How high should I put my lights

[leo12345]

got two noopsyche k7 pros and wondering how high I should put them on my 55 gallon mixed reef?

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I would suggest getting a par meter. Different corals will want different par levels. On average I’d say people mount their lights at least 14-16” above the water line. Lots of different things will affect par levels. Can you adjust the intensity levels with these lights? A park meter can be as cheap as 150$ which is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of corals. I believe you can even rent one from BRS.

 

[leo12345]

I would suggest getting a par meter. Different corals will want different par levels. On average I’d say people mount their lights at least 14-16” above the water line. Lots of different things will affect par levels. Can you adjust the intensity levels with these lights? A park meter can be as cheap as 150$ which is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of corals. I believe you can even rent one from BRS.

How is 150 cheap?

 

[52728299]

Usually aim for about 9" or 10" above water level with your average mounting arms. Pretty sure that's the range that's recommended for radion lights. Max length of included mounting arm is 12 inches in length. You will want an idea at least of your par. What I've done in the past is use a lux meter app on my phone and divide that number by 60. It's a rough estimate but better than nothing. For any sps you would need something more exact tho.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

How is 150 cheap?

When you have lost several hundred $$$ worth of corals becuase you were just guessing the PAR, $150 for a PAR meter seems like nothing if it will help your corals not die.