the sun will come out tomorrow

[Aquarist007]

I have had the coralife canopy with 2 150watt, 10,000 k halides and 2 96 watt compact attinics---for nine months now.
The attinics are on for 12 hrs daily and the halides 10 hours

At what point should I be thinking of replacing the bulbs?

[seapug]

the Halides are probably okay for a few more months. The actinics can lose a lot of "blue" before you notice it, but if you replace them now, I can almost guarantee you will get a lot more contrast. I just changed my PC actinics after 9 months. They didn't look bad but the new ones look a lot better.

[Travis L. Stevens]

The actinics should last a little longer, but it wouldn't hurt to replace them. I would go ahead and replace the MH bulbs though. Before you know it, it will be another month or two, and you'll be glad you did.

[am3gross]

i agree with travis. i think that i would replace 1 bulb everyweek for the next however many weeks. if you change all at the same time you might get an algae outbreak and thats the reason i say to change 1 bulb a week.

[MrSpiffy]

What about 50/50 PC bulbs? Since one side's actinic and the other isn't, when's a good time to replace these?

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10142858#post10142858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MrSpiffy
What about 50/50 PC bulbs? Since one side's actinic and the other isn't, when's a good time to replace these?

Same as any other PC

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10142627#post10142627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by am3gross
i agree with travis. i think that i would replace 1 bulb everyweek for the next however many weeks. if you change all at the same time you might get an algae outbreak and thats the reason i say to change 1 bulb a week.

thanks guys I hadn't thought about an algae outbreak.

[RichConley]

How many times does this need to come up? Changing bulbs doesnt cause algae. Nutrient issues cause algae.


FWIW, MH bulbs decline a bit for the first 2 or 3 months, and then tend to level out for the next 18 months or so. Replacing them now really isnt much different than replacing them six months ago, or in 6 months.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/ac/index.php

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10148498#post10148498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
How many times does this need to come up? Changing bulbs doesnt cause algae. Nutrient issues cause algae.


FWIW, MH bulbs decline a bit for the first 2 or 3 months, and then tend to level out for the next 18 months or so. Replacing them now really isnt much different than replacing them six months ago, or in 6 months.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/ac/index.php

thanks for the info
Re algae:
I agree totally that nutrients are the number one cause of algae but.........
don't you feel that light can cause an increase in the growth of "existing" algae?