How to successfully keep SPS Corals!
- Thread starter revhtree
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ReefJeeper
Community Member
What kind of PAR values do you guys shoot for? Say bottom, middle, upper regions? And how do you acclimate new corals to your light? Thanks
ReefJeeper
Community Member
Anyone know their PAR values? Might be a better question
ReefJeeper
Community Member
:help:
ReefJeeper
Community Member
Thanks for the reply..i recently got new reflectors so I have been playing with a par meter wondering how high to keep my lights off the tank. Right now im almost 200 on the sandbed and 300 1/3 of the way up, 425 2/3 and up with the reflectors about twelve inches off the water. 26" deep tank. Anybody else got some numbers for me?
mcarroll
10K Club member
Any chance you have a lux meter or would be willing to put a free lux meter app on your smartphone? (Search your app store/download center...should be multiple free options that will turn your camera into a lux meter.)
I'd be curious to know what lux numbershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux you're seeing at the water's surface. As a very general guideline, if you are above 32,000 lux (low end of "direct sunlight") there's a good chance you're alright.
-Matt
I'd be curious to know what lux numbershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux you're seeing at the water's surface. As a very general guideline, if you are above 32,000 lux (low end of "direct sunlight") there's a good chance you're alright.
-Matt
Mrfresh
Valuable Member
Hi,friends of r2r, please leave me your comments or question of my tank,it's well appreciated!
I literally have nothing to say.
This tank has left me speechless.
Truly amazing I hope you plan on doing a tank thread and you can show everything ur doing.
ReefJeeper
Community Member
It said about 22k but i question its accuracy at two and a half stars rating. Haha. I am just lowering the light a little bit every week or so trying to find the sweet spot. Ive found a couple bits of info...
This was in coral magazine
And this was in advanced aquarist
mcarroll
10K Club member
Interesting reference data...not sure it's any more comparable than lux readings though. You notice the giant spread on those PAR ranges? :) Not useful for setup really...mostly that you know 50 is about the lowest. Maximums might be useful if you're someone who tends to overkill on the equipment. ;)
22000 lux sounds about right.
Again once you're in the "direct daylight" range (>32k lux, by the link I posted) I wager you're fine.
-Matt
22000 lux sounds about right.
Again once you're in the "direct daylight" range (>32k lux, by the link I posted) I wager you're fine.
-Matt
ReefJeeper
Community Member
i would guess the wide range is the compensation point and the saturation point of PAR for the different species. I happen to have an apogee PAR meter at my house right now which is why im interested in PAR measurements. Ill have to give it back soon im sure..Haha. The advanced aquarist article was more specific going as far as different species, i just wish there was more species on there. Surprisingly not too much information out there on this.. Which is why i asked here, where there are obviously several people who have been very succesful with sps all in the same place
mcarroll
10K Club member
In the scheme of things, almost nobody has a light meter of any kind. PAR because there are none priced at a consumer level, and lux because people either don't know about it or think it can't work.
The AA people are doing this mostly for pure research I think. Data gathering. WHICH IS COOL. But what we (the hobby) need for setting up tanks and building lights is practical information - guidelines - if you follow my distinction.
Used as guidelines, this data isn't much more useful than watts, lux or any other estimation of the lights we're using.
That doesn't make it useless or uninteresting, but it is so specific and esoteric that it doesn't teach us much we don't already know from our collective experimentation.
So, I say folks should get lux meters instead due to the extreme affordability. Possibly enough folks could afford one (free on your smartphone!) that we could finally have a critical mass of data to possibly see something new. At the least we'd have a common reference point for all of us building our own lights or tuning dimmers. As it stands almost all of us are just guessing how bright our lights are...which is a killer if you are changing lighting systems to LED (vs building new).
I've been using a $15 hand-held lux meter and $25 hand-held spectrometer for about a couple years now - I wouldn't do without them now. :)
-Matt
The AA people are doing this mostly for pure research I think. Data gathering. WHICH IS COOL. But what we (the hobby) need for setting up tanks and building lights is practical information - guidelines - if you follow my distinction.
Used as guidelines, this data isn't much more useful than watts, lux or any other estimation of the lights we're using.
That doesn't make it useless or uninteresting, but it is so specific and esoteric that it doesn't teach us much we don't already know from our collective experimentation.
So, I say folks should get lux meters instead due to the extreme affordability. Possibly enough folks could afford one (free on your smartphone!) that we could finally have a critical mass of data to possibly see something new. At the least we'd have a common reference point for all of us building our own lights or tuning dimmers. As it stands almost all of us are just guessing how bright our lights are...which is a killer if you are changing lighting systems to LED (vs building new).
I've been using a $15 hand-held lux meter and $25 hand-held spectrometer for about a couple years now - I wouldn't do without them now. :)
-Matt
whixley101
Well-Known Member
+1 Really not trying to spent the money on a PAR meter until they have less variables. I would love more info on a LUX meter and its reading translations.
Damon
Well-Known Member
I'm genuinely curious how your converting and levels your getting? It is interesting that your using one because foot candles and lux go hand in hand (I'm sure you know this) and both measurements have been the standard for as long as I remember. I grew indoor so that's what I'm used to. But I was wondering if there was a realistic way to compare. I have wondered this for a long time. It's just not worth the money on a meter I'm only going to use once in a blue moon.
Sent from Note 2 on Tap 4
mcarroll
10K Club member
Yes there is a way to convert lux to par, but every bulb (or bulb combo) will have its own conversion factor. Essentially you mathematically recalibrate your lux meter into a par meter for your light. ;) (You can find some specific conversions if you search a bit.)
But it's fine just to use it as a lux meter and work in lux. Daylight and full sun levels are well known targets you can shoot for. (Check out Wikipedia's lux page for a good start.)
-Matt
But it's fine just to use it as a lux meter and work in lux. Daylight and full sun levels are well known targets you can shoot for. (Check out Wikipedia's lux page for a good start.)
-Matt
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