Need help on Lighting Par

[bill63304]

I have a 90 Gallon tank with a Reef breeders 48 Photon v2 set 16 inches above the tank. I rented a PAR meter to make sure my lighting settings are good for my LPS tank. Can you look at my results and give me feedback?

Thanks!

 

[VintageReefer]

I have the same fixture over my 75g lps reef. Your numbers seem low

What are your channels set to?

It doesn’t make sense to me that you measure 100 on the sandbed left and 110 at the top of the structure. There should be a difference of at least 100-150 par with that distance in height.

 

[mrpontiac80]

Personally I think that’s fine for most coral. My reefbreeders are 18” above the water on my 180 and at 100% blues and 33% white with 7% red and green, my highest par so around 350 for my acros.

Edit. What coral are you wanting?

 

[william Lutman]

I would turn them down till you can get sand bed around 80. You need range to move LBS up or down based on par and flow.

 

[VintageReefer]

It’s not odd to anyone that they measure

100 sandbed, 110 top of structure

120 sandbed, 126 top of structure and 136 top of nearby structure?

Only 10-16 diff on par from sandbed to top of rock structure?
This seems very odd to me

 

[mrpontiac80]

It’s not odd to anyone that they measure

100 sandbed, 110 top of structure

120 sandbed, 126 top of structure and 136 top of nearby structure?

Only 10-16 diff on par from sandbed to top of rock structure?
This seems very odd to me

I do see your point. Seems there should be more difference.

 

[VintageReefer]

@bill63304
When you took par readings did you have all the pumps and flow turned off?

What are you using to measure par?

 

[bill63304]

Thanks everyone. There is a brace across the middle causing some shadow. On that structure on the left I have a power head right above it which is blocking some light. I am sure that's the reason it shows only 110 on the top of the structure.

I am planning on keeping, zoas, acans, duncans, hammers, torches......

 

[Spare time]

Thanks everyone. There is a brace across the middle causing some shadow. On that structure on the left I have a power head right above it which is blocking some light. I am sure that's the reason it shows only 110 on the top of the structure.

I am planning on keeping, zoas, acans, duncans, hammers, torches......

Seems perfectly fine for those corals.

 

[bill63304]

I did not turn the pumps and flow off! Never thought of it. I am using a apogee sq 420x

 

[mrpontiac80]

Thanks everyone. There is a brace across the middle causing some shadow. On that structure on the left I have a power head right above it which is blocking some light. I am sure that's the reason it shows only 110 on the top of the structure.

I am planning on keeping, zoas, acans, duncans, hammers, torches......

I’m no expert as I am currently changing up my schedule and hoping for positive results, but I still think LPs and softies will do fine with those numbers as far as par is concerned.

 

[bill63304]

My current setting are 60% blues, 10% whites, 5% red and 5% green.

 

[VintageReefer]

Thanks everyone. There is a brace across the middle causing some shadow. On that structure on the left I have a power head right above it which is blocking some light. I am sure that's the reason it shows only 110 on the top of the structure.

I am planning on keeping, zoas, acans, duncans, hammers, torches......

The photon 48 has a gap in the middle so no leds should be above the brace. the higher you mount it the more of an impact you will have from the brace

What are your settings ?

 

[bill63304]

I have it set up 16 inches above the tank and the settings are 60% blues, 10% whites, 5% red and 5% green.

 

[VintageReefer]

I own the 420 also

Pumps need to be off for par tests. Water ripples can throw it off.

Did you enable immersion mode in the software?

I also keep much of the coral you want

 

[Dburr1014]

I have a 90 Gallon tank with a Reef breeders 48 Photon v2 set 16 inches above the tank. I rented a PAR meter to make sure my lighting settings are good for my LPS tank. Can you look at my results and give me feedback?

Thanks!

Nothing to do with par but your rocks are really Hi up in that tank I hope you're not going to put any corals on top of that rock.

My tank is 24 inches tall also And I Have the rock only going up 12 inches.

 

[bill63304]

Wow, beautiful !! Thanks for your advice. I just checked the software and I did not have the immersion mode enabled. I will enable, turn of the pumps and start over.

 

[VintageReefer]

Nothing to do with par but your rocks are really Hi up in that tank I hope you're not going to put any corals on top of that rock.

My tank is 24 inches tall also And I Have the rock only going up 12 inches.

Why not? I don’t understand the reasoning. If par is fine why can’t coral go up high ?

 

[VintageReefer]

Wow, beautiful !! Thanks for your advice. I just checked the software and I did not have the immersion mode enabled. I will enable, turn of the pumps and start over.

Disabled = lower numbers. It has to apply correction for taking measurements underwater

Sorry to make you redo all the measurements ! But you need accurate numbers so you know where to place corals and what to have the light set to

This all just seemed a little off to me.

I’m here all night

 

[mrpontiac80]

I own the 420 also

Pumps need to be off for par tests. Water ripples can throw it off.

Did you enable immersion mode in the software?

I also keep much of the coral you want

Looks great