Phil's 90g SPS dominant reef (aka The Electric Reef Project)

[curiousphil]

Yeah I read that too, you need to multiply the end value by approx 25 percent.  I'm still getting abyssmal readings even accounting for that lol.  78 max before math, 122 after.  Goal being >250.

 

[Big_Als_London]

Yeah I read that too, you need to multiply the end value by approx 25 percent.  I'm still getting abyssmal readings even accounting for that lol.  78 max before math, 122 after.  Goal being >250.

You should bring it by the store sometime.  I would like to see what the par is on the front display tank.

 

[Duke]

i read an article on testing par and i tink theres some math to do. the apogee meters dont read certain wavelengths from led very well and either over or under rate the value. google it and im sure u can find it. It was all gibberish to me really but might be what u need?

this is true but i dont think its 25%, but they give the values on their actual site, one of the advertised purposes is testing reef aquarium lighting. most numbers people post online for comparison are just posting what the meters say without any adjustments too im pretty sure. you can plug it into a computer and log your par values over the course of the day too..

http://www.apogeeinstruments.co.uk/aquarium-par-meters/

http://www.apogeeinstruments.co.uk/light-intensity-measurements-for-light-emitting-diodes-leds/

 

[nexusnight]

LED
Electric Calibration Error [%]
Blue (448 nm peak, 10 nm FWHM)
-10.7
Green (524 nm peak, 15 nm FWHM)
5.8
Red (635 nm peak, 10 nm FWHM)
4.7
Cool White
-4.2
Neutral White
-6.1
Warm White
-9.9
Red, Blue Mixture
2.7
Red, Green, Blue Mixture
3.5


So do u just need to add the percentage that is missing? not sure how this works but would like to learn, sorry to derail this tank thread maybe we need one for the meter for review and how to?

 

[curiousphil]

Thanks for that second link Duke, I hadn't seen that one before.  I remembered the 25% value from some thread I read on RC ages ago.  The MQ-200 manual says to adjust for a 12.7% correction error against 448 nm LEDs so I figured the 25% would be a best case overall.  Understanding that it would overestimate my PAR.  And even using that correction % my PAR is abyssmal.

 

[curiousphil]

Thanks for that second link Duke, I hadn't seen that one before.  I remembered the 25% value from some thread I read on RC ages ago.  The MQ-200 manual says to adjust for a 12.7% correction error against 448 nm LEDs so I figured the 25% would be a best case overall.  Understanding that it would overestimate my PAR.  And even using that correction % my PAR is abyssmal.

 

[curiousphil]

[quote author=curiousphil link=topic=5145.msg78015#msg78015 date=1390520938]
Yeah I read that too, you need to multiply the end value by approx 25 percent.  I'm still getting abyssmal readings even accounting for that lol.  78 max before math, 122 after.  Goal being >250.

You should bring it by the store sometime.  I would like to see what the par is on the front display tank.
[/quote]

Ya for sure Aaron.  You want to measure the tank with the Marineland LEDs, right? Cus I'm pretty sure I remember you saying that you already had the big frag tank measured.

 

[Big_Als_London]

[quote author=Big_Als_London link=topic=5145.msg78018#msg78018 date=1390523239]
[quote author=curiousphil link=topic=5145.msg78015#msg78015 date=1390520938]
Yeah I read that too, you need to multiply the end value by approx 25 percent.  I'm still getting abyssmal readings even accounting for that lol.  78 max before math, 122 after.  Goal being >250.

You should bring it by the store sometime.  I would like to see what the par is on the front display tank.
[/quote]

Ya for sure Aaron.  You want to measure the tank with the Marineland LEDs, right? Cus I'm pretty sure I remember you saying that you already had the big frag tank measured.
[/quote]aquatic life LEDs but yes sir

 

[Reef Hero]

The PAR readings seem very low.....if you are growing acros under only 125 PAR then there has to be more math or something to it.... Some of my Acros are seeing around 750+ PAR and my open lit sand bed is 250+.....this is of course with all t5 lighting.....I would be interested to see PAR readings on SaltyCrackers and Dukes LED tanks since they seem to be growing sps.....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Duke]

I have done my whole tank.. It's been a while but I was around 600 at the waterline, 400 to 500 where most of my coral is and 200 to 300 on the sand. These were just the readings from the meter on artifical lighting iirc.. No adjustments.

 

[curiousphil]

I'm not really growing acros, thats the thing lol .  Most are sitting there stagnant.  I've got good growth on my montis but the only acro I'm getting any growth on is a bit on the aculeus - but Jordan did say that it prefers low light!

None of my royal blues have lenses right now so I'm thinking thats probably a big factor.  Everything will be lensed up after my revamp.  I know that Salty has a literal shitload of RB LEDs and they are all lensed.  Duke has a few more RB LEDs than I do and I don't know what his lense situation is.

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

did yu get the usb driver from apogee ?...

 

[curiousphil]

No I didn't, but I would like to!  My meter has a mini usb port on it.  Where did you get the driver from?  Is it just on the Apogee website?

 

[KBennett]

I'm not really growing acros, thats the thing lol .  Most are sitting there stagnant.  I've got good growth on my montis but the only acro I'm getting any growth on is a bit on the aculeus - but Jordan did say that it prefers low light!

How many LEDs do you have of each colour?  I'm in the same boat.  I have about half the number that I plan on.  I can grow monti and birdsnest very well, but my acros grow very slowly.  The colours aren't browning out or anything though.  I was thinking it was high PO4 instead of PAR that was my problem....

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

No I didn't, but I would like to!  My meter has a mini usb port on it.  Where did you get the driver from?  Is it just on the Apogee website?

yes. i got the usb driver with the wand from the apogee website

 

[curiousphil]

[quote author=curiousphil link=topic=5145.msg78119#msg78119 date=1390574691]
I'm not really growing acros, thats the thing lol .  Most are sitting there stagnant.  I've got good growth on my montis but the only acro I'm getting any growth on is a bit on the aculeus - but Jordan did say that it prefers low light!

How many LEDs do you have of each colour?  I'm in the same boat.  I have about half the number that I plan on.  I can grow monti and birdsnest very well, but my acros grow very slowly.  The colours aren't browning out or anything though.  I was thinking it was high PO4 instead of PAR that was my problem....
[/quote]

Currently have 36 RB, 18 NW, 16 violets (6 405nm, 10 430nm), and 10 OCW. 

After the revamp I'll have 20 NW, 52 RB, 8 OCW, 20 430nm violets, 16 405nm violets.

And then I have 2 Blue Plus T5 bulbs as well, one on either side of my LED fixture, to help provide a more consistent light spread.

 

[KBennett]

That's a lot of violet.  Probably why you are reading so little par.  I think I have 48 rbs over my 6 foot tank. 

 

[curiousphil]

My existing setup doesn't have a lot of violet but the new one def does.  But agreed that may account for the low par reading... it's unfortunate that the PUR for corals is in a range that is read poorly by these meters... but the readings are good info nonetheless.

Pulled my hood off tonight and started the upgrade project.  Also got about 75-80 lbs of liverock from pulpfiction today - thanks man it really looks like great rock, I'm excitied to add it.  Have it cycling in a bucket right now, may start adding it to the DT one piece at time in a week or two.  Not only do I have to wait for it to cycle but I have to plan out the aquascape changes .

 

[curiousphil]

Forgot how much fricken work it is to just get these things mounted lol.

 

[Victoss]

Forgot how much fricken work it is to just get these things mounted lol.

Ya I went through this last weekend, took much longer then I was planning