macclellan
New member
Seeing that the club has a PAR meter, I thought everyone might benefit from the data being reported....not just share the meter but share the results, and any reflections on those results. At any rate, here's what I got.
Most of the numbers from the smaller freshwater tanks won't interest most of you, but they might be relevant to folks with small softie tanks.
All measurements in ~60 µmol.m^-2.s^-1
Taken with an Apogee QMSS-E PAR meter.
All values are approximate.
Please don't quote this post in its entirety for you will look retarded.
14g Ecosystem Aquariums “Mini†AIO. Reef Tank.
Wal-mart 500w Halogen Worklight for housing, end-caps, reflector, wiring, etc. 70w Icecap ballast.
70w Catalina Aquariums “Coral Grow†14KK
70w (5 "WPG" but more like 6 "WPG" in display area, ~12g)
Surface (10â€Â): 310
15†middle: 140
21†middle: 100
21†front corner: 150 (due to shape of reflector?)
21†rear corner: 100
Standard AGA 75g Aquarium. Freshwater planted.
Catalina Aquariums T5 Fixture w/Workhorse Ballasts.
2x54w 67KK and 2x 10kk stock Catalina bulbs, approx 4 months old.
Bottom of the bulb plane is 2†off of surface with legs.
216w total (2.88 “WPGâ€Â)
With dirty glass top: --- Open top --- Cleaned glass top
Surface (2â€Â): 450 --- 550 --- 480
15†middle 120 --- 145 --- -
21†middle 65 --- 90 --- 80
21†front 40 --- 80 --- 70
Standard AGA 30L. Freshwater planted.
AHSupply PC reflector retrofitted in a AGA striplight, Workhorse 5 ballast.
96w 67KK bulb…whatever brand AHSupply uses, approx 18 months old…sigh.
Reasonably clean glass top between bulb and tank.
96w (3.2 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (1â€Â): 350
16†middle: 55
16†front: 50
16†Front corner on endcap side: 5
16†Front corner on non-endcap side: 15
16†Back corner on endcap side: 30
16†Back corner on non-endcap side 40
Same measurements, but now with a 30†Coralife T5-NO added over the front of tank.
1x18w 67kk and 1x10kk stock bulbs, approx 8 months old.
132w total (4.4 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (1â€Â): -
16†middle: 75
16†front: 125
Standard AGA 10g. Freshwater planted.
AHSupply PC reflector retrofitted in a AGA striplight, Workhorse 3 ballast.
36w 67KK bulb…whatever brand AHSupply uses, approx 24 months old…sigh.
Reasonably clean glass top between bulb and tank.
36w (3.6 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (1â€Â): 350
6â€Â: 115
11†middle: 100
11†middle front: 65
11†Front corner on endcap side: 30
11†Front corner on non-endcap side: 45
Standard AGA 10g. Low tech planted.
Ghetto Wal-mart Incandescent hood.
Custom-made (by yours truly) quasi-parabolic polished aluminum reflectors.
2x10w Wal-mart PC fluorescent bulbs (non-spiral).
No top, but quite dirty plastic bulb shields.
20w (2 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (2â€Â): 200
12†middle: 35
12†front center: 25
Observations (What I learned or had reinforced through taking these measurements):
T-5s are hella bright. Duh!
Clean glass tops are really important for more light getting to photosynthetic life. Much more so than I would have thought.
The endcap side versus nonendcap side of PC lights makes for a much larger difference in light than I would have thought. This does not happen with T-5 and is a huge advantage over PC.
It seems that even T5-NO with the crappy Coralife reflector is brighter than AHS PC. This is inconclusive though. I wish I had taken measurements with just the Coralife on and the AHS fixture off. Also, I need new PC bulbs...badly.
Comparing the 10g tanks, my ghetto-lit tank is brighter than one would think and has better spread compared to an AHS-PC lit tank.
I should probably lower the fixture a few inches on my reef tank... but we no wants to buys a chilla...
I'd like to retest again in a few months once I get new PC bulbs. Also, I should have tested for a difference between freshly changed water and end of week water (this is probably only significant for high tech, co2 injected, EI-dosed planted tanks, which get 50%+ WC weekly, and TDS tend to creep up throughout the week... Tannins, other organics etc.). Probably doesn't matter in reefs, at least those with skimmers.
Most of the numbers from the smaller freshwater tanks won't interest most of you, but they might be relevant to folks with small softie tanks.
All measurements in ~60 µmol.m^-2.s^-1
Taken with an Apogee QMSS-E PAR meter.
All values are approximate.
Please don't quote this post in its entirety for you will look retarded.
14g Ecosystem Aquariums “Mini†AIO. Reef Tank.
Wal-mart 500w Halogen Worklight for housing, end-caps, reflector, wiring, etc. 70w Icecap ballast.
70w Catalina Aquariums “Coral Grow†14KK
70w (5 "WPG" but more like 6 "WPG" in display area, ~12g)
Surface (10â€Â): 310
15†middle: 140
21†middle: 100
21†front corner: 150 (due to shape of reflector?)
21†rear corner: 100
Standard AGA 75g Aquarium. Freshwater planted.
Catalina Aquariums T5 Fixture w/Workhorse Ballasts.
2x54w 67KK and 2x 10kk stock Catalina bulbs, approx 4 months old.
Bottom of the bulb plane is 2†off of surface with legs.
216w total (2.88 “WPGâ€Â)
With dirty glass top: --- Open top --- Cleaned glass top
Surface (2â€Â): 450 --- 550 --- 480
15†middle 120 --- 145 --- -
21†middle 65 --- 90 --- 80
21†front 40 --- 80 --- 70
Standard AGA 30L. Freshwater planted.
AHSupply PC reflector retrofitted in a AGA striplight, Workhorse 5 ballast.
96w 67KK bulb…whatever brand AHSupply uses, approx 18 months old…sigh.
Reasonably clean glass top between bulb and tank.
96w (3.2 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (1â€Â): 350
16†middle: 55
16†front: 50
16†Front corner on endcap side: 5
16†Front corner on non-endcap side: 15
16†Back corner on endcap side: 30
16†Back corner on non-endcap side 40
Same measurements, but now with a 30†Coralife T5-NO added over the front of tank.
1x18w 67kk and 1x10kk stock bulbs, approx 8 months old.
132w total (4.4 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (1â€Â): -
16†middle: 75
16†front: 125
Standard AGA 10g. Freshwater planted.
AHSupply PC reflector retrofitted in a AGA striplight, Workhorse 3 ballast.
36w 67KK bulb…whatever brand AHSupply uses, approx 24 months old…sigh.
Reasonably clean glass top between bulb and tank.
36w (3.6 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (1â€Â): 350
6â€Â: 115
11†middle: 100
11†middle front: 65
11†Front corner on endcap side: 30
11†Front corner on non-endcap side: 45
Standard AGA 10g. Low tech planted.
Ghetto Wal-mart Incandescent hood.
Custom-made (by yours truly) quasi-parabolic polished aluminum reflectors.
2x10w Wal-mart PC fluorescent bulbs (non-spiral).
No top, but quite dirty plastic bulb shields.
20w (2 “WPGâ€Â)
Surface (2â€Â): 200
12†middle: 35
12†front center: 25
Observations (What I learned or had reinforced through taking these measurements):
T-5s are hella bright. Duh!
Clean glass tops are really important for more light getting to photosynthetic life. Much more so than I would have thought.
The endcap side versus nonendcap side of PC lights makes for a much larger difference in light than I would have thought. This does not happen with T-5 and is a huge advantage over PC.
It seems that even T5-NO with the crappy Coralife reflector is brighter than AHS PC. This is inconclusive though. I wish I had taken measurements with just the Coralife on and the AHS fixture off. Also, I need new PC bulbs...badly.
Comparing the 10g tanks, my ghetto-lit tank is brighter than one would think and has better spread compared to an AHS-PC lit tank.
I should probably lower the fixture a few inches on my reef tank... but we no wants to buys a chilla...
I'd like to retest again in a few months once I get new PC bulbs. Also, I should have tested for a difference between freshly changed water and end of week water (this is probably only significant for high tech, co2 injected, EI-dosed planted tanks, which get 50%+ WC weekly, and TDS tend to creep up throughout the week... Tannins, other organics etc.). Probably doesn't matter in reefs, at least those with skimmers.
