PAR Numbers

[xabo]

Recently checked par #'s of Radion G4 Pros............getting 444-489 14" below waterline and 199-234 on the sand bed. Are these numbers to high for SPS? Lights are mounted 9" above waterline at 65%.

 

[Ostentum]

No. Most montis do well in the lower par numbers like 150-200. You can find sps doing well anywhere from 150-600 depending on the species.

 

[xabo]

Thanks for the reply. Tank is a 220 with 2 cross braces and 3 openings with 2 radions per opening for a total of 6.

 

[hockeyismylife]

I find my monti's personally cant receive too much light. Have them sitting in 450+ atm and they love it. had them in 600+ with no change.

Does anything in your tank give indication you have too much light? If not, i wouldnt worry about Par numbers much.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Looks great to me.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Recently checked par #'s of Radion G4 Pros............getting 444-489 14" below waterline and 199-234 on the sand bed. Are these numbers to high for SPS? Lights are mounted 9" above waterline at 65%.

How are you measuring PAR? I thought I had read that PAR meters like the Apogee won't read LED lights in the same way they will read T5 or Halide. I could be wrong though.

I do know that I took my Apogee and read a local guys LED light and the numbers were very high as you are stating but the tank did not look any brighter than my T5, which reads more like 300 about 10" down.

 

[xabo]

BioTek BTM 3000

 

[scottbeyer101]

I tested PAR (Apogee meter) on my tank (3 X Hydra 26s, 9 inches from surface) and found far weaker PAR values than you report. I noticed a very sharp "cone" shape of light based on the repeated readings at least until I got down to the bottom 1/3rd of the tank by which time it leveled out around 140. Dead center of fixture, 6 inches deep, barely broke 330.

In the end tho, my montis love it, my acros only love being dead center under each fixture.