Corals for low par

[hkgar]

I have 3 Hydra 52's over my 180. Supplement with 2 t-5.

I would like some recommendations for SPS that will do good (not necessarily great) with lower PAR. Par level around 175 to 300. Mostly would like to know what would be best at about 250.

 

[PaleHorse]

Monti, slimmer, digi, stylo, birdsnest

 

[Stevenliu9]

I have 3 Hydra 52's over my 180. Supplement with 2 t-5.

I'm about to update to 180 and am contemplating lights. I thought about hydra 52, do you like them over your 180? if you have a photo of it would you care to share?

 

[jdamon]

Are you sure your PAR values are accurate? I bought the apogee sensor and there is no way it's correct on my LED's. I got 200-300 PAR 3" below the surface, right under the led clusters. I am just using it to try and keep track of bulb degeneration. There is some piece of paper that talks about how par meters are off by a significant amount (for led's), and that percent error is different for each wavelength. I have a bunch of acros growing well under my LED combo. I have a red dragon going bonkers that is centered under one of my led clusters, but 10" below surface , and the light is another 10" above the tank. My worry is more about missing certain wave lengths due to the specific wave length of each led diode.

 

[Peter Eichler]

I have 3 Hydra 52's over my 180. Supplement with 2 t-5.

I would like some recommendations for SPS that will do good (not necessarily great) with lower PAR. Par level around 175 to 300. Mostly would like to know what would be best at about 250.

That's not exactly low par, especially if the par meter is acting screwy from LED's... You should be able to grow most SPS just about anywhere in your tank with that light setup.

 

[hkgar]

The measured PAR under the center of the lights at the top of the highest SPS, which is 9-10 inches BWL (lights are 10 inches AWL), is 450. The PAR seems to degenerate quickly as you move way from the center of the light. On the sand bed it is about 180.

I have read that the readings could be up to 20% low. Most think about 10%.

 

[MisterP]

450 will grow virtually anything . I wouldn't sweat the par readings. Do a search here for Hydra 52 settings and check out some of the tanks in it. These lights will do fine.

 

[Reefvet]

Mostly would like to know what would be best at about 250.

Pretty much any SPS if you give it good alternating flow.

At the time this shot was taken the PAR was about 175 on the sand and 350 half way up where the blue torte is lovin' life. Kessil LEDs.

 

[Big E]

All Sps will grow, but if you want good color that's different......you also have to make sure you are giving the corals good coverage from various angles. When they are bigger colonies they'll look like crap without good coverage.

Millis won't color good at 200. 300-450 works better

All montis do well in that 200-250 range as well as most smooth skin acros

Most Acropora species will do well at 300-350

I wouldn't figure more than a 10% error on blue LED readouts if you're using an Apogee set on "sun" mode. Besides that, corals aren't going to react to a 10% difference.

Just try to keep a stable range between 200- 500 (surface) and avoid hot spots and shadows.

 

[hkgar]

What would be the settings for a "sun" mode. I control my 52's with Apex and sun mode is not a choice. I assume it would be some set intensities for each color, to mimic natural sunlight?

 

[hkgar]

My current setting are:
R & G 37%
RB & DB 100%
V 72%
UV 62%
CW 42%

Overall intensity varies by light to achieve par balance across tank and is 90%, 100% and 96% for the 3 lights.

 

[Big E]

I was talking about The Apogee par meter mode set to "sun" if testing par on LED fixtures.

The par numbers I posted are for any light source.

 

[hkgar]

I was talking about The Apogee par meter mode set to "sun" if testing par on LED fixtures.

The par numbers I posted are for any light source.

Boy, did I miss that one. I even have the Apogee par meter and use it in sun mode. :headwally: