Measured PAR, need opinions

[OhDumb]

I borrowed a PAR meter and mapped out my Fluval nano. I mainly collect zoas in this tank with a few RFAs/Favia/Shroom friends for contrast. Do you believe I’m good or need to bump it up? Looking for more growth from zoas and they currently get long stalks. Not sure if that’s lighting or not.

Tank: Fluval EVO 13.5
Lights: AI Prime HD

 

[Crabs McJones]

I wouldnt bump it up as your numbers look good where they're at. Stability is the key, corals can adapt over time to many different changes. So if you're constantly tweaking, they're constantly adapting and most softies and lps only need low hundreds for par and you've covered that pretty good

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If everything is is fine. It’s fine.

Show us where the long stalk. Zoas are.
IMO ime , zoas for the most part are 80-120 based on a 10hr day.

 

[OhDumb]

This is the left side. You can see all the zoas stretching out. PAR measured between 125-115.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

This is the left side. You can see all the zoas stretching out. PAR measured between 125-115.

Odd. How long is the photoperiod?
What meter did you use?

 

[Dom]

I have a Zoa patch that is about 8 square inches and started as a frag glued to a 1 square inch ceramic tile. I just positioned it on a rock and it took off.

My Zoas never extend that way.

Maybe they are extending to get closer to the light?

 

[OhDumb]

Odd. How long is the photoperiod?
What meter did you use?

Photo period is on to off 12hrs. Total peak time is 5hrs. Didn’t think about extending photoperiod.

Meter used was borrowed from my LFS. Not sure of the brand.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Photo period is on to off 12hrs. Total peak time is 5hrs. Didn’t think about extending photoperiod.

You could try just extending the peak time , and if that shows no result after a couple weeks , maybe peak intensity a couple percent.

Fwiw , I think a couple of those are paly so some have long stalks.
We had a debate a while a ago. I had to show my long stock paly in high flow and 600 par.

 

[mcarroll]

Can you post your more recent water test results, including nutrients? Tell us if these results are normal or not too.

 

[OhDumb]

Can you post your more recent water test results, including nutrients? Tell us if these results are normal or not too.

This is pretty consistent for parameters. These are last weeks results. This tank is over a year old and pretty stable. I don’t dose but do weekly water changes.

Alk: 8.5
Calc: 400
Ph: 8 (tested in AM so a little lower than normal)
Nitrates: 3
Phosphate: 0
Salinity: 32
Temp: 80-81

 

[OhDumb]

You could try just extending the peak time , and if that shows no result after a couple weeks , maybe peak intensity a couple percent.

Fwiw , I think a couple of those are paly so some have long stalks.
We had a debate a while a ago. I had to show my long stock paly in high flow and 600 par.

I hear you on the Palys. I think I may slowly increase my schedule. If anything it might get some better growth. If not I can always dial it back to where it is.

 

[mcarroll]

Nitrates: 3
Phosphate: 0

this may or may not be related to the stretching, but it will become a problem on its own sooner or later. Sooner if you increase the lights without addressing it.

Check out http://reefsuccess.com/2018/08/27/p...-ultrastructure-of-symbiotic-dinoflagellates/

 

[OhDumb]

this may or may not be related to the stretching, but it will become a problem on its own sooner or later. Sooner if you increase the lights without addressing it.

Check out http://reefsuccess.com/2018/08/27/p...-ultrastructure-of-symbiotic-dinoflagellates/

That's an awesome article! Thank you.

 

[jda]

Z&P reaching up with long stalks is because they want more light. I would not say that you NEED more, but it could not hurt.

 

[OhDumb]

Z&P reaching up with long stalks is because they want more light. I would not say that you NEED more, but it could not hurt.

I'm slowly increasing my photo period vs. increasing intensity. So, I'll see if that shows some positives.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I'm slowly increasing my photo period vs. increasing intensity. So, I'll see if that shows some positives.

A couple of thoughts - Increasing the photoperiod will not be beneficial if the organism's minimum light requirement (the compensation point) is not met. Find out what brand and model PAR meter you used - some meters are better than others, especially when measuring output of LED lighting. Others need corrections applied to observed light intensity (plus 30% and up.)
Early in the hobby, stretching of false corals and zoanthids was called 'bugling' and was attributed to low light intensity.
Now, with all that said, I tend to think you're OK in most if not all cases, but let's take a closer look. As with all instrumentations' measurements, the best approach is 'trust, but verify.' Unfortunately, in many cases (not just in this hobby), if the measurement is 'liked', it is correct. If not, it isn't.

 

[JBKReef]

My club uses an OLD Apogee meter, I was surprised how low my PAR readings were (2 Kessil A360's in a 30 inch cube) compared to what BRS was reporting. I reached out to Apogee themselves and they advised based on the meter I had for an LED light I had to apply a multiplier due to the meter being created to measure T12 lights and not the spectrum of an LED. That being said, they had individual multipliers called out for different lights which was nice.

additionally and here is the kicker the sensor could shift as much as 2% annually if it was not calibrated. So if the club meter is 10 years old and hasnt been calibrated since purchase could be off by as much as 20% in one direction or another.

Just some food for though!

 

[jda]

Do you remember which meter? Some of the older need a 1.32 factor applied if you used it underwater, which will get you more PAR.

 

[OhDumb]

I’ll call the LFS and ask what make/model their meter is. They use it on customers tanks. But, it could be out if wack.

I know it’s anecdotal but we measured their zoa tank and it’s in the 110-115 ballpark. So, from the same meter I’m in the same range.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I’ll call the LFS and ask what make/model their meter is. They use it on customers tanks. But, it could be out if wack.

I know it’s anecdotal but we measured their zoa tank and it’s in the 110-115 ballpark. So, from the same meter I’m in the same range.

I'll guess it is an Apogee meter. Li-Cor quantum meters are pricey, and Spectrum Technologies' meters haven't gained any traction in the hobby.