Which par map should I choose for a Mixed Reef ? Newbie here

[SomeHappyFish]

I rented a par meter for the day here's my result...I can't decided what is best for my reef. I whish to start with soft/lps then move on to sps down the road (aka December 2024) which par map should I choose ?

 

[David_CO]

i own two par meters and honestly i dont think you need one, its good to get an idea of your lighting (which you have already done) but unless you plan to make significant changes to lighting or power output the use is pretty limited. I paid 500+ an apogee 510 and i basically only use it when i change lights.

 

[SomeHappyFish]

i own two par meters and honestly i dont think you need one, its good to get an idea of your lighting (which you have already done) but unless you plan to make significant changes to lighting or power output the use is pretty limited. I paid 500+ an apogee 510 and i basically only use it when i change lights.

I rented one for 30$ good thing I did when installing my new k7 v3 because par was 500 at the top and 300 at the sand... I have a shallow tank haha

 

[PotatoPig]

My 2c as someone venturing into LPS:

A lot of these don’t need all that high PAR and negative effects of too low par develop much more slowly and have a bigger window to address than the negative effects of too high par.

My LFS, for example, keeps their LPS tanks full of very happy looking torches, hammers, etc, at 90-100 PAR.

I’ve noticed mine seem much happier now I’ve dialed down the lights from ~150 into the upper end of this range.

Once they’re in the tank and settled you can slowly raise up PAR, giving them time to adjust, and this can push faster growth, but at the expense of a little more stress on them if you go too high and they’ll bleach.

 

[SomeHappyFish]

My 2c as someone venturing into LPS:

A lot of these don’t need all that high PAR and negative effects of too low par develop much more slowly and have a bigger window to address than the negative effects of too high par.

My LFS, for example, keeps their LPS tanks full of very happy looking torches, hammers, etc, at 90-100 PAR.

I’ve noticed mine seem much happier now I’ve dialed down the lights from ~150 into the upper end of this range.

Once they’re in the tank and settled you can slowly raise up PAR, giving them time to adjust, and this can push faster growth, but at the expense of a little more stress on them if you go too high and they’ll bleach.

Meaning I should go with the red numbers (K7 V3 at 30% and turn on the kessil in the middle only when I add sps)

 

[PotatoPig]

Meaning I should go with the red numbers (K7 V3 at 30% and turn on the kessil in the middle only when I add sps)

Or maybe even a little lower - I have a pair of the same Noopsyches over my 75 gallon rimmed tank (a little deeper than yours) at 25% all channels and get about 100 PAR on the sand.

I’m sure some would disagree, but I’d go with getting the LPS working and surviving and then worry about adding SPS.

If you’re buying corals from a local shop ask them about their lighting and PAR - starting out I’d try to match that. Least stress on the corals and likely further from any “danger zone” for bleaching.

Also have a good look at their flow (judging by how the LPS like torches move). They often need less flow than you might think.

 

[MrGisonni]

I rented a par meter for the day here's my result...I can't decided what is best for my reef. I whish to start with soft/lps then move on to sps down the road (aka December 2024) which par map should I choose ?

This map looks great. You will be good with most acros and anacropora across on the top of the scape, Montipora down second level, LPS down lower and to the sides including the sandbed, and even some lower light corals like chalice and Cyphastrea in the corners.

 

[SomeHappyFish]

Or maybe even a little lower - I have a pair of the same Noopsyches over my 75 gallon rimmed tank (a little deeper than yours) at 25% all channels and get about 100 PAR on the sand.

I’m sure some would disagree, but I’d go with getting the LPS working and surviving and then worry about adding SPS.

If you’re buying corals from a local shop ask them about their lighting and PAR - starting out I’d try to match that. Least stress on the corals and likely further from any “danger zone” for bleaching.

Also have a good look at their flow (judging by how the LPS like torches move). They often need less flow than you might think.

until more people comment, I will be doing 30% at 12" with the K7 V3 and the kessil at 45% colors and 5% intensity at 10-12".

Which gives me the numbers in red and a bit higher in the middle rocks for sps or higher par corals.

I will be acclimating my current Gorgonian and Kenya tree at 15% -> 20% then 30% over 3 weeks.

I will also be asking the current par level of the coral I'm choosing tomorrow.

For flow, I will try matching the movement of the polyps when in the LFS.

This map looks great. You will be good with most acros and anacropora across on the top of the scape, Montipora down second level, LPS down lower and to the sides including the sandbed, and even some lower light corals like chalice and Cyphastrea in the corners.

Sorry but which map? I have 3 colors for 3 different setup sorry its a bit confusing I know.

Overall this was my goal. SPS on top middle and right rock.

Monti second level anywear it doesnt shade a coral.

Lps near sand level on rocks.

 

[DanyL]

Yellow one would be better for acros, green one should allow you to more easily keep chalices, while also being able to keep less demanding SPS (which is still plentiful of choice, including acros).

 

[SomeHappyFish]

Yellow one would be better for acros, green one should allow you to more easily keep chalices, while also being able to keep less demanding SPS (which is still plentiful of choice, including acros).

So I could keep my k7 c3 at 30% and only up the kessil for acros? Which would be place at the top of the rocks getting plenty of flow

 

[DanyL]

So I could keep my k7 c3 at 30% and only up the kessil for acros?

I think you’re confusing many people with these designations.

We won’t try to correlate what light influences which PAR reading, it’s not something we’d take into account when looking at the picture.

If going with the 3 different color, than like I said previously:
Green: better acros, a little harder to acclimate low light corals like Chalices/Cephastreas/etc.
Yellow: You have good zones for low PAR coral acclimation, and you still have the ability to grow a lot of different SPS, including less light demanding acros.

 

[SomeHappyFish]

I think you’re confusing many people with these designations.

We won’t try to correlate what light influences which PAR reading, it’s not something we’d take into account when looking at the picture.

If going with the 3 different color, than like I said previously:
Green: better acros, a little harder to acclimate low light corals like Chalices/Cephastreas/etc.
Yellow: You have good zones for low PAR coral acclimation, and you still have the ability to grow a lot of different SPS, including less light demanding acros.

What I meant is using the kessil kinda has a spot light for sps.

Is yellow also good for corals like Acan, Hammer, Gonipora, Gorgonian, zoa or its too high

 

[DanyL]

What I meant is using the kessil kinda has a spot light for sps.

You can keep SPS from 200 PAR to 800 PAR.
Some like more, others prefer or can still thrive with less.

Wether you can make a zone with higher PAR for them or not is up to you and your ability to adjust it, but remember that spread also plays a role, and shading with Kessils or any pedant fixtures can be a problem.

Is yellow also good for corals like Acan, Hammer, Gonipora, Gorgonian, zoa or its too high

That’d be perfect for them, most of these can also adapt to higher PAR as well.

 

[SomeHappyFish]

You can keep SPS from 200 PAR to 800 PAR.
Some like more, others prefer or can still thrive with less.

Wether you can make a zone with higher PAR for them or not is up to you and your ability to adjust it, but remember that spread also plays a role, and shading with Kessils or any pedant fixtures can be a problem.


That’d be perfect for them, most of these can also adapt to higher PAR as well.

Thank you very much for the help! Yeah adjusting the shade with the kessil was not easy.

Can't wait.

 

[MrGisonni]

until more people comment, I will be doing 30% at 12" with the K7 V3 and the kessil at 45% colors and 5% intensity at 10-12".

Which gives me the numbers in red and a bit higher in the middle rocks for sps or higher par corals.

I will be acclimating my current Gorgonian and Kenya tree at 15% -> 20% then 30% over 3 weeks.

I will also be asking the current par level of the coral I'm choosing tomorrow.

For flow, I will try matching the movement of the polyps when in the LFS.

Sorry but which map? I have 3 colors for 3 different setup sorry its a bit confusing I know.

Overall this was my goal. SPS on top middle and right rock.

Monti second level anywear it doesnt shade a coral.

Lps near sand level on rocks.

I say green FWIW