Do you think vendors should post par numbers for each acro?

[Oregon Grown Reef]

What do you think about vendors measuring par levels for their coral mother colonies and sharing the specific numbers with hobbyists? For me it would really help me with proper placement of acros, but it would help with every kind of coral really. I don't like corals hanging out on frag racks, so the sooner I get them onto the rockwork the better. Is it unrealistic to ask/expect vendors to do this?

 

[shakacuz]

would be very beneficial, but perhaps tedious to do. imagine fragging hundreds of pieces for an event/sale and having to document their PARs individually

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

would be very beneficial, but perhaps tedious to do. imagine fragging hound reds of pieces for an event/sale and having to document their PARs individually

I was thinking more along the line of par numbers for mother colonies, not the frag itself. I updated the post to reflect that. That being said, it would be a lot of work up front, but the benefit outweighs the cost. I would 100% order from a vendor that provided accurate information like that and I would guess many others would too.

 

[shakacuz]

I was thinking more along the line of par numbers for mother colonies, not the frag itself. I updated the post to reflect that. That being said, it would be a lot of work up front, but the benefit outweighs the cost. I would 100% order from a vendor that provided accurate information like that and I would guess many others would too.

if it’s for mother colonies, i definitely agree

 

[StatelineReefer]

How a mother colony is lit in a frag or growout tank may not be indicative of the lighting requirements of a frag in your particular tank.

What is it you intend to do with that information?

Do you request flow patterns and sources for that as well?

An ICP test from the mother colony's tank?

Yes, it is unrealistic to ask vendors to do literally any of these things.

Those vendors could relay that information to you, and for a host of reasons, you could still end up with a bare white skeleton under the exact same light, par, depth and water quality.

Acclimating for flow is a thousand times more beneficial than acclimating for light.

 

[ninjamyst]

No because general par level for acros have already been figured out and as long as you are withing range, there are other more important factors.

 

[Hydrored]

I think it’s more valuable if you see a fellow member with a piece you have that looks good and asking the PAR. As @StatelineReefer said, nutrients and flow have a lot more to do with coloring IMO than PAR, also most vendors will just answer with a range.

 

[amazongb]

Check out Reefbum.com. While Keith doesn't post exact par numbers, he shows the lighting requirements for each frag as "high/medium/low" and flow requirements the same. I've been buying frags from him for a while. When the sites says "medium lighting", you can place it in the middle of your rock work, whereas high, should be placed higher. Pretty simple. Not only that, but his frags are chunky. Keith is really good about answering questions, so you could just email him and ask him what PAR he recommends. Most good vendors do this...

 

[World Citizen]

Vendors don't have corals long enough to advise anything about lightning.
You could ask the catcher, but I think this is a bridge to far.

If you want PAR.. go buy at private sellers.

 

[Mark Bradley]

I’ve never specifically got into ‘par’. I’ve done the ‘bottom, middle or top’ guidance from my LFS. He propagates his corals so I take great confidence in his guidance and haven’t had any problems in 3 years.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

That info is helpful, but only part of the equation. Imo, you have to match spectrum and water flow as well as par. All of those things control the color and health of acros. Par by itself is over hyped, and that is why people bleach their coral.

 

[World Citizen]

I’ve never specifically got into ‘par’. I’ve done the ‘bottom, middle or top’ guidance from my LFS. He propagates his corals so I take great confidence in his guidance and haven’t had any problems in 3 years.

I agree in the part that they can tell you how they kept the coral alive.
I don't mean this in the negative way, but sellers usually are not expert on "perfect conditions". They tend to look at survival rate.

This is not bad at all. Only the few experts on a specific coral really know what is "best" for them.

There is a difference in "survival" and "best conditions". Vendors are great, I love them... but they are not concerned with "best conditions".

 

[hart24601]

Vendors don't have corals long enough to advise anything about lightning.
You could ask the catcher, but I think this is a bridge to far.

If you want PAR.. go buy at private sellers.

I came to post the same thing. While there are some true vendors that aquaculture like battlecorals, who is happy to share their par and lighting type, the vast majority of vendors are more chop shops and put frags wherever in their system has room ideally to heal up. For lps most is wild or Mari so it’s even less likely to be relevant from the vendor.

 

[Mark Bradley]

My experiences with my LFS (Living Reef) has been great. Lighting, flow, placement has always been discussed. I have even spent a morning there learning how to propagate various corals. I consider myself lucky as my reefing experiences have been pretty trouble free having a very willing ‘helper’ close by.

 

[shakacuz]

My experiences with my LFS (Living Reef) has been great. Lighting, flow, placement has always been discussed. I have even spent a morning there learning how to propagate various corals. I consider myself lucky as my reefing experiences have been pretty trouble free having a very willing ‘helper’ close by.

that is a great luxury to have! i at times wish i was closer to battlecorals or tsa/wwc/uc

 

[Enderg60]

I'd just be happy if they posted pics with the white lights on.

Not going full Instagram model filtering the pics would be nice too.

 

[acropora4u]

What do you think about vendors measuring par levels for their coral mother colonies and sharing the specific numbers with hobbyists? For me it would really help me with proper placement of acros, but it would help with every kind of coral really. I don't like corals hanging out on frag racks, so the sooner I get them onto the rockwork the better. Is it unrealistic to ask/expect vendors to do this?

100% I do.