Par x Time = Happy Coral?

[wachee]

I wonder if anyone has done studies on Par/Time ratios. I understand there are tried and true techniques, but if with most corals it is a par x time ratio that matters? For instance, if 100 par 6 hours a day is sufficient for x coral, then might 150 par 5 hours a day be okay; or if 300 par at 7 hours grows a certain acro, then might 250 at 9 hours work?


Does anyone know of any studies that look at this and of course could you give those references?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Interesting but none that I know of.

 

[wachee]

My reason for posing this question stems from the lost of two clams. I had pretty high par on the bottom, but pushed my bulbs a little far and found that par was almost cut in half at the end there. I am wondering if increasing my length of time would have compensated for the drop in par. It seems to make sense, but maybe some critters have a minimum absorption point, meaning that it isn't capable of photosynthesis until a certain par. I wish I understood this better.

 

[mc-cro]

I think nutrients are a huge part of the par x time equation. If I let my nutrients drop, my corals lighten up. I can either feed more, or reduce hours or intensity to get the color back

 

[ReefPops]

Interesting topic. If anyone has found any studies on this I would be interested in hearing what they say.

 

[Nano sapiens]

This is probably about as good as it gets:

Feature Article: A Different Look at Lighting: Effects of Prolonged Photoperiod, Spectral Quality, and Light Dosage — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog