PAR requirements for favia and acans

[steely185]

I'm looking at starting an Acan/favia based pico. I wanted to see what the general PAR requirements would be for them. I've always kept them under halides or t5s with no problems but this pico would be using a low powered LED I have picked out. It's a dimmable par 38 with 30 degree optics so the PAR off center drops dramatically. I just don't want to give them too little light.

Thanks.

 

[snorvich]

My recollection is that 80-100 PAR would be acceptable. (Source was Cherry Corals)

 

[d0lph1n]

I know it's an old post, in case somebody looks for it, I found this interactive map:
http://www.coralifeproducts.com/product/aqualight-led/

 

[64Ivy]

Every one of mine seems to do best at below 100. Mostly at around 60.

 

[d0lph1n]

Every one of mine seems to do best at below 100. Mostly at around 60.

So, you think the interactive map is BS.
The PAR numbers from that map seemed very high to me too, that's why I asked in the first place, but I have almost no experience with PAR numbers.

What I found extremely surprising is how powerful the 13 LEDs are for a 12 inch cube, especially the blue LEDs. 13 rebel ES LEDs, 6 blue x6+1red, mounted 1-2 inch from water, no lens, are blasting around 100 PARs in the furthest corners, on the lowest driver setting (20%).

These numbers are small vs the real numbers, because, as far as I understand, the Apogee sensor has difficulties measuring the blue light.

I had to setup the white channel to 20% throughout the day and the blues to 40% at the brightest point of the day, and I still think it's too much light for my corals but the acan is very forgiving, I had it in a 300 PAR zone, my favia...I still don't know if it likes less light or not...but the pink hammer I got last week, was bleaching in a 200-300PARs . I'm so ****ed off.

 

[wonderz]

I know it's an old post, in case somebody looks for it, I found this interactive map:
http://www.coralifeproducts.com/product/aqualight-led/

according to the map, it says plate coral requires 600+ par (high to very high) par. i am not sure how true that is.

 

[d0lph1n]

Probably it's not true. On the ecoxotic brochure for Panorama Marine, there is a par chart:

Zone 1 PAR 160-250: Low light LPS or high light soft corals like hammer, lobed brain, frogspwan, green hairy mushrooms.

Zone 2 PAR 80-160: medium to low light soft corals like ricordea yuma, yellow leather...

Zone 3 PAR 20-80: low light soft corals like Xenia, finger leather, mushroom coral...

 

[chrisfont23]

according to the map, it says plate coral requires 600+ par (high to very high) par. i am not sure how true that is.

Geez...what would one do - corral the sun?