how to acclimate to new lights

[kware]

I'm swiching my lighting from a pc 4 X 65 watt bulb fixture to a 2 X 250 watt hqi metal halide with 4 X 65 watt actinics (the 48 inch light from aqua traders) What should I do to acclimate my tank. I have a green brain on the bottom some mushrooms also on the bottom with some polyps in the middle? I've heard of using screens but I don't know for how long to use them for. Also how long should I keep the new lights on for. Anything would be great.
thanks

[DevilBoy]

remove one layer of screen per week, and cut your photo period down and gradually increase it back up

[msteele]

If you do a bit of aquascaping to cut the light for the corals they'll be a lot happier during the acclimation procedure. You are more than doubling your lighting so do the acclimatization over a fairly long period.

[downhillbiker]

I have that same light and LOVE IT!!! people bash it all the time, but it is killer. the 760w right?

all of my corals went into light shock and bleached out and had tissue loss. i had to move them down in the tank to the bottom and cut the photoperiod back to 5 hrs a day and have bumped up 1 hr per 2-3 weeks. now i am at 7 and have stayed there for a couple months. everything came back and colored up better than it was before.

here are a couple pics:
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm107/downhill_biker/IMG_2583.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm107/downhill_biker/IMG_2469.jpg

dying corals:
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm107/downhill_biker/IMG_2400.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm107/downhill_biker/IMG_2398.jpg

corals now:
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm107/downhill_biker/green.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm107/downhill_biker/IMG_2319.jpg

[drewp808]

sorry this has nothing to do with your question but, how was aqua traders, good bad? anyone? was going to buy a light from there just wanted to know if they're legit

[baitshopboy]

I would start off with running just 2 of the actinics and one MH for a while. Then after a few weeks to a month turn on the other two actinics. Then after another few weeks to a month turn on the other MH.