check out my par readings!

[bobssecrtsn]

Well my Apogee Quantom Sensor finally arrived im using it with a multimeter w/ mV volts. here is my par readings! im using the MQ120 Sensor

3" from the fixture is 975 and ill let the picture do the rest!

3" 195
Surface 125
2" 53
10" 36
Bottom 28
L bottom 60
R bottom 44
Island 50
Zoa 28
Hwood stunner 27
SSC 40
Blue stag 54
Front Red planet 34

get these readings and multiply by 5 BTW.. let me know what you guys think! i might have to get more par i feel like its pretty low. and wthell is up with the corners getting 300 par? i tested 3-4 times and it all came out the same.

Ballast is a Vue Technology E-ballast. 250W

 

[sirreal63]

Need more info...tank size, bulb, reflector. If this is the 18 gallon cube, what are the readings with the Ice Cap fixture?

 

[rogergolf66]

Tagging what lights u running?

 

[this is me]

Definitely some user error or hardware error. No way your bottom corners of the tank have higher PAR than the top middle of the tank.

 

[toothman]

could you be missing a zero, like 1950 on top not 195. My par meter has a button that shifts the decimal place.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Have to agree that having higher PAR out in the corners is not possible unless you have extra lighting out there. Any MH or florescent will be more intense at the center.

If you have lighting that has approximately twice the amount of 'actinic' compared to 'white' you'll want to tack on ~15% (on top of the 'reading x 5' calculation). Quantum meters report lower PAR #s the further you get to the visible spectrum extremes.

 

[toothman]

I did not see the high readings in the front, something really does not add up.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

Ops double pist

 

[bobssecrtsn]

Sorry for the late replies tank is a 24x24x20 with a coralvue e ballast with a spider reflector. I'll post a picture later .. As for the meter I am using a quantum mq120 with a multivolt reading at mV . I'm thinking the wall are reflecting the lights that's why it's higher, when I start moving to the center it starts lower

 

[bobssecrtsn]

It's a 250w radium bulb also de single ended

 

[sahin]

Your PAR number at the edges do look strange.

Can you take a photo showing the tank and lights in one shot?

Here is a PAR map of my tank from about 1.5years ago:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the PAR measurements of my ATI Sunpower HYBRID 5x24watt T5 and 24 Cree LED's @ 700mA (approx 60watts). 20 of the LED's have 80degree lens, the remaining 4 have 60degree lens.

The tank is 18" tall, 30" long and 20" front to back. The water height is 16" from top of sand to water surface.

Excuse the bad quality of the photo. For some silly reason I took the photo at an angle, but here goes:

Some notes about the various numbers:

1. PAR measurements were made using the Apogee MQ-200 PAR Quantum meter. This meter underreads the PAR from narrow spectrum LED's (mainly in the blue section) by around 10-20%, so my PAR levels are probably a fair bit higher.

2. The T5 tubes, bar the actinic tube, are about 5 months old. When I put in new tubes I expect the PAR levels to increase slightly.

3. The light unit is suspended 7.5" above the waters surface. If I mount it lower, PAR levels get too high causing bleaching due to photoinhibition.

4. Numbers in RED are PAR readings on the SAND. The 175, 265,175 are right against the FRONT glass. 175's are in the extreme corners. The 390-A is the PAR in the centre of the tank on the sand bed.

5. PAR levels 1" below the unit are in excess of 2500!!!

6. PAR numbers just below the surface of the water is around 1100!

I am extremely impressed with this light modification. Since the purchase of the PAR meter, I have been looking at various PAR measurements carried out by other hobbyists and it appears that the PAR levels are in similar range to 400watt halide systems. All in all, I am very happy with the PAR levels and the possibility of supplying very good spectral quality via the use of various T5 tube combinations.

The unit has the following T5 Tubes/LED front to back:

Front:
ATI Blue+
ATI AquaBlue Special
Cree XR-E LED's: 20 x Royal Blue + 4 x Blue
KZ FijiPink
Arcadia 420nm 03 Actinic
ATI Blue+

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note that I dont run the LED's at 700mA any more. That was too much PAR for some SPS. I run the LED's at 350mA now. PAR is about 30% lower, and most SPS will do just fine.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

ok here is the fixture of the MH setup, it was about 5-6 inches above water level.

proof of measurement,

this is the unit itself

250w Radium bulb w/ looks like a spider reflector mounted inside the unit.

now....

ok here it goes guys! 6bulb ATI fixture brand new, could not pass up this price of 360! from a local person here!

here is the par ratings

should i raise up the fixture a bit? its about 10-12 inches above the water line

bulb combo is B+, C+, P+,B+,AquaB Special, B+

 

[bobssecrtsn]

sorry double post...

 

[tinkerman]

Why is there such a big difference between numbers bobssecrtsn posted and sahin? What is the difference between the lights/bulbs you guys are running? I think you should have just upgraded the reflecter for the halide, if it was me and it wasn't. You would have gotten numbers much better with a lumen bright mini for a little more than a $100. You sure theres not something wrong with your meter? I thought ati's would pull better par than that.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

Well for one he is running LEDs at 700ma.. Also idk how high his fixture was so I can't compare but mine is at 10-12 inches above water line so it would be a lot more if I lowered it

 

[rogergolf66]

Definitely some user error or hardware error. No way your bottom corners of the tank have higher PAR than the top middle of the tank.

Why couldn't it be reflection off the sand? That's the only area that has sand to reflect

 

[tinkerman]

The leds would help a little but not that much unless all his measurements are taken directly under the leds strip. Sahin said the light is 7.5" above the water and the leds with 80 degree lenses will give a 6' strip for coverage down the center. The numbers look like they are taken from all over in the tank which is why I don't think they help that much. I put a 12 led kit above a 40 breeder and got 6" spread off the size of the heatsink with 80 degree optics. rogergolf66 the senser only takes light in from the top of the senser so while the sand might reflect light off of it it won't have that much of an impact on the numbers. If the senser is tilted 10-20 degrees it can have a good or bad impact on the numbers, needs to be flat with the light.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

He isn't using strip LEDs... Those are Cree 3w each at te max output...

 

[tinkerman]

It is a strip of leds.
"Front:
ATI Blue+
ATI AquaBlue Special
Cree XR-E LED's: 20 x Royal Blue + 4 x Blue
KZ FijiPink
Arcadia 420nm 03 Actinic
ATI Blue+"

 

[bobssecrtsn]

oh i thought you were talking about strip as in like reefbrite as for shimmer affect, he is running those LEDs at a high percentage. dont underestimate cree 3w's.