Too much PAR?

[jonnybravo22]

Hey everyone. I'm sure this has been debated before -- no new revelations here on a broad scale, but maybe it's news to someone and maybe there are new insights.

I got some great looking frags about a month ago from my LFS. I have the the v2 aquaillumination LED lights over a Elos System 70. my parameters are target, getting good growth. but the colors have been fading since day 1.

i did not know if it was too little light or what. i've been evaluating my options. but i happened to be back in the LFS today and asked if they had a PAR meter. They did so i was able to see what light gave them such great colors (TEK t5s, mostly super blue or something).

guess how much par there was for the great Red Planets with deep reds and deep green bases, verdes, purple plasmas, pearlberry's, etc.?????

115!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's at the coral. it was like 150 at the surface of their frag tank.

i thought that was incredible and very insightful. i just bought a par meter so when it gets here i'll test what the LEDs are putting out right now but i would guess it's more than 115. so food for thought i guess.

 

[OneReef]

I have a little Cree LED PAR38 lamp and it puts out crazy high PAR. I am guess you might be putting down a good bit more light on them vs the T5's they were under. Just a thought.

 

[deeznutz1]

How old were the bulbs? Different bulbs will had different par output. Par will be reduced with age as well.

Just a thought

-dan

 

[jonnybravo22]

good point. but the coral colors were still great so even if bulb was old, it didnt seem to be hurting the corals at all.