Depressing par measurements

[oreo54]

You could definitely find that par you want with 2x250 watt metal halides. Would be a great option in my opinion.

You could do the same w/2x ( run at) 250 watt leds.



Say 4 Chinese black boxes run at 100% both channels.

More than likely moreso ..and possibly too much. Would suggest removing lenses though.

 

[exnisstech]

Crank em up. This hydra 26 has been running here for a couple years at least, maybe longer.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I always hate how manufacturers advertise par levels @ 100% output when most of us will never use that level of power because we know it'll reduce the lifespan of the diodes. They should provide par readings @ 75% power.

They also add in colors that we won’t want to run at 100%, like white.

 

[Crustaceon]

They also add in colors that we won’t want to run at 100%, like white.

That's a good point. Imagine if they offered a light fixture that put out 300 par @ 12" under water with an installed height of 12" at 50% power on let's say just the blue channel. You'd see AI primes rated at 180watts. That's what we want so we can have some flexibility in tuning for aesthetics. Not running out leds flat-out on all channels to hit a par range for sps.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

That's a good point. Imagine if they offered a light fixture that put out 300 par @ 12" under water with an installed height of 12" at 50% power on let's say just the blue channel. You'd see AI primes rated at 180watts. That's what we want so we can have some flexibility in tuning for aesthetics. Not running out leds flat-out on all channels to hit a par range for sps.

I’m pretty sure that the new Reefi uno 2.0 light is heavy on the blues for this reason. I like a very blue tank and don’t care at all about how an actual reef looks under noon sun. Just shows off my algae

 

[Crustaceon]

Here's a thought for any led manufacturer reading this: Build a fixture that will change lighting intensity based on our desired par output. Most manufacturers know the par output of their fixtures at a given height and intensity. It would only take a few manufacturer measurements to put together a built-in "calculator" working behind the scenes for us to enter installed height and desired amount of par at a user indicated water depth when using a certain percentage of either the white or blue channels. Air and water refraction amounts are going to be close enough between individual tanks. This is how I'd like to see it work. I install my overpriced but sleek and black led 12" over the surface of my tank. I go into settings and select "installed height". I choose "12". Boop boop. I then go to "coral installed height below surface". Hmmm "12" will do it. Boop boop. Next up, select "par". Let's pick "250". Boop boop beep. (Lights turn on). I don't like the colors because "my lobo" or whatever. I go into color setting and move some sliders. Boop boop. Perfect. Now the cool part would be if the fixture factored my color changes into my desired par level and automatically adjusted intensity to keep that parameter.

 

[noopsyche]

Just got a par meter from a fellow reefer and the par readings are WAY under what I thought. Im running 2x AI 32 and was running a modified AB+ spectrum and the par readings at the top of the tank 1” under the water was only 200.

Then i cranked everything up and only get these readings. The light settings that i just switched to are below but i was running for the last 6 months the blues at 76% and the uv at 66%. Whites stayed the same. The par readings are from the new schedule.

To get 200 par at the top of the rocks I would have to crank the whites up to 50-70% which looks like crap. Are these light just not very good? Im literally mind blown how this industry has such expensive lights but cant put out what a cheap Nicrew in Amazon can (my fluval with a 30w nicrew is getting 200par in the center).

Any help would be appreciated or am i sweating it to much?

Light Beads and lenses are important factors affecting optical efficiency.
Measuring distance: 25cm(10") and 50cm(20")
→Prices

 

[Tcook]

Measuring distance: 25cm(10") and 50cm(20")
→Prices

What does that mean? 10" and 20" through air? Water? Both?

 

[PlumberDude]

What par meter are you using? Apogee mq 510?

 

[noopsyche]

What does that mean? 10" and 20" through air? Water? Both?

Both air and saltwater through

 

[doubleshot00]

Ok lowered the lights 2” down (and cant lower anymore unless i hack saw the arm. It’s hitting my return pipes) and with the same settings im getting these numbers. Not much more but better I guess.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Just got a par meter from a fellow reefer and the par readings are WAY under what I thought. Im running 2x AI 32 and was running a modified AB+ spectrum and the par readings at the top of the tank 1” under the water was only 200.

Then i cranked everything up and only get these readings. The light settings that i just switched to are below but i was running for the last 6 months the blues at 76% and the uv at 66%. Whites stayed the same. The par readings are from the new schedule.

To get 200 par at the top of the rocks I would have to crank the whites up to 50-70% which looks like crap. Are these light just not very good? Im literally mind blown how this industry has such expensive lights but cant put out what a cheap Nicrew in Amazon can (my fluval with a 30w nicrew is getting 200par in the center).

Any help would be appreciated or am i sweating it to much?

How do your corals look? If they're happy, who cares what the actual numbers are?

 

[doubleshot00]

How do your corals look? If they're happy, who cares what the actual numbers are?

Some good some bad. Over all im happy but just wanted more growth.

 

[1mbrews8]

Ok lowered the lights 2” down (and cant lower anymore unless i hack saw the arm. It’s hitting my return pipes) and with the same settings im getting these numbers. Not much more but better I guess.

Looking at the numbers, might be off a little bit? I know if I messed with the angle even a little bit of the little par meter, it would change quite a bit.

Not sure how it would be 163 for instance on the far left side versus 6 to 8 inches higher and closer to the center and only be 155?

 

[oreo54]

Looking at the numbers, might be off a little bit? I know if I messed with the angle even a little bit of the little par meter, it would change quite a bit.

Not sure how it would be 163 for instance on the far left side versus 6 to 8 inches higher and closer to the center and only be 155?

You can get higher par in areas where it is enhanced due to glass bounce.
Glass is more like a pool table bumper than a window.

 

[n2585722]

I have DIY LED's that I have been using for 9 years. I did recently have to replace the UV LED's and had one failure of a royal blue LED in a string of 6. I replaced the 4 UV LED's with 6 new ones and the string of 6 royal blues with 6 new royal blue LED's. I check the PAR readings at the time when there were at their maximum setting today and got 600 at the surface and around 300 where the duncan coral I have is at. It was 150 at the sand bed but there are no corals that low. The candy cane was getting between 150 and 200. There is 2 colony's of them. I went outside and got 1800 from the sun. The meter is calibrated for fluorescent lighting so there is some error using them with LED's and the sun. Below is the light output at the time I checked it on all 6 light channels. The lights are about 10" above the water surface. The white channel is 6 3 amp LED's that are driven with a 1.5 amp driver. The royal blues are 2 strings of 6. One string is driven by a 1.5 amp driver and the other a 1 amp driver. There are 6 UV LED's driven by a 1 amp driver. I have 2 RGBW LED's that are driven by 700 ma drivers with each color on a different driver. The red channel also has a deep red LED in it and the Green channel has a cyan LED added to it. I have been very satisfied with the performance so far.

 

[doubleshot00]

Well i played around with the settings a bit today and can get 200-250 at the top but have to crank the whites up to about 50% and the blues and violets to about 116% (why isn’t the settings 0-100% i dk why).

but that also mean at the bottom im getting 190 par. I relate don’t get this whole par thing.

Par readings will drive you nuts.

 

[ScubaFish802]

I would find a place where things look good and not touch the app anymore if it was me. Constantly tweaking the lights is going to be more detrimental than the give-and-take with the par you are currently doing.

 

[doubleshot00]

I would find a place where things look good and not touch the app anymore if it was me. Constantly tweaking the lights is going to be more detrimental than the give-and-take with the par you are currently doing.

I haven’t messed with the final setting since cranking them up the first time. I saved a few settings if i want to crank them up later.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

(why isn’t the settings 0-100% i dk why).

That's why you paid for the "HD" versions.