Corals par and lighting?

[tmcca]

I have a Red Sea Max 170 AI HD 26 here is my schedule lighting

08:00 0%
09:00 25% UV 100, Violet 100, White 100, Blue 100, Royal 100
10:00 50% "", "", White 45, "", ""
13:00 70% "", "", White 25, "", ""
16:00 40% "", "", White 20, "", ""
17:30 15% "", "", "", "", ""
18:30 3% "", "", White 15, "", ""
19:00 0%

Not sure if this lighting is good and controlled by Apex; Note I have Red + Green off as I was told these colors promote algae.

I plan on a mixed reef tank and currently have devil hand leather on bottom middle and frogspawn middle right only corals I have now.


I have a seneye and first time I am going to do par readings. Should you do readings when it is the highest setting?

 

[Michael Llabona]

Yes measure at peak. That's essentially the most important figure.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yes. Meter the peak. The average on the sand bed and the average just above the rocks. This will give you the range of par you want.

Then , you can lower just the peak intensity or time of the peak intensity depending on how the corals are doing.

IMO , with a slightly longer full photoperiod , target 80-100 par on the sand average and don’t sweat what you get higher up.

Many people meter spot to spot or coral to coral , but if you look at those par maps you’ll see there’s an average and also a slight pattern that indicates fields of light from top to bottom.
With pendant style lights you’ll also notice the hot spots on the bottom as well as the top. Don’t sweat those.