rgulrich
Active Member
Here's some info I've sent out to my local club, the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society:
Here’s a very non-scientific comparison between the new MQ-510 and my “old” BTM3000 (another apogee, but plugs into a computer via USB). I’ll let you decide on the value of the information…other than I may need to shorten the amount of time my Kessils are supplementing the ViparSpectra…
*Spoiler alert*
The average difference is the MQ-510 reads about 13 or 14 PAR higher than my BTM3000, which may be indicative of its purported greater sensitivity to the blue end of the LED spectrum.
Please note I didn’t doink around with my light settings like increase the blue/violet or somesuch.
Background:
I was redoing the lighting over the 300DD. The aquarium is an "island", meaning you can walk completely around it and view the reef from all sides. The reef is built diagonally from the left rear to the right front of the aquarium. It is plumbed to the basement and a room over. I wanted to remove the canopy as it was restricting my access to the aquarium and heating it up a bit. This new arrangement also provides me the ability to raise/lower the lights to decrease hotspots, increase spread, etc. Lighting is provided by 2 X 165W ViparSpectra, 4 X 300W ViparSpectra - all 90' lenses remove to maximize spread. I have also cut and installed a diffusion lens for each fixture to further blend the colors. In addition I run 3 X Kessil A360WE (in front) and 3 X Kessil 350W (in back). The ViparSpectra are set at ch01 (Blue) 40% and ch02 (White) 30%. The Kessils are dialed in to full power at the "white" end of the spectrum for both models. I prefer the "bright daylight" look of a sunny day snorkeling in shallow water, with *very* high natural CRI.
Readings and locations are available in the attached pdf.
The canopy:
The suspended light rack (yes, still working on tidying up the wiring a bit):
Sample locations:
There are two samples for each location for each meter, one with just the ViparSpectra, and the other with the ViparSpectra plus the Kessils. Samples (Read, left to right: (MQ-510) ViparSpectra, +Kessil / (BTM300) ViparSpectra, +Kessil)):
Of interest to some of us is the power consumption/PAR comparison:
First, just the ViparSpectra, at the above settings of ch01/40% and ch02/30%:
Second, with the Kessils added in (I really like the "glitter lines" and incredibly high CRI I get with this combo):
Lights are set at 6 1/2" - 7" off the water surface.
Aquarium dimensions of the 300 Deep Dimension are L72" x W36" x H27".
Data files are attached. One is the full data sheet and the other is just the comparison graph. Readings were taken with minimal water movement/ripples. I did keep the main filter system on to maintain full water depth, but this causes very little surface agitation. The internal pumps that provide all of the current were shut off for the measurements.
I hope you find this collage of information of some interest and use.
Cheers,
Ray
Here’s a very non-scientific comparison between the new MQ-510 and my “old” BTM3000 (another apogee, but plugs into a computer via USB). I’ll let you decide on the value of the information…other than I may need to shorten the amount of time my Kessils are supplementing the ViparSpectra…
*Spoiler alert*
The average difference is the MQ-510 reads about 13 or 14 PAR higher than my BTM3000, which may be indicative of its purported greater sensitivity to the blue end of the LED spectrum.
Please note I didn’t doink around with my light settings like increase the blue/violet or somesuch.
Background:
I was redoing the lighting over the 300DD. The aquarium is an "island", meaning you can walk completely around it and view the reef from all sides. The reef is built diagonally from the left rear to the right front of the aquarium. It is plumbed to the basement and a room over. I wanted to remove the canopy as it was restricting my access to the aquarium and heating it up a bit. This new arrangement also provides me the ability to raise/lower the lights to decrease hotspots, increase spread, etc. Lighting is provided by 2 X 165W ViparSpectra, 4 X 300W ViparSpectra - all 90' lenses remove to maximize spread. I have also cut and installed a diffusion lens for each fixture to further blend the colors. In addition I run 3 X Kessil A360WE (in front) and 3 X Kessil 350W (in back). The ViparSpectra are set at ch01 (Blue) 40% and ch02 (White) 30%. The Kessils are dialed in to full power at the "white" end of the spectrum for both models. I prefer the "bright daylight" look of a sunny day snorkeling in shallow water, with *very* high natural CRI.
Readings and locations are available in the attached pdf.
The canopy:
The suspended light rack (yes, still working on tidying up the wiring a bit):
Sample locations:
There are two samples for each location for each meter, one with just the ViparSpectra, and the other with the ViparSpectra plus the Kessils. Samples (Read, left to right: (MQ-510) ViparSpectra, +Kessil / (BTM300) ViparSpectra, +Kessil)):
Of interest to some of us is the power consumption/PAR comparison:
First, just the ViparSpectra, at the above settings of ch01/40% and ch02/30%:
Second, with the Kessils added in (I really like the "glitter lines" and incredibly high CRI I get with this combo):
Lights are set at 6 1/2" - 7" off the water surface.
Aquarium dimensions of the 300 Deep Dimension are L72" x W36" x H27".
Data files are attached. One is the full data sheet and the other is just the comparison graph. Readings were taken with minimal water movement/ripples. I did keep the main filter system on to maintain full water depth, but this causes very little surface agitation. The internal pumps that provide all of the current were shut off for the measurements.
I hope you find this collage of information of some interest and use.
Cheers,
Ray
