Acro growth and color under lower PAR levels. Sound off!

[revhtree]

How many of you are growing and coloring up your acropora corals under lower PAR levels?

If that's you what is your current PAR and what type of lighting are you using?

Thanks!

image via @TCK Corals

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Interesting topic! Following, id like to see which acros i can get away with on the sandbed.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

I’ll bite.

 

[DarkSky]

How low is low? I have some on the sandbed while they heal from cutting, and they're growing/encrusting and mostly holding color. 24" deep, 180 PAR at the bottom.

 

[revhtree]

How low is low? I have some on the sandbed while they heal from cutting, and they're growing/encrusting and mostly holding color. 24" deep, 180 PAR at the bottom.

What lighting and how are you measuring par?

 

[ycnibrc]

Most of the rainbow Sps I keep at 200 or under if I keep it higher the dominant color will take over. Example pro Coral rainbow if I keep it high then I only see the red color.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

The highest par in my tank is 225 at the very top rock. I have nothing in that spot right at the moment but I do have acros growing in the 180 to 200 range.

 

[revhtree]

The highest par in my tank is 225 at the very top rock. I have nothing in that spot right at the moment but I do have acros growing in the 180 to 200 range.

Cool! Any acro photos?

 

[revhtree]

Most of the rainbow Sps I keep at 200 or under if I keep it higher the dominant color will take over. Example pro Coral rainbow if I keep it high then I only see the red color.

Photo please!

 

[SGREEFER310]

How about higher nutrients and higher par ?

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

I'll post pic tomorrow, it's lights out for tonight

 

[DarkSky]

What lighting and how are you measuring par?

8x80w ATI Powermodule, Apogee MQ-200.

 

[ycnibrc]

Photo please!

It's hard to see in photo but the big colony is up high under halide all red. The other smaller one u can some green and hint of yellow trade mark color of pro Coral rainbow

 

[Rakie]

Exact opposite. After visiting vivid and seeing them bake their corals under an absurd amount of Radions all at 100%, and having some of their corals that will only color up to their potential under what I would call "Extreme Light", I'm a believer in twice as much light/par as advertised.

Back in ye olden times SPS guys ran MH'd and delivered substantially more than 500 par -- And it was what helped them get color.

 

[revhtree]

Exact opposite. After visiting vivid and seeing them bake their corals under an absurd amount of Radions all at 100%, and having some of their corals that will only color up to their potential under what I would call "Extreme Light", I'm a believer in twice as much light/par as advertised.

Back in ye olden times SPS guys ran MH'd and delivered substantially more than 500 par -- And it was what helped them get color.

All of which lends to the fact that there are many more factors than lighting alone!

 

[ycnibrc]

Here is another example in my tank
Pink lemonade up high under halide it turn bright yellow almost look like Pink Floyd

 

[DoobDob]

I don't have a par reader, but I've got a yoda acro growing nicely 23inches below a kessil, don't know how easy this coral is to grow though

 

[ycnibrc]

By the way my tank is shallow 24" so par on top is close to 500 middle 375 and bottom is 200 to 250.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

as promised. Big one in back is blue tip echinata. Been in tank for 10 months and started as a 1 inch frag. Green slimmer in front of that. Been in for 2 months. Pink lemonade next to that. 8 months. Some no name acro in front. Been in for 9 months. Back right is a blue stag. 5 months but I bought that one with some size. Front right is a blue something. That went in last month and has a lot of growth at the base.
All these acros are growing in 180 to 200, par tested with an apogee200, growing under an aquatic life t5 led hybid with a kessil ap700 11 inches off the water.

 

[TexasTodd]

YCN I bet you get even more moving to even lower on your PC R.
Rakie, how high above water does Vivid have their Radions? Almost all accounts I've seen of places running 100%/100% have them 18-24" above water.
Is there any data or consensus on which PAR meter registers best with LED? Our club has an older Apogee (supposedly rated better than some newer) and I have SPS and Squomosa clam doing great where it registered 60-65 PAR. With RB Photon V2 27" tall tank running AB+ at 48%/12% 7" off water surface due to canopy. Top of my rocks, about 10" below water was approx 275 PAR.