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

[revhtree]

Thanks for the input. I'm looking to keep my PAR levels as low as possible.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I keep mine at 250-350, and everything is starting to color up very nicely after a minor mishap a few months ago.

 

[MTBake]

I really need a par meter. I only have a lux meter. I get 83,000 lux under the middle of my MH and 30,000 at the edge of the reflector. That's at the water surface.

 

[Mark Gray]

I am following along I have a par meter but i have not used it yet lol, no time. And won't have time till the first weekend in October if i am lucky. I don't think my par is high. Running Geissman Verves.

 

[Deaf clown]

All these corals are in the 200-250 par range with a MQ 200 (I believe). Top unknown Acro (not a Green Slimer), Unknown Acro, WWC Yellow Carolina, PC Rainbow, and SSC featuring spongodes.

I run 2 actinic Sbars @ 40-50% for 10 hours, 4 T5s for 7 hrs (1 b+, 1 c+ & 2 actinics) I also run 2 250 W 10K SE MH for 6 hrs.

 

[MTBake]

All these corals are in the 200-250 par range with a MQ 200 (I believe). Top unknown Acro (not a Green Slimer), Unknown Acro, WWC Yellow Carolina, PC Rainbow, and SSC featuring spongodes.

I run 2 actinic Sbars @ 40-50% for 10 hours, 4 T5s for 7 hrs (1 b+, 1 c+ & 2 actinics) I also run 2 250 W 10K SE MH for 6 hrs.

Those look great! And that's a really nice combo of lighting you have!

 

[Deaf clown]

Those look great! And that's a really nice combo of lighting you have!

Thanks it’s a bit much I know but it’s definitely doing everything I want. Added the actinic bars last Thanksgiving and was amazed with the colors it gave me.

 

[MTBake]

Thanks it’s a bit much I know but it’s definitely doing everything I want. Added the actinic bars last Thanksgiving and was amazed with the colors it gave me.

Results pretty much speak for themselves

Good job! I can't really fit t5 over my tank with the MH reflector I have. I might need to look into a led solution.

 

[VR28man]

It's hard to see in photo but the big colony is up high under halide all red.

Sorry to divert the thread, but I think I have the same colony. Do you have more pics? do you know what its trade name is? what kind of
PAR and flow does it get?

 

[mtraylor]

I have never owned or used a PAR meter, so I would never know. I have always added light/reduced by what the corals tell me to do in terms of color.

 

[Reefinny]

So I have been running a 100 gallon DSA tank for a while. Had a 36" 4 bulb ATI and 2 Hydras for some ambient. The lights were about 8" above the water - par was about 400 on the top column, but will say my PC rainbow never really got the "rainbow" I recently changed my canopy to a taller unit and put in a 6 bulb 48" and 2 - 36" reefbrites. I picked up a Apogee and am getting about 280 at my PC rainbow and it has gone from "red" to "rainbow" in about 60 days. I am 100% that I have less par now than before based on where it is placed. It was directly under the 4 bulb top of the water column. I am also seeing other colors like on my wwc yellow tip that I did not see or have before.

Granted - I made some pretty big lighting changes - to the point I was concerned it was to high up - but at this point I am going to ride it out before I make a shorter canopy.

 

[ycnibrc]

Sorry to divert the thread, but I think I have the same colony. Do you have more pics? do you know what its trade name is? what kind of
PAR and flow does it get?

It's the pro Coral rainbow but if u put it high then the red color will dominated. I have halide so it's about 450 par

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

kind off topic... but those without a par meter that want one. you can buy one of these and hook it up to a $5 multimeter. boom... par meter for $175.


https://www.apogeeinstruments.com/s...ation-quantum-sensor/#product-tab-description

 

[Sallstrom]

I copied this from another thread. This is from an experiment I did at work. No Acropora since they are harder to meassure(because they need to be glued, Seriatopora sp do fine without glue).



Here's an example of growth under just 2 types of LED diods with a total PAR of 80. (PAR meassured at the coral fragments)

Species: Seriatopora caliendrum, Seriatopora hytrix (red), Seriatopora hytrix (green)
Light hours - 0900-19:00
Diods:
420nm - meassured PAR: 40
660nm - meassured PAR: 40
So about 80 PAR in total (meassured with a Apogee MQ-200 - (I know it's not the best, but that is what we had )

We started the experiment 20180112 and finished it 20180621 - so in total 160 days. Almost half a year.
All three species had three colonies each in this experiment.
Here's the result in gram and %

So in this setup these corals did IMO very well in "low" PAR and with just two types of diods.

 

[alton]

This green SPS (not sure what the name is) has been kept in a PAR level of 70 to 250. The attached picture the PAR level is around 200. It started like other frags at 70 on the sand at my house tank.

 

[Rcpilot]

Is there a submersible PAR meter?

How are you measuring PAR below the surface?

 

[ycnibrc]

Is there a submersible PAR meter?

How are you measuring PAR below the surface?

Apogee make par Meter for aquarium.

 

[mch1984]

I don’t know yet, just now getting into SPS. The only one so far is a green slimmer. It’s struggling but that’s due to living through some tough times in my tank. I’m on a much better path now. Plus just so happens today I get my hands on a par meter. A local guy has one and he is letting me barrow it. I’m running two maxpect etherials on a typical deminsion 90, I get to see if I need to turn them up today.

I hadn’t worried about it too much to this point, but I have a nice milli coming and from my understanding it likes to be blasted pretty hard. So now I’m concerned and am going to confirm today. I know my light will grow, but do I need to turn up the intensity is the question.

 

[Mattrg02]

kind off topic... but those without a par meter that want one. you can buy one of these and hook it up to a $5 multimeter. boom... par meter for $175.


https://www.apogeeinstruments.com/s...ation-quantum-sensor/#product-tab-description

Looks like an awesome new use for my fluke DMM!

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Apogee make par Meter for aquarium.

Yup. They have the MQ-210 and 510. Range in price from $4-500 new.

Rcpilot, You can find them used, but it's rare and they usually sell fast. Depending on where you live and if you have a local SW club, they may have a Par Meter loaner program for members.