TexasTodd
Valuable Member
Lately there's been some speculation on watts used and Orphek saying they're working on some improvements. I've been very impressed with their current bars and am looking forward to improvements like dimming etc. So, here is my start as I'm likely to add more. I'll add some pictures going forward but just wanted some data down to start. Others please post numbers if you measure but list how and what you measured with. To me these are such a high value!
My tank is a 150g 72" x 18" deep x 27"tall with about 1" sand bed.
I used an Apogee 210 and numbers are NOT corrected (just for @jda
). I figure since (per BRS) all units were non-correcting up until recently, not sure the 1.32x matters when comparing to what others have measured over the years. If you didn't see it, go check out BRS video where they found out the 500 series actually had a software issue and were not correcting for under water measuring.
I have two 120cm bars with 90 degree optics. One purchased in June, one in August 2018.
A Sky Blue is mounted at the back of my tank angled forward at 45 degrees and a Sky Blue with 10 of the most predominant color substituted with their 12k, mounted at the front at a 30 degree angle.
Both of these were purchased to help cut shading from my main fixture which is a Reef Breeders Photon V2 50.
I ramped the bars up, one at a time, one hour more every other day, to 8 hours, starting with 2 hours.
I lost one coral possibly to light towards the end so reduced my Photon by 20%. Photon is now running at max 36% on blues and UV, 12% on Green and Red, and 9% only on whites.
I did the above without a PAR meter which was pretty stupid! I had previously measured PAR with just the photon at 44%/12% SPS AB+ and was getting about 275 PAR mid tank 7" below water surface and about 60 on the front sand bed
Yesterday with Photon at 36/12/9% as above, and the two bars, I measured 475 PAR at the 7" below water mid tank! Remember this is with the Photon reduced by over 20% from when I got 275 PAR with it alone. So, bars seemed to easily be adding at least 200 PAR.
This morning before main fixture on I kicked on both bars. I did not test with only one bar, but did take near bar readings just above water. They seem about equal in PAR at same distance even though different spectrums.
The front bar SB/12k is 5" above water and 600 PAR at water, just above surface.
Rear bar, SB is 7" above water and 500 PAR at water, just above surface. At 5" air it was about 575PAR.
The best comparison is at the same 7" below water, mid tank, PAR with just two bars was 290 PAR!
Sand bed
Left side front sand bed about 6" back from glass getting 177 PAR with just two bars about 25" deep.
I took a bunch more readings with between 230-300 PAR over much of my rockwork at 10-12" below surface with only the two bars running.
I was very surprised at these numbers. They were about double what I would have guessed I'd see!
So, there has been some random readings and discussion about how many watts these bars use. I don't have a Kil-O-Watt, but might get one.
Here's the deal, I don't really care what the WATTS are, I care about PAR and quality of the light.
I have notice very good improvements in corals since adding these bars and reducing my main fixture. I'm sure some is reduced shading and more even coverage, but also feel some is light quality. However that is subjective.
I will say I'm looking at going 100% OR light bars with improvements I've seen so far.
Thanks,
Todd
My tank is a 150g 72" x 18" deep x 27"tall with about 1" sand bed.
I used an Apogee 210 and numbers are NOT corrected (just for @jda
). I figure since (per BRS) all units were non-correcting up until recently, not sure the 1.32x matters when comparing to what others have measured over the years. If you didn't see it, go check out BRS video where they found out the 500 series actually had a software issue and were not correcting for under water measuring.I have two 120cm bars with 90 degree optics. One purchased in June, one in August 2018.
A Sky Blue is mounted at the back of my tank angled forward at 45 degrees and a Sky Blue with 10 of the most predominant color substituted with their 12k, mounted at the front at a 30 degree angle.
Both of these were purchased to help cut shading from my main fixture which is a Reef Breeders Photon V2 50.
I ramped the bars up, one at a time, one hour more every other day, to 8 hours, starting with 2 hours.
I lost one coral possibly to light towards the end so reduced my Photon by 20%. Photon is now running at max 36% on blues and UV, 12% on Green and Red, and 9% only on whites.
I did the above without a PAR meter which was pretty stupid! I had previously measured PAR with just the photon at 44%/12% SPS AB+ and was getting about 275 PAR mid tank 7" below water surface and about 60 on the front sand bed
Yesterday with Photon at 36/12/9% as above, and the two bars, I measured 475 PAR at the 7" below water mid tank! Remember this is with the Photon reduced by over 20% from when I got 275 PAR with it alone. So, bars seemed to easily be adding at least 200 PAR.
This morning before main fixture on I kicked on both bars. I did not test with only one bar, but did take near bar readings just above water. They seem about equal in PAR at same distance even though different spectrums.
The front bar SB/12k is 5" above water and 600 PAR at water, just above surface.
Rear bar, SB is 7" above water and 500 PAR at water, just above surface. At 5" air it was about 575PAR.
The best comparison is at the same 7" below water, mid tank, PAR with just two bars was 290 PAR!
Sand bed
Left side front sand bed about 6" back from glass getting 177 PAR with just two bars about 25" deep.
I took a bunch more readings with between 230-300 PAR over much of my rockwork at 10-12" below surface with only the two bars running.
I was very surprised at these numbers. They were about double what I would have guessed I'd see!
So, there has been some random readings and discussion about how many watts these bars use. I don't have a Kil-O-Watt, but might get one.
Here's the deal, I don't really care what the WATTS are, I care about PAR and quality of the light.
I have notice very good improvements in corals since adding these bars and reducing my main fixture. I'm sure some is reduced shading and more even coverage, but also feel some is light quality. However that is subjective.
I will say I'm looking at going 100% OR light bars with improvements I've seen so far.
Thanks,
Todd
Last edited:
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