Welcome to TRT!!!
How do you have the light setting over the tank?
If it is hanging from the ceiling then you can start it up pretty high and lower it a bit each week until you have it at the level you want.
Another option is to start with a short cycle and then increase the duration by 1 hour each week until you are up to the full amount of time you want the lights on.
Yet another option is to use layers of window screen material to somewhat shade the tank and remove 1 layer each week until it is all gone.
The key thing to keep in mind is whatever approach you take you are going to have to do the same thing every time you change the bulb in order to keep from bleaching your corals.
HTH
