PAR meter

[Alfredomeinhardt]

Do I need a PAR meter to make sure the corals are located correctly in my tank??

I was looking at the cost of getting one, but they are very expensive.

I could also rent one from BRS, but I was wondering if there was a cheaper alternative or someone local to me (I live in The Woodlands, north of Houston, Texas) that I can get it from.

I appreciate your thoughts

Thanks

 

[dvgyfresh]

Photone app , will need to purchase the led fullspectrhm for 7$

 

[BryanM]

I got mine for $80 off amazon.

That said, do you need one, no. You can observe and relocate if needed.

Ie zoas, gonis that overly reach for light, move up. Other corals that appear to be losing color, move down.

When in doubt, ask! :)

 

[Subsea]

When I was a member of Marine Aquarium Society of Houston, if you were a premium member, then you checked it out for free with membership dues.

I bought my first PAR meter > 10 years ago on a recommendation of Dana Riddle.

“corals are located correctly“

Corals will adjust to intensity & spectrum. I think PAR meters are overrated. So is perfection.

 

[rtparty]

Here’s a little trick to get you super close….set your lights up at 1w per gallon. Put 75% into blues/violet and the then bump whites up to your liking. Usually the last 25%. This will get you into the LPS zone for most lights.

If you really want a PAR meter (they’re fun and cool to use IMO) go with the Danoplus off amazon. $130 and you’re set. Just take any number it gives and multiply it by 1.35

 

[Submerge]

Par is a number just like everything else. Like nitrates or alkalinity. How do you know what the coral you want to place is acclimated to? Even if you are given a number - say 200 - now what? Unless you are buying all your coral from the same tank and you and the seller use the exact same meter, both trained the same way to take a PPFD reading, the absolute number is not transferable.

There is no species PPFD database because it is not scientifically possible. The best advice is to do what @BryanM said and learn to watch the coral and move or adjust light controller or distance based on what the corals tell you. We haven't even gotten into what time of day - what is your ramp up ramp down total photoperiod stuff making any absolute par number even more irrelevant.

I used a par meter I borrowed from my lfs to compare my lowboy frag tank to my reef to make a mental map then never use it again. if you are only running a single tank, even that little bit of use is just not needed.

Par meters are not the best place to spend $130. Or $80. Or $3. Even for the reefer who has everything, go buy food or salt first lol. I could probably get 5 nice frags up here from fellow reefers for the price of a par meter. Just sayin'!

 

[exnisstech]

I like a par meter because it illimnates the guess work for me. But having 10s of thousands of dollars invested in tools for my trade many that are dust collectors it was an easy purchase for me.

 

[larrysaltisfun]

Here’s a little trick to get you super close….set your lights up at 1w per gallon. Put 75% into blues/violet and the then bump whites up to your liking. Usually the last 25%. This will get you into the LPS zone for most lights.

If you really want a PAR meter (they’re fun and cool to use IMO) go with the Danoplus off amazon. $130 and you’re set. Just take any number it gives and multiply it by 1.35

So I have 3 Kessil 500 they are each 185 W at full power or 555 W.
My tank is 210 gallons .
So are you suggesting that a starting point would be each light at 40% intensity what should be about 220 W total and then adjust the color spectrum accordingly at 40% intensity?

 

[Biokabe]

As mentioned before, the Photone app is probably the best option for 99% of hobbyists. The app itself is free, but you'll need to buy a $7 monthly subscription for reef LED spectrum measurement. It works with most reasonably modern phones (Android and iPhone) and just needs a front-facing camera. You'll also need a waterproof enclosure for your phone (pouch or box), which should cost you about $15-$20.

The app isn't bang-on accurate, but it's close enough for our purposes - when I used it, it was within about 5-10% of my meter-measured PAR. That's more than sufficient for making sure you're properly placing your corals.

It is a bit of a faff to get your phone positioned in the right spot, especially if you already have corals in your tank, so if at all possible I recommend taking your measurements before you have any inhabitants in your tank.

 

[Submerge]

But having 10s of thousands of dollars invested in tools for my trade many that are dust collectors it was an easy purchase for me.

I know that feeling. Think about all the ice cream we could have bought if we could have borrowed some of these single use tools. I recently retired, it was heartbreaking some of the once high dollar tools I could not even give away today. I've got an apogee par/far red meter I spent well over $600 on (different hobby) that today can be done with an iphone app.

 

[Alfredomeinhardt]

Thank you all for your replies and advice.

I kind of agree with what you say that a PAR meter is not necessary. I wanted it just to make sure the areas I was placing my LPS were in the range they needed. But you are right, I can just observe and act if necessary. So far, I have a few hammers, a torch, a duncan and two Zoas. They all look good; however, I don't see the hammers extending that much, and the Duncan either. I might have to give them more time to settle before I start moving things around.

Thanks again

 

[BryanM]

So I have 3 Kessil 500 they are each 185 W at full power or 555 W.
My tank is 210 gallons .
So are you suggesting that a starting point would be each light at 40% intensity what should be about 220 W total and then adjust the color spectrum accordingly at 40% intensity?

I don't think all lights are created equally, but Kessil's are solid lights.

I have a 6'2'2' tank, about 180 gallons in the dt. I have a reefbreeders meridian 63, running at roughly 60%, but "only" 375 watts. I don't really think we can compare these numbers all that well...

This is why par meters are "necessary". Even though I posted they are not, it kind of depends.

I will say since you have a 210 gallon tank, I think you can afford a 80-100 par meter, and take the guess work out of the equation.

 

[Rocks reef]

As mentioned, Danoplus off Amazon is a good choice or the Vabira VBR-200 is a less expensive model that gets the job done. I used the Vabira in the past and with the multiplier of 1.12 it was very close to an Apogee reading. However, the quality in the Vabira is inferior to the Danoplus that @rtparty mentioned. I have since pitched the Vabira and now have the Danoplus. I don't need number to 100% accurate, which no PAR meter does anyways, I just need a ballpark.

 

[rtparty]

So I have 3 Kessil 500 they are each 185 W at full power or 555 W.
My tank is 210 gallons .
So are you suggesting that a starting point would be each light at 40% intensity what should be about 220 W total and then adjust the color spectrum accordingly at 40% intensity?

Kessils are not great PAR per watt lights. Not saying that in a negative way. I would probably go with at least 50% for LPS

 

[larrysaltisfun]

Thanks! That’s a recommendation that I needed to hear!!

 

[jabberkaycee]

I know that feeling. Think about all the ice cream we could have bought if we could have borrowed some of these single use tools. I recently retired, it was heartbreaking some of the once high dollar tools I could not even give away today. I've got an apogee par/far red meter I spent well over $600 on (different hobby) that today can be done with an iphone app.

Omg, I’m having buyers remorse. I just purchased everything for a complete new set up, including all maintenance tools, then I read your ice cream analogy. I’m still trying to calculate how many cartons of rum raisin I could’ve had with what I’ve spent in the last two weeks.