How much light do I need?

[Danny N]

Finally got a LUX meter and want to tune in my lights (led). Tank is 24 inches deep. Lights have 5 different time settings. I don't have many corals yet. Zoa, Acan, Hammer, and Green Star Polyop. How many LUX should be at surface of water and for how long?

 

[KVYA]

LUX cannot be used to measure light intensity for a reef tank. For that you will need a PAR(Photosynthetically Active Radiation) Meter.

LUX only measures the visual brightness, not the actual light that is used by photosynthetic organisms.

A general guideline is to have your lights on for 8-12 hours.

When acclimating corals to more intense light, you can start them at the bottom of the tank and work them up slowly. Or decrease the photoperiod and slowly increase back to what it was over a period of a few weeks. Or dim your lights and slowly turn them up over a period of several weeks. Or you can do all of these.

Always start your lights lower and slowly increase intensity.

Not enough light is always better than too much light or else all your corals will expel their zooxanthelle.

There are a lot more people on this forum who can explain it better than i can.
__________________________________
12 Year Old Reefer