunno.

[Amphibious]

You only need a small area covered with screening to block the light from reaching the coral you want to acclimate. It doesn't block most of the light, just some of it. Any corals near the effected one should not be harmed by the reduction of light for that period of time. With care taken in cutting the screen to size and placement, you shouldn't have any illl effects on other corals.

I've used the method described by Bobby, above, except I remove the screens one at a time on a 5 day cycle. Experiment. You probably will not kill your coral. Once acclimated, you can move it up higher on the LR to where you ultimately want it. Remember, a move up of only a few inches will have an affect on the coral. In other words, a coral acclimated as above, on the sand, should not be moved up to the top of LR in one step.

Dick